adminwhen employees of customer-facing industries, such as the services sector, were “successful” that they could translate this success to customers.
“What our companies must realise is that their employees are their first customers. When these first customers are successful, they can then effectively service the secondary customers.”
With the service industry growing “exponentially” in recent years, observers contend that businesses rooted in effective customer service were likely to experience more success than before.
“Measuring the quality of your customer service by ‘customer satisfaction’ is no longer enough, to the extent that it may be a function of ignorance on the customers’ part because he/she may not be sure of what they want.
“There is need to adopt new methodologies that focus on ‘customer success’ — that is, looking at their quality of life. This is because a customer may be satisfied today and fail to buy your product tomorrow.”
Prof Mutambara urged companies to boost the training of their employees and urged the employees themselves to continually “up-skill” so as to keep in tandem with the latest trends.
“Gone are the days when the employer wanted to see a documented qualification. Employees should simply show that constant ability to provide value,” he said.
Zimbabwe’s National Customer Service Week is an extension of the International Customer Service Week, which was initiated by the International Customer Service Association in 1988.
The event has been normally celebrated within the first full week of October.
The week is meant to celebrate and promote customer service excellence and to appreciate the role of customers in business growth and sustainability.
Locally, the event is organised by the Contact Centre Association of Zimbabwe, in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, and the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe.
Prof Mutambara also took time to tour company stands at the event, urging them to adopt a broad-based approach to customer service.
Companies and service providers that participated at this year’s Brand Expo included CBZ Bank, Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, Telecel Zimbabwe, ZB Bank, Kingdom Bank, Zimbabwe Newspapers, Chicken Slice and the City of Harare, among others.
Speaking at the event, CCAZ patron Mr Herbert Nkala said this year’s commemoration would be concluded by a customer service awards gala meant to encourage a spirit of effective customer service culture among local companies.
“The awards will support and nurture a culture of service excellence in Zimbabwean companies and provide a dynamic opportunity to generate a stronger commitment to service excellence,” he said.
According to the McKinsey Global Institute, Africa’s population is set to rise by over 50 percent by 2030, with the continent’s top 18 cities to have a combined spending power of US$1,3 trillion, which highlights the growing need for sustainable competitive advantage.
Zimbabwe’s customer-facing companies and service providers have generally lagged behind in terms of implementing effective customer service strategies.
Online Reporter