Tsm26 by The ServiceMag

www.theservicemag.com

Ecobank Rwanda’s electronic products, The future of Cashless Economy

ISSUE 26: JUNE - AUGUST 2016

LL Y NEED OU NEED T KNOW O KN OW O IMPR O VE Y OUR SER VICE ALL AYOU TO TOTIMPROVE YOUR SERVICES

ENTRE CONFÉRENCES ET ACTIONS THE SEVEN SKILLS YOU SHOULD HAVE, NOW

BAZA IBIBAZO

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The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016 3

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

CEO / PUBLISHER: Sandra Idossou sidossou@theservicemag.com

Let us excel at Customer Service! “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michaelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well’.”-Martin Luther King Jr.

am often asked if service excellence is possible in Rwanda and in Africa, because as a continent, many argue, we have primary challenges to cater for first. Challenges such as not having basics such as water at home for several weeks, difficulty in getting transport to office, low pay for service industry jobs renders service personnel unable to meet high expectations of service excellence. My response has always been the same - excellence is an attitude. We can aim at being good at everything we do no matter the circumstances. Service excellence is possible if we all aim to be the best we can be at every stage of the service chain. We all know that it costs more to gain a new client than to keep the loyalty of an existing customer. That means that service providers should aim at being professional with customers and try to solve their issues. We can achieve good service, in fact, we should demand excellent service. If we are not demanding and accept mediocrity, nothing will change. The world is changing very fast and so is Rwanda and the rest of Africa. We cannot remain static and always blame our unprofessional manners and attitudes on the fact that we are in Rwanda or Africa. Let’s all aim at excellence in all we do and we will see the change in the service industry. Let‘s all be the change we want to see in the service industry. As we bring you the twenty-sixth issue of your magazine, we hope the selection of articles offered by our numerous contributors will push you to always do your best. We thank all those who share their knowledge with us through the pages of the magazine. You too can join us. We accept articles in English, French and Kinyarwanda that can sensitize us on issues related to service. Enjoy the reading.

Sandra IDOSSOU 4 The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016

ENGLISH EDITOR: Aryantungyisa Otiti aryantu@theservicemag.com KINYARWANDA EDITOR:Gaspard Habarurema gaspardhabarurema@gmail.com FRENCH EDITOR: Diana Ramarohetra diana@theservicemag.com MARKETING CONSULTANTS Bea Umwiza: bumwiza5@yahoo.fr +250 788 304 226 Eva Gara: evagara@yahoo.com +250 782 029 803 DESIGN, LAYOUT & PHOTOGRAPHY: Lange technologiez www.langetechnologiez.com Tel: +250 789 720 480 CONTRIBUTORS: Sandra Idossou, Shiprah Kenganzi Kiiza, Jean-Pierre Lauzier, John Bosco Nyemazi, Bonnie Kim, Diana Ramarohetra, Marcellin S.Gandonou Anthony Githonga, Ronald Stilting Gloria Iribagiza,Strive Masiyiwa THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTED US IN PRODUCING THIS ISSUE: Ecobank, Rwandair Airtel Rwanda,UAP Insurance Rwanda Simba Supermarket, East Africa Tourism Platform Akagera Aviations, Akagera Business Group Kenya Ports Authority, MTN Rwanda Bralirwa DISCLAIMER: The opinions, articles and photos in The Servicemag & The Servicemag On-line do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, publishers or their agents. While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy in preparing this magazine, The ServiceMag assumes no responsibility in effects risen there from and cannot accept responsibility for accidental loss of errors in articles and pictures. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER The ServiceMag Rwanda Tel: +250 788 781 562 email: info@theservicemag.com advert@theservicemag.com www.theservicemag.com

CONTENTS CONTENTS 4

LET US EXCEL AT CUSTOMER SERVICE!

ECOBANK RWANDA’S ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS, THE FUTURE OF CASHLESS ECONOMY.

6 12

LETTERS

KIGALI INTERNATIONAL PEACE MARATHON

ENTRE CONFÉRENCES ET ACTIONS

BAZA IBIBAZO

SANS CONVICTION, PAS DE RÉUSSITE!

WHO IS TO BLAME FOR POOR SERVICE?

18 CUSTOMER SERVICE, A BUSINESS ASSET

43 KUGIRA NGO UGURISHE NI NGOMBWA SERIVISI NZIZA

MY BUCKET LIST FOR EAST AFRICA DESTINATIONS

50 OUR FRUSTRATIONS

24 SIMBA SUPERMARKET LEADING THE WAY IN CUSTOMER CARE

6 KEYS TO IMPROVING YOUR TEAM’S CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS

PICTORIAL

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FROM OUR READERS

Letters MON MAGAZINE FAVORI J’étais en dehors et suis de retour depuis peu. Quelle surprise de voir que ServiceMag existe toujours. A mon départ, vous avez lance l’édition 16, et vous êtes maintenant a votre 25 eme édition. J’ai contacte Joëlle GASASIRA votre assistante pour avoir les éditions qui me manquaient, elle a été très aimable et me les a tous donnes. Je suis très heureux pour vous, continuez ainsi. Que 2016 soit pour vous une autre année de succès.

KANDT ONLINE PRESENCE I am a Facebook and Twitter follower of your magazine. I have been assisting in all your events. I like reading your editions because of the educative content inside. Your online presence amazes me so much. I love your “TELL US COMPLAINTS AND COMPLIMENTS SITE” where people talk about their good and bad experiences. Congratulations.

JOYEUX ANNIVERSAIRE DE 6 ANS

Je suis votre fan depuis que le magazine a commence. Je participe a toutes vos soirées, émissions,… Je suis de tout près toutes vos enquetes sur la qualite de service. Dommage que cette année vous n’en avez pas faites fautes de sponsor. Bon courage pour ce nouvel an et beaucoup de bonnes choses !!!

ESTHER

THIS IS THE BEST MAGAZINE EVER Your magazine is the best in Rwanda! It is different from other current magazines in which you can turn 5 pages and can’t find an article. The ServiceMag is full of instructive, educative and informative content. I deeply love it. Keep it up!

SILAS

Numva nshaka kuza gukorana namwe kubera inyandiko nziza n’ubwenge bwanyu. Ikinyamakuru cyanyu ndagikunda cyane kuko cyamfashije mu kwandika igitabo cyanjye gisoza amashuri ya Kaminuza. Mwarakoze cyane.

BISENGIMANA Nitwa Jean de la Croix, ndi umucuruzi. Iki kinyamakuru cyanyu cyamfashije kwagura ubucuruzi bwanjye. Nabanje gucuruza Me2U none ubu mfite iduka ryanjye . Nzabashimira iteka.

JEAN DE LA CROIX 6 The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016

Je suis fan de The ServiceMag mais il y a une section que j’aime le plus, c’est « At Your Service » ou vous parlez de l’impact des employés sur la qualite de service. Merci et bonne continuation.

JOSHUA Please submit your comments and suggestions Ese mwakunze inyandiko tubagezaho? turabasaba ngo muduhe ibitekerezo kuri editor@theservicemag.com

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NEWS

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Are you in love with customer service? By Anthony Gitonga Following your passion is the key to finding your potential. You will not achieve the latter without pursuing the former.—John C. Maxwell

have all heard the advice, ‘Find something you like to do so much that you would gladly do it for nothing; then learn to do it so well that people are happy to pay you for it.’ Despite compelling evidence of the truth in this statement, few people seem to heed the advice. Wherever you turn, you will find people seeking fulfilment in life by doing what they loathe and loathing what they do. You will never fulfil your destiny by doing what you despise. Passion is rarely to be found in preoccupations that we endure or much less hate. It is not to be found in doing what others perceive as best for us, but in influencing those around us to do in an increasing measure what we love to do.

We live in a real world where few employers will carve a job just for your passions. But we would carve it, through

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I never did a day’s work in my life, it was all fun.”-Thomas Edison proving our competency and moving to make the passionate parts of our job to be the largest part of our job. The market still appreciates and rewards results. Do you wish to blur the dividing line of work and pleasure? If you do, go to work on your passions. Work hard at developing them. Learn every appropriate skill and relevant knowledge that fortifies the passion from a mere excitement to a core competency. Make it your goal to take the initiative of volunteering your

passionate competencies at work. Even the cynics of the strength revolution will recognise a job well done. They will also notice the ease with which you accomplish assigned tasks. They will eventually conform to the words spoken centuries ago by Solomon, the ancient Israeli King, “A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men.” Achieving this is not an instant affair. It takes a belief in your abilities, a commitment to develop them to finely honed skills, and the risk to serve them to a world that may seem at first very disinterested. anthony@anthonygitonga.com

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Baza ibibazo By Sandra Idossou

Bitandukanye nuko abantu babitekereza, kugurisha bijyana no kubaza no kumva, nta kuvuga. Amasomo yose yo kugurisha azabikwigisha : Baza umenye icyo umukiriya ashaka. None, kubera iki benshi mu bacuruzi iyo baganiriye n’umukiriya batarekeraho kuvuga ? abo bacuruzi babwira abakiriya babo ibyo batekereza ko bakeneye ; ntibaha agaciro icyo aba akeneye mu by’ukuri.

eka dufate ingero ebyiri z’abacuruzi bakora neza : Abaganga n’abunganira abandi mu nkiko. Iyo ugiye kwa muganga gukoresha ibizamini ngarukamwaka, ugomba kuzuza forumireri ugaragaza uko wagiye ujya kwa muganga. Ntuzabona umuganga ava mu ivuriro rye avuga : « Oh hoya, nibagiwe kumubaza ibibazo bijyanye n’ingaruka agira iyo anyweye imiti runaka(allergies)!!! » Abacuruzi beza ku Isi ni abunganira abantu mu nkiko. Bakora iki mu kazi kabo ?Bagomba « gucuruza » ibitekerezo byabo ku itsinda ry’abantu 12. Babigenza bate ?babaza ibibazo. Mwigeze mubona umwunganizi ujya mu ngoro y’ubutabera nta rutonde rurerure rw’ibibazo afite ?abunganizi iteka baba bazi igisubizo cy’ibibazo mbere y’uko umutangabuhamya asubiza. Bahora iteka biteguye neza mbere yo gutangira urubanza. Kubera iki abacuruzi batitegura kimwe ?Ubusanzwe usanga basoma ibinyamakuru aho bakirira abakiriya mbere yo kubona umukiriya aho gusubiramo ibyabo cyangwa bagategura ibibazo bishya.

