Customer service re-engineering is the buzz word within the higher echelons of Rwanda’s private sector. Observers are quick to point out that the sector needs to ensure that customer service is developed as part of the national efforts geared towards achieving greater levels of national competitiveness.

The Rwanda Development Board aptly demonstrated this shortcoming in the recent drama which was played out by its staff. The drama seemed to clearly point out some of the below the average services offered by certain sections of the private sector.

This issue seems to cut across the entire broad spectrum of the Rwandan private sector. It is thus a grave concern for stakeholders within the private sector, hence efforts being mobilized to institute some form of redress.

The formation of a national steering committee to enhance customer service delivery is a welcome gesture.

Claire Akamanzi, Deputy Director General at RDB and the head of this committee, conceded that the first point of concern is to admit that there are shortcomings.

It is refreshing to note that a concerted action plan is in the works. Given a recent Survey which found out that Rwanda’s customer service level was the lowest in East Africa.

Plans to create an awareness campaign as well as the incorporation of customer service within the national curriculum; not forgetting inculcating the need to have customer service to form  a ‘new way of life’ for people are some efforts which seem workable in the foreseeable future.

Perhaps one way of taking this redress to the door steps of the ‘muturage’ will be during the monthly ‘Umuganda’,  as was suggested by the members of the steering committee. It is actually very critical to take this fight to the doorsteps of the citizens.

This whole issue comes in the backdrop of efforts being mounted to boost the activities of private enterprises through interventions being offered by the World Bank’s entrepreneurship development programme.

The growth of the Small and Medium Enterprises can be further boosted through dovetailing the programmes on offer by this World Bank funded intervention with the national steering committee workings.

We hope that with such measures the private sector will be able to actually rise to challenges thrust upon it by the policy makers- -that of being the country’s engine of the envisaged transformation.

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