Laura Minde - The New Times

Laura Minde

Laura Minde

Emmanuel Hakilimati, a bartender on duty in a hotel bar in Kigali. Photo by Sam Ngendahimana

The loyalty myth: Are customers really loyal?

Monday, June 15, 2026

An arranged dining table awaits guests at a hotel restaurant, in Kigali. Photo by Sam Ngendahimana.

Your bad day shouldn't become your customer's problem

Tuesday, June 09, 2026

Clients take a breakfast at a hotel in Kigali. The purpose of feedback is not validation. It is learning. Sam Ngendahimana

Are you collecting feedback or just collecting compliments?

Tuesday, June 02, 2026

According to the writer, customers are not just buying what they see. They are buying what they believe they will experience. Photo by Sam Ngendahimana

Not all that glitters is gold: When service doesn’t match the story

Thursday, April 23, 2026

Some clients have lunch at a restaurant in Kigali. Sam Ngendahimana

Are you welcoming customers or waiting for them to prove they matter?

Monday, April 20, 2026

Why you should say sorry.

Are we communicating or just avoiding accountability?

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

Customers have lunch at a hotel restaurant in Kigali. Courtesy.

Speed in customer experience: Why fast isn’t always right, but silence never is

Wednesday, January 07, 2026

A waiter serves a customer at a hotel in Kigali.

When ‘sorry’ is not enough

Monday, January 05, 2026

In recruitment process, candidates are shortlisted, interviewed, assessed, and asked to share salary expectations.

The silence gap: When saying nothing says everything

Friday, December 26, 2025

A waiter serves a client at Portofino Hotel in Kigali. Photo Sam Ngendahimana

The service gap no one talks about: How can we expect excellence from staff who’ve never experienced it?

Friday, December 12, 2025

Guests are served at the front desk of a hotel in Kigali. (Net photo)

Expectation vs. experience: The real gap in customer service

Tuesday, December 02, 2025

Patients wait for medical services at a hospital in Kigali. Photo by Craish BAHIZI

The entitled customer or the misunderstood one?

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

A hairdresser from Sudan who runs her business in Rwanda. Photo by Willy Mucyo

Can you handle the truth? Learning to love feedback before it’s too late

Monday, October 27, 2025

A waiter attends to a client at Portofino Hotel in Kigali. Photo by Sam Ngendahimana.

Service is everyone’s job: From the gate to the boardroom

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Medics attend to the patients at Girubuzima health post in Burera. File

Before we serve, we must care: A culture check for Rwanda’s service industry

Sunday, October 12, 2025

Bank of Kigali officials and customers during the celebration of Customer Service Week. File

Customer service week: The roses, the selfies, and the reality check

Tuesday, October 07, 2025

Cycling enthusiasts at the awarding ceremony during the conclusion of the 2025 UCI Road World Championship s on Sunday, September 28. Courtesy

The voice of the customer: Your free market research

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

According to the organizers, some fans travelled from all over the world to watch the 2025 UCI Road World Championships in Kigali. Photo by Olivier Mugwiza

Service lessons Rwanda can learn from cycling

Friday, September 26, 2025