NI GUTE WITEGURA ? Dore uburyo bwo gutegura urutonde rwawe rw’ibibazo ufatanyije n’umukiriya wawe.Bwa mbere, fata urupapuro witegure kwurwuzuza ibibazo.Hejuru ku ipaji,

ugomba kwandikaho izina ry’umukiriya, uko umubona n’itariki. Dore urutonde rw’ibibazo wakwifashisha :

1.IBIKORWA

aho atanyurwa gato, hita umubaza ikindi kibazo.

6. INGARUKA

Baza ibibazo ku byo akora : « Mumaze igihe kingana iki mu kazi ? Mufite abakozi bangahe ? »

Ubu uzi aho atanyurwa ; niba, urugero, ari ibirebana na serivisi mbi, noneho hita umubaza : « Ni izihe ngaruka zo guhabwa serivisi nabi ? »

2. UFATA IBYEMEZO

7. AGACIRO

Ikigenderewe aha ni ukumenya ufata ibyemezo : « Ni nde, usibye wowe, ugira uruhare mu gufata ibyemezo ? »

3.ICYO AKORESHA Menya icyo umukiriya wawe akoresha : « Ubu ukoresha iki ? kandi kubera iki ? »

4.UWO ARANGURIRAHO Baza ku muntu uri kumuranguza : Kuri ubu ninde ukoresha nk’ukuranguza ? Kubera iki ? kuva ryari ?

5.KUTANYURWA Ugomba gushaka impamvu yose yatuma ashaka guhindura : Ugize icyo ushaka guhindura ku kijyanye n’ukuranguza ubu, cyaba ikihe ? » Naramuka avuze ko anyuzwe, mubaze ibindi bibazo. Niwumva koko mu by’ukuri anyuzwe n’uko yakirwa kuri ubu kandi mu by’ukuri nta tandukaniro wakora, hita uhagarikiraho ikiganiro. Ariko niba hari

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Niba umukiriya akubwiye ingaruka mbi n’uburakari bwe bwo kuba yarahawe serivisi mbi, mubaze : « Ni izihe nyungu mwari kubona iyo dushobora kubaha serivisi yihuse, inoze kandi mu gihe yari ikenewe ? »

8. KWEMERA KUYOBOKA Ubu noneho, ushobora kuvuga ku byo ucuruza. Kugeza ubu, nta kindi usibye kubaza ibibazo, nk’umuganga cyangwa umwunganizi mu mategeko. Nicyo gihe cyo kuvuga ku nyungu ikigo cyawe gishobora guha uwo mukiriya, nk’ubwiza bwo buhebuje, kugabanuka kw’amafaranga agenda, ubwiyongere bwo kunyurwa kw’abakiriya be ubwe n’ibindi,… Iyo ubaza ibibazo byinshi, wisobanura nk’umujyanama ufite mu by’ukuri inyungu z’umukiriya ku mutima atari ukuba gusa umucuruzi nk’abandi bose. Uba umufatanyabikorwa ushakishwa. sidossou@theservicemag.com

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FEATURE

Working towards Excellent Customer Service Customer service is anything we do for the customer that enhances their experience. Customer satisfaction on the other hand is the overall feeling of contentment with a customer interaction. It recognizes the difference between a customer’s expectations and a customer’s perceptions. It takes a great customer service to enhance any business/transaction in the private or public sector.

customer can either make or break your business, and in this world of constant innovation, creativity, the ever-evolving technology on social media, the customer has the power in the palm of his hand on Twitter, Facebook, e-mail or Whatsapp. In just seconds, you could be a couple of francs less in your bank deposits just because a disgruntled customer sent out a message expressing disappointment in how they were handled by your staff. So how do you go from being the most talked about company in a

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negative way to the most appreciated company to where throngs of clients flock and speak well of? IMPROVE your customer service – make better, upgrade, update, polish... Here is how: ENSURE THAT YOUR TEAM KNOWS WHAT CUSTOMER SERVICE ENTAILS

i.e. Strengthen the customer service skills of your team including empathy, consistency, patience, adaptability, clear communication,

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professional work ethic and product knowledge.

IMPROVE YOUR CUSTOMER INTERACTIONS

Identify a common ground with the customers and establish shared interests, ensuring there is a human side to your service that endears the business to the client.

MAKE EVERY CUSTOMER’S EXPERIENCE INDIVIDUAL

ENSURE THAT YOU ARE FULLY MEETING YOUR CUSTOMER’S NEEDS

Make every customer’s experience individual, exceptional and memorable. We have a tendency of remembering the positive and negative experience and forgetIn some businesses it may be necting the average one essary to segment high end value customers by providing assigned ADAPT A CUSTOMER SERpersonnel to manage their serVICE STRATEGY vice. Caution should be drawn not to alienate other value customers Despite having trainings with your as this can harm the brand. All staff on how to enhance the cus- customers are equally important. tomer experience, ensure that they have the right skills and attiENSURE THAT YOUR PERtude. Without a strategy, customer SONNEL ARE ENGAGED AND service delivery will be mediocre. IN THE RIGHT PLACE

PRACTICE LISTENING GET PERSONAL

Customers want human interactionwith innovations in technology there is a need to increase efficiency, companies have resorted to investing in automation of customer interactions. It is better however to invest in manpower Practice listening so that the cli- that responds to the client with ents feel that you are listening. personalised messages that are Empathy works well in resolv- not auto-generated. ing complaints. Take ownership of the mistakes that you make. BE AVAILABLE This builds trust and instils confidence. Follow up on whether the customer’s problem has been re- There is nothing as frustrating as solved. It is pertinent to get back not having someone to vent to esto the customer and turnaround pecially when you feel you are not getting value for money. It is very time matters. important there are visible, accessible platforms on how to get assistance in case there is a need.

Not everyone is cut out for customer service, but having satisfied employees is very important. PROVIDE CUSTOMERS A PLATFORM FOR FEEDBACK

Ansuring that you have a way that the customer can get back to you on the good and the bad, this goes a long way in ensuring that you fine tune service. Customer service is the embodiment of customer satisfaction. Dealing with people can be very dynamic so there is a need to constantly evolve as the customer and trends advance, this can only take vigilance and having an open mind set to constant improvement.

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CUSTOMER SERVICE CULTURE By BONNIE KIM

hat is Customer Service? Before we define customer let us define a customer and service. A Customer is a person who buys a product or service. A customer may not necessarily be the consumer since they might be buying for someone else who will consume the product or service. A consumer is the customer who buys a product or service to use themselves or uses the product or service purchased by another. The consumer is the end user. Attention must be paid to customers because they are the ones who bring money into a business that helps you run the business and makes profits in the end. Without customers, no matter how great a product or service you have, your business will fail.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Creating a Customer Service Culture is all about focusing on satisfaction of each and every customer.

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1. Hard Quality Service 2. Soft Quality Service

Hard Quality Service Hard quality service is the product or service that you sell to your customers. The disadvantage of hard quality service is that anybody can copy the way you package your product, price, location etc.

Soft Quality Service Soft quality service refers to how you sell your product or service to your customers. This is what determines whether a customer will come back or not. • Do you smile when you serve them? • Do you greet them or do you just ask whether they have a smartcard or would like to pay by cash or Credit card? • Are you courteous enough to know their name and greet them by their name? • Do you send them birthday wishes? What else do you know about them? • Do you keep your word to your customers? • When you fail to keep your word are you quick to apologize sincerely?

The best thing is that nobody can copy how you smile, greet and give attention to your customers. When an organization trains its employees on developing a culture of soft quality service and retains it from top management to ground level then it wins.

Customer service is how you sell your products or services. It is what causes a customer to come back no matter the distance, price, location or competition. They come to purchase your products or service

not because it is convenient or price is low but because they are willing to buy only from you because of how you serve them.

When you offer exceptional customer service then you reduce advertising cost by more than 70% because word of mouth from a satisfied customer not only brings you a new customer but more loyal customers than an Advert on any media.

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They come to purchase your products or service not because it is convenient or price is low but because they are willing to buy only from you because of how you serve them.

Creating a Customer Service Culture is all about focusing on satisfaction of each and every customer. It is about daily evaluation of the customer satisfaction and noticing the customer who never came back and asking why and working on those reasons so that even if you never win the one you lost, you prevent losing another one.

The key to success in your business should be to turn around the tables and focus on your customers. Whether a customer is calling to enquire about your products or services or window shopping you should give them all the attention you give to your best customer who gives you the highest profit margin. You never know who is asking about your products or services.

the next day and thank them for the opportunity and considering you as a potential organization and establish a good relationship with them. Even when you don’t make a sale, make sure you become a friend for when number one fails to deliver, they will call you next but only if you have established a good relationship. Business succeeds because of loyal customers who make repetitive sales. For a customer to make a repetitive sale, they must get something from you; satisfaction. At the end of every working day know this and practice it. Know that it is not the number of customers that you serve in a day that counts but the number of satisfied customers who will be willing to come back tomorrow even when your competitor opens their business next to you and offers your product or service at a lower price than you.

