The recognition of 40 companies and individuals at the tenth Karisimbi Service Excellence Awards in Kigali last week should inspire a shared ambition to make the standards celebrated on stage part of everyday life, at every service counter.
The occasion also offered an opportunity to consider how these achievements can inspire more consistent, dependable service across public institutions and private businesses.
The latest Rwanda Governance Board scorecard makes that question urgent. Quality of service delivery scored 68.48, down from 71.73 in the previous edition. Although this assessment concerns public services, the decline should concern government and business alike. Both shape public confidence and the country’s reputation.
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Service delivery is one of the cornerstones of good governance because it translates policy into lived experience. Citizens judge institutions through the time it takes to obtain a document, resolve a billing error or receive treatment. Courtesy matters, but competence, fairness, reliability and accountability matter just as much.
For a country that has invested heavily in Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions, inconsistent service carries commercial consequences. An impressive conference venue cannot compensate for an unanswered enquiry, an unreliable transfer or a complaint nobody owns.
Every interaction can strengthen confidence or undermine the promise that attracted a visitor or investor.
The Private Sector Federation should turn service excellence into a business priority. Working through its sector associations, it can develop clear customer service standards, organise regular training and help smaller enterprises improve booking, payment and complaint handling systems.
Managers must participate too because frontline workers cannot deliver excellence when staffing, supervision and internal processes fail them.
Government should match this effort with enforceable service charters stating requirements, fees, deadlines and avenues for appeal. Institutions should publish performance against these commitments, investigate recurring delays and make complaint resolution part of managers’ appraisals. Digital platforms should simplify access while retaining assistance for people who cannot use them.
Together, the government and the Private Sector Federation should establish a forum that uses customer feedback and independent assessments to identify bottlenecks, assign responsibility and track improvements. The priority should be measurable results: shorter waiting times, fewer repeat visits and faster resolution of complaints.
Awards can spotlight businesses worth learning from. Their greater value, however, lies in spreading the practices behind success. Recognition must inspire standards that endure after the ceremony.
Citizens should never need personal connections to receive an efficient service. Visitors should not have to lower their expectations. The next scorecard must reflect a shared commitment to making dependable service an everyday guarantee, wherever people seek it.