Over 18,000 service sector workers to get customer care skills

THE RWANDA Development Board (RDB) has started a programme to equip the hospitality industry workers with customer care skills as one of the interventions to continue improving customer care in Rwanda. Zakhia Mbabazi, the development board customer care training head, noted that although a lot still needed to be done to improve customer care in the country, such initiatives would ensure a better client experience going forward. She noted that the “Na Yombi” campaign helped Rwandans to realise their shortcomings in service delivery.“The next step will be putting in place strategies on how Rwandans can become service-driven people. Every Rwandan should have an attitude of giving everyone that comes to them for service a lasting impression,” she advised recently.Mbabazi said 20,000 people have benefitted under the project so far, with over 18,000 lined up for the training in the coming months. The training is in line with equipping them with knowledge and skills to be the good ambassadors of customer service (NA YOMBI – akirana urugwiro abakugana) in Rwanda. The latest initiative follows a countrywide campaign by RDB last month, where Rwandans were sensitised about the importance of good customer care in enhancing service delivery. This was part of the campaign called “Customer is King” to improve customer service in the private and public sectors after realising that poor service delivery was costing the country a lot of money.An Institute of Policy Analysis and Research survey conducted three years ago revealed that the country loses $40m (about Rwf26.4b) annually due to poor customer service.Through the Workforce Development Authority, the government has also embarked on promoting professionalism in the service sectors, especially in the hospitality industry.

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Over 18,000 service sector workers to get customer care skills