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Service can be segmented into two categories:

Even when you send a quotation for your products or services and they don’t give you the business, don’t hang up. Make a call to them

I hope the customer who comes to your business today will receive a big smile from you, a warm greeting, greet them, introduce yourself with your name as you ask theirs and make sure you remember them so that next time when they come you greet them by their name, when you them change you are courteous enough to say, “Thank You for shopping with us, welcome again.” The author is an International Motivational Speaker, Corporate Trainer and author. Bonniekim@bonniekimltd.com

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FEATURE

By Ronald Stilting

Delivering good service in Africa isn’t easy but it can be done with the right mind-set in place. Every country in Africa is special and has its own profile, but delivering good service faces similar challenges everywhere, albeit on different levels.

eople in Africa are generally friendly, which is a pre-requisite for delivering any kind of service. So what are the causes of the service-misery? Do the people supposed to deliver the service know what good service is? How can people, who have never experienced real “good service” actually deliver good service? The smart authors of articles about service have all had a level of exposure, mostly abroad, to good service; owners and managers of service delivering institutions often have more exposure to good service and some even have good formal education. I will NOT blame the local staff who don’t know. I will blame the manager/ owners who lack the commitment to educate their staff. Most of the managers/owners assume that good service just “happens”. Restaurants and hotels are mostly operated by individuals with limited or no education or background in the service-industry. But foremost they often lack the skills and commitment to

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Good service doesn’t start with theoretical and technical training but with brainstorming and training sessions that create awareness with the staff on how good it feels to receive good service and how to achieve this. Staff should be treated well to realize what positive feelings their work ignites and how satisfying it is. Instead of “whipping” staff when they make mistakes, they should be praised when they do a good job and coached to improve where necessary. If staff does not deliver good service, the owner/operator/manager is to blame for his inability to let his staff perform well. In all fairness; there are few staff who will not perform even after numerous attempts to train and coach. The attitude of the staff is, for a major part, the result of their formal as well as socio-cultural education. The classical education emphasizes respect in such a way that it prevents the staff from acting as self-confident service providers. In the traditional scenarios service-providers are classical servants, who are supposed to be humble and almost “invisible”. Respect is still required for service in the 21st century, but it requires self-confident and pro-active service staff. They should recognize the needs of their guests/clients, communicate clearly and still be respectful. Changing this mind-set is certainly not

“

WHO IS TO BLAME FOR POOR SERVICE?

educate and manage service.

easy as it requires breaking through historical behavioural patterns. Respect is a 2-way street and a guest/client who feels that he is dealing with a competent staff who is polite, self-confident, willing and able to deal with his issues will feel treated respectfully and almost always respect the service -provider. We should make it very clear to service staff that clients/ guests want to discuss their issues and wishes and that their remarks and suggestions are welcome. Another cause for poor service (and insecure staff), which cannot be easily solved by owners/operators, are the poor communication skills of the service delivering staff. In Africa a large number of guests/clients will not speak the local language and ser-

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vice industry must employ staff who speak the key languages -apart from their local language-: 1. English 2. French 3. Kiswahili. Formal education is key and if not sufficiently provided by institutions, operators should consider offering language training for staff with otherwise good potential. The widespread lack of technical knowledge of the job they do or service they provide makes things only worse. For example, if we employ people as waiters who only know how to carry a plate from the kitchen to the table but have no product knowledge, we cannot expect such waiters to be eager to communicate with guests about what they are ordering. There are a good number of consultants and training companies, mostly operated by former hospitality professionals who could surely provide part of the solution. But as long as owners/operators do not recognize or ignore the fact that service is bad and acknowledge its causes, nothing will change. External training only initiates a development and must be

supported by a continuous internal culture of training and coaching for the effects to last. In addition, the service has to be supported by a positive management style. Another factor in the whole “poor-service-scenario” is the fact that African people are willing to accept a lot and

“

Another cause for poor service ...are the poor communication skills of the service delivering staff. see many occurrences as unchangeable. The consumer and everybody in society has a voice and a choice. Poor service should not remain without consequences and good service should be rewarded. It should be understood that consumers are powerful and can express their choice in regards to service by spending where

service is good or keep their wallet closed and not spend where service poor. The consumers’ voice became even stronger through Social Media where everybody can share their experiences with the rest of the world, literally. We should clearly express our dissatisfaction about service to the owner, so he can improve. If he does not, he will eventually be faced with declining revenue as consumers are no longer willing to accept poor service. That should naturally cause a change or the business will disappear. The service and hospitality industry is still young in Rwanda, compared to Kenya with its large tourism industry. That has led to a wider range of education and training institutes and facilities and thus a larger talent pool. However young, talented and educated people are available in Rwanda, it just takes a bit more effort and a lot more awareness to achieve the goal.

The writer is the General Manager The Zinc Kigali gm@thezinckigali.com

The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016 17

FEATURE

EVERY

entrepreneur, company and organisation will agree that customers are the lifeblood of every businesses and interacting with those customers is inevitable. I am yet to see a cloud-based, automated business that requires zero interaction with customers.

Customer Service, a business asset By John Bosco Nyemazi

Why don’t we flip this perspective and turn a customer service into a profit centre? Companies invest a lot in different business tools like Business Canvas, stakeholder mapping, product development, marketing analysis and strategies including branding to mention a few, and forget that the fundamental branding for the organisation is customer service and how you create the customer experience and storytelling about your company and product. Service and support are the most important interactions you will have with your customers. How you approach these interactions is representative of how you do things, which influences what your clients say about you and in turn what your brand is. There have been a number of customer care campaigns, the most popular being “NAYOMBI” that was championed by Rwanda Development Board (RDB) due to several selves to your brand, becomes a mascomplaints about poor service delivery sive business asset. The easiest way to both in private and public institutions. measure the return on that investment However, we still face the same hurdle. is through word-of-mouth, where your Some institutions are doing well like clients wax lyrical about their experiRwanda Immigration office. I went there ence with your brand and company. And recently, to acquire a travel document; that’s how customer service, through the service I received was the best I the medium of brand building becomes have experienced. a profit centre instead of an area where you try to minimise expenditure. Customer service is your primary communication channel with customers; Competition is becoming stiffer day use it to craft the best perception of by day and critical deadlines are rife, your company and your brand. This way, one cannot think of a business growth you will build sustainable, profitable without exceptional customer service. A relationships with your customers. Your number of organizations underestimate competitors could copy your code, your the importance of customer satisfacproducts, your Website, but they won’t tion, while laying the foundation of their be able to copy the best customer expe- business. They focus on the quality of rience you gave your customers, which services and products, organisational will be your competitive advantage. infrastructure but often overlook the fact that it is customers who can make A loyal customer base, where individuals or break a business. have attached and associated them-

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Customers will forget what you told them, but they won’t forget how you made them feel.”

The best way to promote your business products and services is word of mouth marketing. When customers receive satisfactory and quality services from an organization, they tend to discuss in their social network, which leads to direct publicity and increased popularity of an organization. “I challenge us to redefine our customer service philosophy to improve and maintain our customers.” The author is pursuing an MA in Management Innovation and Entrepreneurship from the University of Antwerp, Belgium. bnyemazi@yahoo.com

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ADVERTORIAL

MY BUCKET LIST FOR EAST AFRICA DESTINATIONS

oes your list of ‘must visit’ places include East African destinations? Did you know that the East African region has wonderful holiday destinations that you and your family can enjoy? Did you know that you too can be a tourist in your own country - no visas, no language barriers. What an honour to explore your region and enjoy the beauty of your homeland! Take a look at these bucket lists that cover a wide range of places and attractions in the region. Go ahead, make your own bucket list and plan your next holiday. Tour your homeland before you go abroad! The EATP is committed to promoting local tourism and encouraging East Africans to love and know our land by touring the region, don’t be left out!

Ambassador Richard Sezibera Former Secretary General EAC 1. Spend a week in Nyungwe Forest 2. Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro 3. See the Donkey migration, Kajiado County 4. Watch the Wildebeest migration in Serengeti, Masai Mara 5. Explore the Sea bed off the East African coast. East Africa, the cradle of humanity never ceases to amaze. So much to see and experience, variety meets innovation!

John Mwangemi

LAMIN Manneh

Kenya High Commissioner, Rwanda

UN Country Director, Gambia

Although I am a resident of East Africa, there are still places I haven’t visited. The places that top my bucket list are: Queen Elizabeth Park in Uganda, Lamu, Ol Pejeta Conservancy and Lake Turkana in Kenya and The Virunga Mountain range in Rwanda. These places are attractive because of their unique fauna and flora. enced in East Africa.

The following are the five places I would like to visit in East Africa: Serengeti National Park in Tanzania & Masai Mara in Kenya (do the safari and watch the lions); Mombasa (enjoy the beaches); Nyungwe Forest Park in Rwanda (watch the baboons and do the Canopy walk); Murchison Falls in Uganda (watch the beautiful waterfalls); and Kampala, enjoy the bustling city.All these places offer wonderful opportunities for relaxation and reflection on the wonders of nature. Kampala offers the wonders and challenges of a growing and bustling African city.

Dr Diane Gashumba Minister of Gender and Family Promotion Rwanda I heard about the beauty of Munyonyo in Uganda and Lamu Island in Kenya and my dream would be to spend a week there with my children.Then I would like to visit Nyungwe National Park and listen to the beautiful birds singing. I would also love to take the safari in Serengeti in Tanzania. I have heard about it since I was a child.

20 The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016

Makeda Mahadeo

Media Personality and DJ Rwanda and Jamaica I’d love to climb Kilimanjaro, spend some time in Masai Mara, take a dip and eat fish at a Burundian beach and go Gorilla Trekking in Musanze. Even though I’ve been to Stone Town, I’d love to go again. I’ve heard amazing things about all these places and they’ve always been on my list!

SECTION NAME Borderless Borders Celebrate Culture

Experience this using your Interstate pass, National or Student ID

#BorderlessBorders

Why the single visa?

Who is eligible?

The East Africa Tourist Visa is a multiple entry visa for foreigners visiting Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda simultaneously. This visa is a result of a joint initiative made by the Heads of States of the respective partner countries to boost regional tourism and create opportunities for tourists to explore the diversity of East Africa.

