'New Times' Editorial'

Campaign to improve customer care in Rwanda onRwanda is doing well from the tourism industry, given that it is earning an average of about $40 million per annum, making it the third highest foreign exchange earner, after coffee and tea. These figures, however, can be raised if our service provision industry is helped to improve.There are many things to praise about Rwanda, just as there have been many complaints raised about the quality of services here. Talk of uncaring and unwelcoming hospitality providers have been noted; retail businesses totally lack the welcoming smiles to attract business; bankers act as if they are the only bank in town and therefore have more clients than they need; shops and other businesses close at 5 p.m. as if they are government offices. There is a general lethargic behaviour that mocks the word competition! This must stop, and The New Times is going to contribute to lighting the way of positive customer care in Rwanda. Beginning Monday, August 27, this newspaper is going to high light the service industry in a special way, and will be carrying a column every Monday and Friday. It is going to be a delightful read, but most importantly it will be a training tour on how to, or how not to attract business.All service providers – hotels, restaurants, health centres, markets, shops, banks, and many more, are going to be put under the spotlight about the way they do business, specifically how they handle their clientele and whether their methods can sustain custom even in the face of stiff competition. And you, reader, is going to be part of it all. What you are expected to do is to write an article of 500 words, praising an institution or an individual, or pointing out their shortcomings. Writers should be clear and specific on what exactly is wanting or praiseworthy. We shall then check out the institution or individual for verification purposes, then run the article. In this way we hope we shall be helping to build a first class service industry that will get to be competitive, and may even become so good as to become the envy or example of other countries. Ends