A foreigner who wants to visit simultaneously the Republic of Kenya, Republic of Rwanda and Republic of Uganda for tourism. The visa will be issued at any of the diplomatic representations of Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, at the immigration offices of the respective countries or on line where applicable. (Online application is available for Rwanda)

Expatriates

A special consideration has been given to expatriates (foreign residents) residing in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. They do not need a visa to travel within the three partner states; all they need is a valid resident permit. Kenyans, Rwandans and Ugandans use National Identity Cards as travel documents within the region. The use of National Identity cards went into effect on 1 January 2014. The decision enables citizens of one country to spend up to six months in the two other countries using only their ID card.

Type of visa & Visa Fee An East Africa Tourist Visa is a multiple entry visa and shall be valid for 90 days. Visa Fees: $100

How to Apply Applications for this visa shall be lodged at any of the diplomatic representation of the Republic of Kenya, Republic of Rwanda and Republic of Uganda, at the Immigration Offices of the respective countries or online where applicable.

The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016 21

ADVERTORIAL

Konde Bugingo

CEO BRD Commercial, Rwanda

Clare Akamanzi

Mason Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Rwanda I would like to see the lions that were brought to Rwanda while I was away, to celebrate this new tourism addition in my country. I would like to witness the great wildebeest migration from Serengeti to Masai Mara, this is a wonder that I am yet to absorb and this migration exemplifies the bordered landscape that we should be living in. Lastly, I would like to climb Mt Kilimanjaro; such a challenge would reignite a sense of accomplishment and motivation to do what appears tough.

- Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda - Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda - Guided tour of Zanzibar Island - Climbing Mt Kilimanjaro - Enjoy Tanganyika Blue Ocean Resort in Burundi I am looking forward to doing the above in the coming 2 years!

Angel Uwamahoro Rwandan Artist studying Performing Arts at Fordham University in NYC

Eric Onekey Poet, Rwanda

I would like to go bungee jumping in Jinja, Uganda. I think the experience is breath taking. I would also like to spend a few days in a Massai community in Kenya. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to know what makes them so resilient. I would like to take my son to the Akagera National Park. His reaction when he sees the real animals in their habitat will be priceless.my friends for a holiday in Mombasa. The waves must be refreshing.

East Africa is my home. I was born, raised here and I plan to spend the rest of most of my life here. I would love to do the White-water Rafting in Uganda, climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, explore the Masai Mara in Kenya, have a cultural experience in Burundi and witness the breath taking Blue Nile falls in Ethiopia, and oh---take a helicopter or air balloon over my very own motherland, Rwanda.

Joan Mazimhaka CEO Illume Rwanda The Great Wildebeest Migration across the Serengeti tops my bucket list! From what I have heard, witnessing this majesty of nature reminds us how we are only a small part of such a big world. A beach tour of Zanzibar would be ideal. With the white sands and fishing villages, there are no shortages of things to see. A sunset dhow cruise after a walk through Stone Town seems like the perfect way to get the most out of Zanzibar. In Rwanda, I would love to spend a weekend at the amazing Nyungwe Forest Lodge. It is a perfect hideaway amid the luxurious forest, and hiking along the various trails within the rainforest is such a beautiful adventure. Illume is working with Tastemakers Africa tour of East Africa to curate experiences within Kigali and I would love to see the other cities through the eyes of curators. Lastly, I would love a riverboat trip to Murchison Falls along the Victoria Nile in Uganda. The country offers such adventurous experiences and I am never there long enough to enjoy all that it has to offer.

I know these natural scenic views of East Africa will blow me away and give me an even stronger sense of pride of my homeland.

Ibrahim Sagna

Head of Financial Advisory at Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), Senegal I would like to see the gorillas in Rwanda, visit Kibuye and stay at the Palm resort in Kenya; see the gorillas in Bwindi Forest in Uganda and top it up with a visit to Zanzibar. I would also like to visit the Addis Museum and Laibela in Ethiopia. Nature and humanity merge beautifully in those places.

22 The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016

HAVE YOUR SAY SECTION NAME

Entrepreneur culturel et artistique, loin d’être si ludique Par Diana Ramarohetra

’entreprenariat n’est jamais chose facile mais il l’est encore plus lorsque l’on est entrepreneur culturel. En effet, organiser un événement, surtout un concert, ce n’est pas une chose facile et aussi ludique qu’il n’y paraît. Très souvent les coûts pour organiser un concert sont énormes. Il y a déjà le cachet de l’artiste. Ici, on ne parle pas d’une personne qui gratte une guitare à ses heures perdues. Mais bien d’une personne avec des musiciens dont c’est leur métier et qui comme tout le monde ont droit à un salaire. Ensuite, il y a toute la partie technique. Un artiste a une fiche technique qui va du son à la lumière. Ces matériels ont un coût, parfois exorbitant, surtout si ils ne sont pas disponibles au pays. Cela sous-entend location de matériels et parfois dédouanement. Enfin, il y a toute la logistique et ad-

ministrative. Avant, pendant et après, un concert nécessite du personnel pour assurer la sécurité, vendre les billets, animer la scène, s’occuper des contrats, conduire les artistes et récupérer les banderoles, aller à la banque, etc. Un concert ce n’est pas que des artistes sur une scène, c’est aussi et avant tout une équipe en coulisses qui veille à ce que tout marche et que le public et les partenaires en ressortent satisfaits.

jusqu’à exiger une séance-photo personnelle avec la star. Mais une des choses qui rend ce métier beaucoup plus difficile est le facteur risque. Rien n’est jamais gagné lorsque l’on organise un événement : qui viendra réellement, la pluie va t-elle tomber, les artistes vont-ils avoir leur visas à temps, les partenaires vont-ils se désister à la dernière minute, y’a t-il un risque d’attentat terroriste et j’en passe.

Partenariat et risque

Pas évident de conjuguer avec tous ces aléas et de rester zen surtout face à ceux qui continuent à penser que travailler dans la culture n’est que divertissement. Oui, il l’est pour le spectateur et non pas pour celui qui trime derrière pour offrir le meilleur et donner au public, 2 heures de show inoubliable.

Impossible d’organiser un événement, et surtout un concert seul. Malheureusement, les sponsors rechignent ou mettent trop d’exigences avant de s’engager. Et pourtant, ils sont conscients de leur intérêt, de ce que cela peut apporter à leur image. Et toujours cette excuse de la restriction budgétaire. Mais quand il faut avoir une contre-partie, là plus aucune restriction. Certains vont même

diana@theservicemag.com

The TheSERVICEMAG SERVICEMAGJune June- -August August2016 20162323

ADVERTORIAL

Simba Supermarket LEADING THE WAY IN CUSTOMER CARE By TSM Reporter

ocial media is transforming the way companies are doing business in Rwanda today, especially when it comes to customer service. Through The ServiceMag’s ‘Tell Us’ the TSM Compliments and Complaints Site on Facebook, Rwandans have a platform where they can express their views on products and services they receive from different companies and public institutions. On the first day of March this year, something unusual happened with the packaging of bread at Simba Supermarket. Instead of the bread being dated 1/3/2016, the date on it was 30/2/2016, an inexistent date on the calendar. With raised eyebrows about the quality of the bread, given the wrong date, clients went on to post and share pictures of the bread packaging on social media, which the Simba Supermarkets Managing Director, Justine Ngarambe was quick to clarify.

NGARAMBE S. Justine Managing director Simba Supermarket

“I was in church on a Sunday morning when the comment was posted. I received a picture of the bread from a friend who had seen it. I forwarded the picture to a WhatsApp group of our supervisors then called one of them to collect all the bread from the branches and shops,” she narrated. She noted that it was simply an oversight because the bread was okay and that there is no 30th of February in a year. Ms. Ngarambe explained that Simba Supermarkets has a bakery located in Remera, Kigali which has two teams. “one team does Production, packaging then distribution. And another one handles returned damages from all shops..” Ms. Ngarambe appreciated the fact that they were able to reach out to their clients and have them send their feedback through

24 The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016

social media. “It is something that has really helped service providers at large. At Simba, we like feedback, whether good or bad. We appreciate that it is a way of getting to very many people at the same time. When it is bad, we look at what the reason was for the customer to come to us in the first place which is what we value,” she added. The chain supermarkets giant uses social media as a tool for improving its service and assuring social media users that they are there to learn from their mistakes and improve the quality of service. “The fact that I was able to read the complaint and respond restored some confidence in us from the client. Whenever someone complains about something they usually do so with the expectation that someone is going to respond to them even if the response is not satisfying,” she said. She added that they were able to shed more light on what really happened because it wasn’t the quality of the bread that was the problem but the wrong date printed on it. “We are always searching for ways to improve our service,” Ms. Ngarambe said. “Being able to listen to any concern raised has helped us. We do not take anything for granted. We really want to get closer to our clients and not have them struggle to get anything,” she concluded. Is your business reaching out to clients and receiving and acting on feedback from them? Social media is a very important tool in receiving feedback and finding ways in which to improve service to your clients as well as showing your commitment to serving them better.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Coming Closer To You!

Kigali Height Branch

SECTION NAME

Kicukiro Branch

Opening Soon HEAD OFFICE CENTENARY HOUSE, KIGALI, RWANDA TEL: 0788307200 E-MAIL: info@supermarket.com FACEBOOK: Simba Supermarket Ltd TWITTER: Simba supermarket @simbaSmarket

Simba

Unlimited shopping at one stop place Su

p e r m a rket

The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016 25

COVER STORY

Ecobank Rwanda’s electronic products, The future of Cashless Economy.

There was once a time when retail banking was a breeze for the bankers. It looked that way at least. Everyone who wanted to tap into formal financial services or needed to put money away (all those

to the way people handle money. People don’t need to visit a bank anymore. Those that do are not obliged to have any sort of face to face relationship with their banker, infact most of the Rwan-

and the bank’s Head of Commercial & Consumer banking, Mr. Wilfrid Bocco lays it out. Through all these plastic money alternatives, the bank gets to increase their customer’s access to their ac-

people who had formal jobs) was obliged to approach any of the registered financial institutions and start a relationship with them. Then the economy changed, and, in the heels of that transformation, technology came and triggered even further adjustments

dese are getting used to this. So, it’s a bit of a no-brainer that all banks should invest into ebanking services. The latest to make that inevitable commitment has been Ecobank Rwanda. Ecobank’s has a simple strategy

counts, and if you tie this in with a Rswitch or Visa relationship and other No-Need-To-Ask modern day banking add-ons like internet banking and online transfers, Ecobank is keeping up with the rest of the pack of innovations to

26 The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016

COVER STORY

drive the cashless Economy in Rwanda. In the past years, Ecobank has launched a series of visa and Master card products like Ecobank Premier cards (Gold & Platinum), Prepaid cards, Visa classic cards. These are meant to cater for a diverse clientele, even though it’s a bit ironic that Ecobank is going smooth on these debit card services, it has also gone the Extra mile to have Travelling cards easy for its customers on the – go to use, these are the Ecobank CashXpress, the bank’s prepaid card. The CashXpress card do not need an account to have one, you only need to load cash and stay on the go, they are easy to use since they are just like any other A customer withdraws money from an Ecobank ATM. card and are visa compliant and can be used on over 24 Million POS worldwide. in delivering these cards to its tomer, Ecobank put in place an That is why we have managed to partner clients. Says Marie louise - Eco- Instant carding service, where with Rwandair, the countries only carrier bank Head of Electronic banking. you can receive your card in lest Wilfrid Bocco goes ahead and than 5 minutes. Which removes explains that the cards will not the old ways of having to wait only benefit their customers but for 2 or 3 weeks to have your also for the rest of the banked card delivered to you. Ecobank’s and unbanked populations. Take mobile platform called the Ecoa look at our POS machines, we bank-Mobile is one good step have now invested in the latest ahead to keep you banked 24/7 machines which are faster and with numerous services offered. lighter, this helps a client make Ecobank is one of those banks payments in any of their fa- that deliver quality customer servourate shops or cafes without vice and know a client’s needs having to carry cash. This does right from the entrance. The not only stop from here, but bank is here to drive the latest our clients can also make on- technology in banking and proline payments using their cards. mote a cashless economy for all. Ecobank Retail Internet Banking To make this convinient and accessible by every new cus-

The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016 27

COVER STORY

Striving for Excellence in Banking Customer Service Like other businesses in Rwanda, customer service is a challenge in the banking sector. Ecobank desires to lead in customer service as in other significant areas of the banking sector and they have put their hand to the plough. The Managing Director, Rwanda shares some insights on Ecobank’s strides in excellence in customer care. Customer service is the main challenge facing the banking industry in Rwanda. How does Ecobank deal with that issue? In Ecobank Rwanda, we strive to go above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to customer service; we offer products that are tailor-made for each of our clients. We offer our staff continuous training and act on feedback from customers. We believe that customer service is an important issue and a responsibility of every staff member and we want to make sure the customer is well served at all levels. Our client engagement staff take care of all customer complaints and ensure they are resolved and all our customers are satisfied with our service. What makes Ecobank standout and compete with other banks that offer the same products? The service Ecobank offers along with these products, especially the electronic products, makes our bank stand out. These products offer a high end, convenient and secure platform to offer our clients extra options for their day to day business. We stand out because Ecobank has invested in technology for our products. Products like the OMNI, which facilitates company owners to trigger and process bulk transactions speedily without coming to the bank. Our cards are segmented to match different customer segment’s needs. In the push to drive a cashless economy, Ecobank also introduced an Online Remittance service called the ABMT (Account based Money Transfer) with Western Union where clients are able to send money from the comfort of their homes without carrying cash to the bank. In addition there are other services such as Point of Sale payment solutions, Online payments and other e-platforms that our clients appreciate and feel secure about. These products make us stand out and being one of the institutions driving the Cashless economy together with the Government is something we and our clients are proud of. How do you envision Ecobank in the next coming years? I see Ecobank as the leading digitalized bank in Rwanda. We are investing in technology and security. I think this is where every Rwandan and African at large is heading to – a digital world. Let us be the first to get there and ensure our customers benefit fully from our unique footprint across Africa. Apart from the cashless economy Ecobank is driving, do you have any innovations customers should expect from Ecobank? Yes, we do have other products. We recently introduced a new way of sending money with Western Union without coming to the bank. This is linked to our amazing Internet banking and is also called ABMT (Account based Money Transfer). As I mentioned earlier, it is fast, convenient and secure, our clients already like this. We have also put in place new cards on the market with amazing great limits of spending. These are the Gold and Platinum cards with 4 Million and 10 Million respectively when buying Online. One of our delighted customers commented that one could even buy a car with this card. I would also add that just like VISA, Mastercard or ChinaUnion platforms, Africa is yet to introduce its own platform called PAC (Pan African Card) courtesy of Ecobank. This is good news not just for our customers but for all Africans. 28 The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016

Ndiaye Mareme Mbaye Managing Director Ecobank Rwanda

HAVE YOUR SAY

ENTRE CONFÉRENCES ET ACTIONS

ducation, technologie, cinéma, santé tout y passe. Entre séminaires, ateliers, conférences, les sujets se suivent et ne se ressemblent pas sur le continent. Pourtant force est de constater qu’entre parler et agir, il y a parfois un énorme fossé. Lorsque l’on entend et lorsque l’on voit tout ce beau monde rassemblé et toutes ces recommandations faites au cours de conférences, on ne peut que se demander : « Pourquoi l’Afrique en est encore à ce stade ? » A qui servent les conférences ? Les conférences, réunions, qu’importe le terme générique, sont surtout des moments de partage d’expériences où chacun ressort revigoré par de nouvelles perspectives, de nouvelles connaissances. Au cours de ces 3 jours, les participants sont focalisés sur la thématique, concentrés sur les présentations et les débats. C’est une opportunité pour chacun de sortir de sa zone de confort et/ou d’envisager l’avenir de l’Afrique, de son pays, de son secteur. Les conférences sont aussi des nouvelles opportunités, permettent de se heurter à la réalité des

Par Diana Ramarohetra

autres, se remettre en question. Puis, très souvent à la fin, des recommandations, des plans d’action sont mises en place. Ou simplement de nouvelles idées germent, une nouvelle perspective dans son travail ou dans sa méthode d’approche. Et après ? Malheureusement, une fois de retour à sa vie quotidienne, toutes les bonnes résolutions prises sont rangés dans le placard au même titre que son bagage. Ce n’est pas force d’avoir imaginé, c’est très souvent parce que personne n’assure le suivi réel sur le terrain. Un fonctionnaire envoyé à un séminaire, se contentera de rédiger son rapport et l’envoyer à son supérieur pour justifier ses notes de frais. Et puis ensuite, la charge de la vie quotidienne reprend très vite le dessous : les dossiers à traiter, les emails à répondre, la réalité prend le pas et la conférence est vite oubliée ou restera comme toutes les autres formations : une expérience intéressante. Mais à qui revient la responsabilité de l’action? Dans nos pays, on a tendance à parler de l’Etat providence. Parce qu’effectivement, il revient à ce dernier de mettre

en place des politiques. Mais lorsque les personnes censées s’en occuper, sont défaillantes, il faut rarement s’attendre à un résultat. Mais alors, le simple fonctionnaire ou participant ne peut-il pas agir à son échelle et essayer de faire bouger les choses ? Si, il peut le faire. Mais très souvent, il se fatigue rapidement ou bien n’en voit simplement pas l’intérêt. Mais ce n’est pas vrai pour tout le monde. Le Rwanda est très souvent cité en exemple en terme de réforme économique. Justement parce que des actions sont mises en place après chaque réunion, chaque conférence. Des responsabilités sont données aux ministères en charge et ces derniers ont obligation de résultats. Cet exemple permet de dire que les choses peuvent avancer. Qu’au lieu de simplement parler, il est temps pour nous de se retrousser les manches et agir pour que les choses changent. L’Afrique a un fort potentiel, tout le monde en est conscient et chacun semble reconnaître l’avenir radieux qui s’annonce dans tous les domaines. Mais entre la théorie et la pratique, il y a souvent un fossé … celui de la volonté. diana@theservicemag.com

The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016 29

TRAVEL

Discovering ISTANBUL, the beautiful bridge between Asia and Europe By Sandra Idossou

am writing this article as I sit comfortably in business Class aboard a Turkish Airlines flight en route to Kigali. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to tell the story. Five days in Turkey and I have been intrigued by the way Turkey has brought together historical and cultural values in a new exciting dynamic brand.

numerous shopping breaks. The city is as busy as any other European city yet has different attractions for holiday breaks with beautiful hotels, lots of gardens, plenty of ferries for quiet boat rides where one can sit, take a deep breath, relax and enjoy the simple joys that life offers.

We arrived in Istanbul on a beautiful sunny morning on May 22nd 2016. Istanbul Airport was bustling with travellers connecting to all parts of the world. Istanbul is known as the fifth most connected city in the world and the third Favourite city in Europe. The city has been named one of the four anchor megacities of Europe along with London, Paris and Moscow in terms of its economic and real estate capacity and power. It is located where East meets West and tradition meets modernity and is the connecting link between Asia and Europe.

Five Star Indulgence

Everything in Istanbul tells a story; from their airline that has become one of the best in the world, their medical offers, their tourism attractions and the

Our hotel, Radisson Blue was just a gem. This five star hotel with exclusive services had such affordable rates I wished I could bring African hotel owners to visit to understand the meaning of service excellence. Most hotel rates in Africa are exorbitant and yet the hotels offer average service standards. Imagine $100 or less for a room in a five star hotel. After the long tour days, the heated indoor and outdoor pools provided the much needed relaxation for our muscles. The SPA, open till 11PM, offers a relaxing ambiance with rejuvenating therapies to totally indulge the senses. And there was the gym, pools, sauna

30 The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016

and Turkish bath area all meant to reenergise the customers.

Pleasing the taste buds One of the pleasures of visiting Istanbul is the variety and quality of their food. One evening, we had dinner at the Imperial Restaurant under the Galata bridge, as we enjoyed the traditional folk music we were treated to by a threeman-cultural-group. The Restaurant offered delicious tapas and starters; by the time the main dish was served, most of us were already full.

Turkish Airlines behind the scenes Turkish Airlines celebrated its eightythird anniversary recently and is pursuing its objective of reaching out to more destinations. Recently, they opened their Panama-Bogota, Atlanta routes. Turkish Airlines has been voted Best Airline in Europe for the fifth consecutive year and first in number of destinations in Africa,

TRAVEL We started the day with a visit of their flight training centre where cockpit and cabin crews (both old and new) receive regular trainings. Twice a year, each cabin crew member undertakes a refresher course and pilots sit for exams for new certificates each year. Visiting the simulators that take crewmembers through real incidents such as fire, weather, evacuation etc. reveals how important safety and quality service are to Turkish Airlines. What makes passengers vote Turkish Airlines the Best European Airline five years in a row? Mr Said Samil KARAKAS, the VP Sales Sub Saharan Africa’s answer was, “We are better in terms of service, quality, price and the product we offer. We know how to host people, we have excellent catering services; the quality of food is good and our Business lounge is first class. We invest in our people, our equipment, quality, consistent service and respect our passengers.

Serving Chefs on-board Did you know that most Turkish Airlines long haul flights have serving chefs that make sure to offer the best culinary experiences? We experienced one of these cooking experiences at the Catering Centre that also serves as a training centre for chefs and cabin crew to be sure they deliver the services as expected.

The Turkish Do & Co offers Turkish Airlines catering services. This company prepares over two thousand meals a day. They also manage the Turkish Airlines Lounge Service. They are famous for their fresh food and the flavour of their tasty food offerings.

The Best Airport Lounge I am a frequent traveller and often enjoy the services and conveniences of an airport lounge. Turkish Airlines Business lounge at the Istanbul Airport beats the other lounges I have been to. No wonder, it is called the « Best of Experiences ». It is one of the biggest and cosiest lounges in the world. This living space has a capacity of sitting 1030 people and like everything in Turkey, it is a blend between the traditional and modern offering a range of services and activities.

Medical Park Group A visit to the hospitals in Istanbul made me wonder whether these were hotels or hospitals. The Medical Park Group I visited is a privately owned hospital chain with over twenty-five hospitals located in 17 cities operating since 1993. It gathers specialists, has a patient-oriented service approach and multi-disciplinary work under one roof. They also provide quality diagnostic and therapeutic services in all hospitals.

Captivating Sights of Istanbul One of the most exciting places to visit was the Pierre Lotu in Eyüp. The view from behind the cemetery is the most beautiful sight of Istanbul. Teleferic cars are available to take people from one hill to the other while flying over the rivers. The Sultan Ahmet Blue Mosque is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Istanbul drawing millions of visitors each day. The Topkapi Palace was home to the ruling dynasty during the Ottoman Empire. The Hagia Sophia was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar is one of the world’s largest. The 17th century Spice Market is a thrilling riot of colors and aromas where one can buy some of the exotic spices and delicacies of Turkey. The Basilica Cistern, the underground water storage has been in existence for hundreds of years. The Capitol Shopping Mall offers all International brands at affordable costs. Camlica Hill which offers panoramic views of Istanbul, the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus Bridge (which for a time was one of world’s longest suspension bridges) and the coastline are unique for visits. The Galata Bridge The ferry cruises that take one through the Golden Horn and from the deck of the boat, one can take in the sights and sounds of this legendary waterway lined with historical villages, grandiose waterfront, imposing fortresses and Baroque palaces of the late Ottoman sultans.

The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016 31

TRAVEL

I booked an appointment with a dentist and a gynaecologist and within two days, I had seen the specialists I needed to see. I loved that they had interpreters for foreign patients. After six days in this beautiful city of Istanbul, I still have the impression there is much more to discover. Turkey is ready for tourism, business and much more. You dream it, and Turkey offers it. Blending the mystical world of Asia with Turkish and Ottoman culture, Istanbul was a wonderful experience with unrivalled service experiences. Consider visiting this most exciting destination. sidossou@theservicemag.com

The Bezmialem Vakif University Hospital In 1843, while Istanbul was struggling with epidemics, a philanthropist changed the flow of the history. Bezmialem Sultan, wife of the Ottoman Sultan Mahmoud II and mother of Abdulmecit I, established the first hospital in Ottoman history. The most advances medical care of the time was provided and until today, the principles of Sultan continue under this university that was founded in 2010. Today, it delivers excellent service to over 7000 patients daily.

Internships and exchange programs for students The Bezmialem Vakif University offers high quality education, a mosaic campus and is rapidly becoming one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading university with a high level of commitment to scientific researches, delivery of health care services. Free internships and exchange programs are also offered to several international students in their School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy as well as in Physiotherapy, nursing and many other areas.

32 The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016

SANS CONVICTION, PAS DE RÉUSSITE! Par Jean-Pierre Lauzier

Image: Nelson Mandela Documentary - Jeremy Kemp

HAVE YOUR SAY

personne convaincue va convaincre les autres beaucoup plus facilement. Il est difficile de gagner la confiance des gens, des clients, si l’on n’est pas convaincu de ce qu’on a à leur offrir. Quel est le niveau de conviction nécessaire pour être convaincant? Il faut croire profondément aux bénéfices, aux résultats et aux avantages pour l’autre.

Une

rentable. Pour croire en ses produits et services et en leur valeur, il est essentiel de connaître en profondeur ses produits et ses services, sa concurrence, ses marchés, etc. Même si vous croyez tout connaître à leur propos, il reste toujours quelque chose à découvrir, car nous vivons dans un monde en perpétuel changement.

Votre niveau de conviction se reflète sur votre visage, dans votre ton, votre gestuelle … Bref, il se dégage de vous et les clients désirent ressentir cette émotion de votre part lorsque vient le temps d’acheter. Même si la conviction est intangible et émotionnelle, le client se fie beaucoup à cette impression pour prendre des décisions. Tous les grands leaders de ce monde, comme Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Mao Tse-Tung, Fidel Castro, avaient une profonde confiance en ce qu’ils croyaient et cela leur a permis de rallier des milliers, voire des millions, de gens à leur cause. Un leader doit vendre son idée et amener les gens à le suivre. C’est la même chose pour le vendeur qui doit aussi mobiliser les clients à s’intéresser à ce qu’il offre afin qu’ils passent à l’action.

Ensuite, il importe de connaître les bénéfices, les avantages et les résultats positifs que vos clients obtiennent en faisant affaire avec vous ou avec votre entreprise et en utilisant votre produit/service. Allez rencontrer vos clients et posez-leur des questions pour comprendre les résultats positifs qu’ils ont obtenus en faisant affaire avec vous ou votre entreprise. Il ne faut pas vous arrêter aux premières réponses, souvent plus superficielles, trouvez les véritables bénéfices qui se mesurent en termes de gains de temps et d’argent.

Croire en ses produits ou services et en leur valeur Mais de quoi le vendeur doit-il être convaincu? Tout d’abord, il doit croire en la qualité de son produit ou de son service. Ensuite, il doit savoir comment son produit ou son service va améliorer la vie de son client, rendre son entreprise plus performante, plus efficace ou plus

Le but de cet exercice est de comprendre émotionnellement les bienfaits que nous pouvons apporter à notre client, ce qui nous permet de mieux présenter et mettre en valeur nos produits/services par la suite. Plus nous pratiquons ces deux étapes et plus notre niveau de conviction augmente : notre succès suit inévitablement. L’auteur est Conférencier, formateur, expert-conseil JPL Communications inc. info@jeanpierrelauzier.com www.jeanpierrelauzier.com The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016 33

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"YOUR TRUSTED BUSINESS PARTNER"

34 The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016

ADVERTORIAL

The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016 35

THEY WOWED US

ublic motorbikes are the lifeblood of the Kigali transport system. They’re cheaper than taxis and have the advantage over buses in that they can drop you exactly where you need to go. They can avoid traffic jams, take detours, and they run any time of night. Yet moto drivers often have a bad rap. I’ve been using them regularly for over four years, and I will admit to having had a couple of close calls. From traffic bumps at high speed to sudden swerves and drivers smelling faintly of waragi. Traffic accidents are the second biggest killer on the continent, after HIV/AIDS, and 80% of traffic accidents in Rwanda involve a moto. A few weeks ago, my friend suggested I try SafeMoto. It’s an app that you download to your smartphone. Their slogan is: Motos Are Dangerous. Don’t Become A Statistic. The idea behind the app is that it acts as a booking service for moto drivers that have been trained and safety checked. According to their website, all drivers must have at least three years’ experience. They have a recruitment preference for people who are married with children, presumably because they are less willing to take risks with

their own lives. The app uses GPS to work out your location, then tells you how long it will take the nearest SafeMoto to get to you. You can see a little moto image getting closer, and you receive a text to tell you when it arrives. Since I hadn’t used SafeMoto before, I wasn’t too sure what to expect. This led to a slightly embarrassing moment when a normal moto pulled up. “SafeMoto?” I asked. “Yes,” he replied, probably not knowing what I was talking about. I hesitated for a moment, and in that moment the real SafeMoto arrived. SafeMotos are unmistakable. They have

36 The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016

a little red flag on the front and a large sticker. My driver, Frank, greeted me with a big smile. I asked him to take me to a small delivery company up the road, and he knew exactly where it was. He drove me there extremely safely. All of the prices are worked out by distance using GPS, so there’s no need to haggle. Whether you are a local or a tourist, the price is the same. There’s also an option on the app to dispute the price if you think it’s unfair. You can pay by cash or mobile money, which is really handy if you don’t have any change on you or want to keep track of how much you’re spending on transport. You also get to rate your driver, so there is a real incentive for them to stay safe. I think it’s a brilliant idea, and I’ll definitely be using them again. You can find out more on their website: www.safemotos.com and follow them on Twitter: @SafeMotos

Marion Grace Woolley

THEY WOWED US POLYCLINIQUE DU PLATEAU, LA MEILLEURE EN QUALITE DE SEVICES Il y a environ 1 mois, ma mère est allée se faire soigner au Plateau et elle a été diagnostique de severes angines (Amygdalites). Le médecin traitant de ma mère a immédiatement demande qu’elle soit hospitalisee ce jour-meme pour soigner ses angines ainsi que la fièvre. Ma mère a été prise en charge, et a reçu son traitement a l’immédiat. Je tiens a remercier tout le personnel de la Polyclinique et, en particulier le Docteur MUNEZERO JEAN-PAUL. JOELLE GASASIRA

ECOBANK, BRANCHE DE KISIMENTI Il y a quelques jours, je suis allee a ECOBANK Kisimenti pour déposer de l’argent pendant l’heure du déjeuner. Malheureusement, il y avait une très très longue file d’attente et je ne pouvais pas attendre , j’avais une réunion dans les prochaines minutes . Donc, je suis directement allee au bureau de la Gerante lui expliquer et voir en quoi elle pouvait m’aider . La très gentille dame ne pouvait pas m’aider à sa succursale mais a appelé la plus proche ( Sonatubes ) , a expliqué la situation à son collègue . L’autre gestionnaire était prêt à aider immédiatement. Donc, en quelques minutes , on m’a servi et à temps pour ma réunion . Ceci est le type de service dont nous avons besoin . Écoutez le client . Servir avec un sourire et trouver des solutions . Je dis bravo a la Gerante de la succursale !! SANDRA MALAIKA

MANOR HOTEL

MEILLEUR POULET TANDOORI A L’HOTEL MANOR Récemment, à Kigali , j’ai eu ma meilleure expérience Poulet Tandoori à l’Hôtel Manor à Nyarutarama . La seule chose plus proche de qui était il y a 20 ans à un endroit appelé ‘ Kwa Mutwe ‘ à Nyakabanda / Rwezamenyo juste après la guerre .Quelle belle vue de Kigali le soir, elles sont incroyables, le service à la clientèle et les soins et la valeur pour l’argent . Par KASSIM KAYIRA

PETROCOM I had wonderful service of Petrocom. The day before I had bought iron sheets and been given a slightly smaller size than what I ordered for. Well I was back the next day with brazing guns. I met a guy called Fabrice in sales. He took my case on and within no time I had a replacement sheet and a pickup to take it home. My brazing guns never saw the light of day! Well done Petrocom. You now have a fan and permanent customer! Eva Gara

RZ Manna People like Rachel at #rzmanna confirm that good service is just a matter of attitude. Wht a joy to be servd by her. She made my friday afternoon Sandra Idossou

ULK I went to Kigali Independent University (ULK) to pick my degree that dates back 2005. I was hoping to get it within 2 weeks. Well, after 20 minutes, and having visited 4 different departments, I got my degree with smiles. That is quality service. Keep it up. Straton Habyalimana

Recently in Kigali, I had my best chicken Tandoori experience at the Manor Hotel in Nyarutarama. The only closest thing to that was 20 years ago at a place called ‘Kwa Mutwe’ in Nyakabanda/Rwezamenyo just after the war. That, I felt deserves a mention with those unbelievable Kigali night views, great customer service and care and value for money .

KIPHARMA

PILI PILI RESTAURANT

When you get outstanding customer care and you feel a simple thank you is just not enough: KIPHARMA, REMERA BRANCH!!!! -and I don’t even have enough Caps Lock and exclamation points...

Just wanted to recommend Pili Pili in Kibagabaga. Lovely atmosphere, good food, great service, stunning views and lots of TVs for watching sport but also lots of space if you don’t want to watch sport.

Kassim Kayira

Aurore Umubyeyi

uth Lindsay Whitney

The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016 37

FOR YOU MANAGER

LEADING FROM THE INSIDE OUT By Shiphrah Kenganzi Kiiza

As a leadership trainer and coach, I have met and worked with many leaders. One thing stands out for most of us; we are constantly looking to become better leaders. We spend a big chunk of time leading others and doing all we can to learn how to lead others better: attending conferences, leadership programs, coaching modules, reading numerous leadership books and articles, all in an effort to polish our leadership skills. Yet, in the midst of all this business, we often neglect self-leadership, a vital distinctive for successful leadership.

sychologists have defined self-leadership as the ability to influence one-self to achieve one’s objectives while exercising personal responsibility and accountability. Self-leadership is driven by clear intention and the ability to make the right choices and commit to them even in the face of challenge, distraction or temptation. Self leadership is one of the most difficult leadership characteristics to grow, largely because it is an internal attribute, which cannot be gauged or managed externally. It is founded on integrity - the ability to make the right decisions even when no one else is watching or may ever know. It is founded on one’s ability to make and stick to the critical and very difficult decisions when there may be no public recognition or knowledge of it. This is a tough call for us as leaders. Leading oneself is an invaluable attribute whose benefits extend beyond individual leaders to affect those they lead. The better they lead themselves, the better they will lead others. In his book Leading from the Inside Out, Samuel Rima writes, “The way in which a leader conducts his personal life does, in fact, have a profound impact on his ability to exercise effective public leadership. There is a direct correlation between self-leader38 The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016

ship and public leadership. The most important ingredient of becoming an exceptional leader is the ability to lead oneself. It is not only central to organizational success; it is central to a fulfilled and successful life.’’ Oseola Mc Carty’s self-leadership is of deep inspiration to me. She was born to a single mother in Mississippi and grew up amidst abject poverty. She dropped out of school in 6th grade and took on a job as a laundry woman. However, she lived a very disciplined life. She reported to work daily, did her work diligently and was paid by the day. Although Oseola didn’t earn much, she made a decision to save a portion of her daily income in a nearby bank. She made small deposits daily. After many years of hard work, Oseola accumulated a quarter of a million dollars on her account. She donated a portion of this money to her local church and to two of her relatives. With the balance, she set up an irrevocable trust for poor American children who could not afford College fees. ‘’I want to help somebody’s child go to college - I just want it to go to a poor black child who still wants to dream, who will appreciate it and learn,” she said. This extraordinary kind act from a woman who worked so hard all of her life stunned people and brought her global media attention. She was honored by the United Nations, awarded an honorary doctor-

FOR YOU MANAGER

“

Self leadership...is founded on one’s ability to make and stick to the critical and very difficult decisions when there may be no public recognition or knowledge of it.

“

ate from Harvard University, she shook hands with President Clinton and received more than 300 awards. Oseola was on the Oprah Winfrey Show, the Letterman Show and numerous other TV and radio shows. People all over the world knew who she was and what she did. Oseola’s success stems from a strong hem of self-leadership. We as leaders have a lot to learn from her in this regard: 1) Believe in yourself - embrace your purpose and the grand vision of your life - you are in a position of power! 2) Create goals, systems and habits to succeed. Use systems that push you out of your comfort zone towards your greater purpose. 3) Be responsible and accountable for your daily actions. Small consistent acts pay off more

than one big rare act. 4) Make commitments to yourself and keep them. Stay the course despite distractions, opposition and discouragement. Although self leadership is a tough journey, as leaders we must realize that the better we master self-leadership, the more successful we become. Remember, nobody can do self leadership for you- as a leader you must do it yourself. Wishing you great leading! The author is Training Manager at Leadership Impact Solutions and a Certified Crestcom International and John Maxwell Leadership Trainer and Coach Shiphrah.kenganzi@leadershipimpact-ea.com

The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016 39

FOR YOU MANAGER

6 Keys to Improving Your Team’s Customer Service Skills is the most important thing you can do to improve relationships with your customers? The answer is as obvious as it is overlooked: improve customer service. No matter how great your product is or how talented your staff is, one of the things that customers are most likely to remember is the direct interaction they have with your company. Your customer service team is the face of your company, and customers’ experiences will be defined by the skill and quality of the support they receive.

What

A strong company will already have great customer relationships. But a smart company will always be asking “What is good customer service?” If you are not constantly on the lookout for opportunities to improve your customer service, then your relationships will stagnate. Here are a few customer service tips for identifying ways to better serve customers.

1. Strengthen your customer service skills First, it’s important to make sure that your customer service team has the right skills for your managing customers’ needs. No amount of CRM software can compensate for shortcomings in this area. But what skills should you be looking for in a customer service rep?

Empathy, patience and consistency. Some customers will be irate. Others will

be full of questions. And others will just be chatty. You must know how to handle all of them and provide the same level of service

40 The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016

FOR YOU MANAGER every time.

Adaptability. Every customer is different, and some may even seem to change week-to-week. You should be able to handle surprises, sense the customer’s mood and adapt accordingly. This also includes a willingness to learn– providing good customer service is a continuous learning process. Clear communication. Ensure

you convey to customers exactly what you mean. You don’t want your customer to think he’s getting 50% off when he’s actually getting 50% more product. Use authentically positive language, stay cheerful no matter what and never end a conversation without confirming the customer is satisfied.

Work ethic. Customers appreciate a

rep who will see their problem through to its resolution. At the same time, you must have good time management skills and not spend too much time handling one customer while others are waiting. Stay focused on your goals to achieve the right balance.

Knowledge. Ultimately your customers rely on you for their knowledge of your product. Stay informed enough to respond to most inquiries and know where to turn if the questions become too detailed or technical for you to answer. But don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know” either. Customers will appreciate the honesty and your efforts to find the right answer. Thick skin. The customer is always right… right? The ability to swallow one’s pride and accept blame or negative feedback is crucial. Whether your team works directly with customers or looking for feedback on social media, they’ve got to keep the customer’s happiness in mind. Not sure if your reps have the right customer service skills? Survey or interview your customers to understand whether your service team is showing each of these traits. Running a customer feedback survey through your CRM program, at the point of sale, or when you send customers an invoice is a great way to

see where your team’s skills do and don’t measure up.

way to let the customer know you’re still on their side.

2. Look at every touchpoint

4. Enhance your customer service strategy

A bad customer experience at any point in the customer lifecycle can ruin your relationship. In addition to making sure the right skills are demonstrated, you need to be sure they’re being demonstrated consistently. Pay the most attention to key touchpoints, but make sure you have a full view of the customer experience, or you risk lapses in service that can really hurt business.

3. Improve your customer interactions If your staff has the necessary skill set, that’s a good start. But they still need to relate to your customers. Here are some tips for making sure customer service is both thorough and well received:

Ask reps to try to identify a common ground–like shared interests–with the people they help. Having this point of understand-

ing makes conflict easier to overcome by humanizing the relationship, and it endears customers to your rep (and ultimately your company).

Practice active listening so your customers feel heard. Clarify and rephrase what the customers say to ensure you understand them. Empathize with and reflect their feelings by saying things like, “That must have upset you” or “I can see why you feel slighted.”

Admit your mistakes, even if you discover them before your customers do. This builds trust and restores confidence. It also allows you to control the situation, re-focus the customer’s attention and resolve the issue.

Follow-up after a problem is solved. Make sure the issue stays

fixed and that your customers were satisfied with the service. Sending an email, or even a feedback survey is an excellent

Your staff may have the skills and know how to interact with your customers. But what organizational strategies can you employ to please customers? Practice proactive customer service by making your customers happy before they come to you with problems. Here’s how:

Get personal. Your customers want to feel like they have access to real people, not bots and FAQs. Offer more than just automated email responses, and do not let your telephone prompts or website send them down a rabbit hole. Take full advantage of social media (such as Facebook, Twitter and Yelp) and write responses when your customers post on your page. Post photos and bios on your website. This shows your customers that you are real people working on their behalf.

Be available. Part of the personal touch is making sure your customers can reach you. For example if your business is primarily online, meet in person occasionally with local customers and offer video calls (such as Skype) for those farther away. Work early and late when needed, especially if your customers are in different time zones. Even providing customers with your physical address helps build their trust and reminds them that your company exists off the internet as well. Cater to your customers. Make

sure you are fully meeting your customers’ needs. Consider assigning reps to specific customers so they can build a relationship. Offer VIP treatment for your best customers to let them know they are appreciated. What special services might your customers like? Set up focus groups, interview customers, or run a survey to get ideas.

Create communities. Your cus-

tomers will feel even more valued if you treat them as important members of a

The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016 41

community. You can bring various customers together in numerous ways, including webinars, interactive websites, social media, trade shows and conventions. And don’t forget that while your customers come to these forums to learn from you, you can learn as much–if not more–from them.

5. Make sure your reps are engaged You can have the best customer service skills and the best training in the world, but if your reps are checked out, it won’t matter at all. Improving employee engagement is another way to make sure customers have a great experience. Dissatisfied employees are unlikely to come forward with their problems, so consider an anonymous suggestion box or an employee engagement survey to see what makes your employees tick. You’ll want to know how your customer service team feels about working conditions and compensation, opportunities for career advancement, training and their peers. Our employee engagement template offers a good overview. We’ve also compiled benchmark engagement data to help you understand how your employees’ engagement compares to other companies.

6. Give your customers a way to provide feedback No matter how proactive you are, you’ll never be able to get in front of every customer issue. To make sure you learn about the good, the bad, and the ugly experience your customers have, create an easily accessible way for customers to give feedback. Whether it’s a phone survey at the end of a service call, an email survey sent directly from your CRM tool, or a form on the “Contact Us” page of your website, creating a means for customers to give feedback makes it easier for you to learn what needs improvement. It also helps keep unhappy customers from voicing their displeasure on highly visible places like your social media pages.Whatever steps you choose to take, remember feedback’s importance to customer satisfaction. Unsure what your strengths and weaknesses are? Don’t know why the numbers are dipping? Make an effort to get closer both to your customers and your reps. Not only will you discover touchpoints and skills that need improvement, but your customers will see that are dedicated to providing top-notch, proactive customer service. https://www.surveymonkey.com

42 The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016

Akamaro k’umubano hagati y’umuguzi n’umucuruzi Na Sandra Idossou

cya ngombwa si ukugira ingabo z’abacuruzi ku isoko b’intyoza mu kuvuga ibyo ucuruza na serivisi utanga, ahubwo nuko bitagutwaye n’ifaranga ? buri mukiriya wawe wese agomba kuba ambasaderi w’ikigo cyawe. Kugirango ubigereho, Nimubaze ibibazo bikurikira : Ese abakiriya bawe bavuga « Wow » iyo bagutekereje ? Umaze guhamagarwa n’abakiriya bashya bangahe ? Ni abakiriya bangahe bashya bagannye ubucuruzi bwawe mu kwezi gushize kuberako barangiwe bikomeye ikigo cyawe? Ni abantu bangahe kuri ubu bavuga neza kandi babikuye ku mutima wowe ubwawe cyangwa ikigo cyawe ? Kugira ngo ugere kuri iyo ntego, ugomba guteza imbere akamenyero k’ « akarusho » abo muhanganye badafite. Iri niryo shoramari ushobora gukora kugirango ukurure abakiriya kandi ukubaka izina ryawe. Igihe cy’inama, dusangira ibyo twanyuzemo n’ibyakozwe ngo hagire ikigerwaho. Mwiga ikigomba gukorwa kugirango umukiriya wanyu avuge ati : « Wow » n’umusaruro ugaragarire mu kuzamuka ko kunyurwa kw’abakiriya banyu n’imibare yanyu.

sidossou@theservicemag.com

Kugira ngo ugurishe ni ngombwa serivisi nziza

SECTION NAME

Na Sandra Idossou

isoko ry’uyu munsi mu Rwanda aho kuryiharira bidakunze kugaragara ndetse ugasanga serivisi zitangwa zijya gusa, abakiriya bagira amahitamo menshi haba mubyo bagura cyangwa ahantu bashobora gukura ibyo bintu na serivisi. Ikintu kigaragaza itandukaniro ku bakiriya ni ubwiza ndetse n’ubushobozi bwo kumvisha umukiriya ko ibicuruzwa cyangwa serivisi byacu ari byo bimubereye. Kubera izi mpamvu, nicyo gihe cyo kurekeraho gucuruza, ni ukuvuga gukoresha uburyo bwo kugurisha butajyanye n’igihe, budatanga umusaruro uhagije mu Isi y’iki gihe yo gupiganwa. Nk’umucuruzi, akazi kawe ubu ni uguhangira umukiriya ahantu habereye guhaha. Ahantu habereye guhaha ni ukuvuga, ahantu hisanzuye, kubona ibyo ashaka, serivisi nziza, ubunyamwuga bw’abakozi, no korohereza abakiriya bakabona igisubizo mu gihe ibintu bitagenze uko byari biteganyijwe. Kugira icyo ugeraho mu bucuruzi ntaho bihuriye n’ubuhanga bw’umucuruzi, ahubwo ni ukumenya ibyo abakiriya bashaka. Impamvu nyamukuru zituma umukiriya akugurira ni uko akuzi, akunda gukorana nawe nk’uko akorana n’ikigo cyawe, hanyuma, bikaba kubera ko umuha icyizere. Burya coca cola nkwa mu kabari A ni kimwe n’iyo nkwa mu kabari B. Itandukaniro riba mu buryo iyo coca cola itangwa n’amarangamutima yerekwa umukiliya muri buri kabari. Icyo kintu cyo kumererwa neza no kunyurwa nicyo gituma ugurisha neza.

Kugira ngo ucuruze neza, hari ibyo ugomba kwitaho. sidossou@theservicemag.com

The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016 43

BUSINESS MANAGMENT

4 STRATEGIES POUR FAIRE MENTIR LES STATISTIQUES ET CEUX QUI NE CROIENT PAS EN VOS CHANCES DE REUSSITE Marcellin S. GANDONOU,

ous avez certainement remarqué comme moi qu’aujourd’hui il y a une foule de données, d’études et de statistiques dans tous les domaines de la vie. Les gens sont capables de vous dire à des chiffres prés en utilisant un certain nombre de données ce que vous deviendrez. Le drame dans tout ceci c’est que beaucoup de gens commencent par calquer leurs vies et carrières sur les statistiques. 1. N’écoutez pas les experts

Tout le monde a une idée sur tout. Je vois pleins de gens heureux quand ils voient les résultats que Facebook donnent sur eux. Je pense pour ma part que les statistiques sont et doivent rester des indications et non des baromètres ou des conclusions sur lesquelles nous devons bâtir notre vie et notre entreprise. Si on devait respecter et écouter les statistiques ; • On ne devrait pas voler en avion, puisque dans le temps des fréres Wrigths tout ce qui pèse plus lourd que l’air ne pouvait pas voler • Les noirs ne peuvent réussir rien de bon et sont limités • Le monde ira mieux si les femmes restaient au foyer

1. N’ECOUTEZ PAS CEUX QUI ONT ESSAYÉ ET ONT ECHOUÉ Les plus grands donneurs de leçons sont ceux qui ont essayé plusieurs fois, mais qui malheureusement se sont arrêtés parce que c’était trop compliqué et difficile. Si vous voulez créer une entreprise, c’est ceux qui n’ont pas réussi qui vont vous donner le plus de leçons. En règle générale, comme leurs expériences ont mal tourné, ils n’ont que de mauvaises leçons à vous transmettre et ils vous donneront des conseils du style ; • Si vous voulez réussir en entreprise, vous devez savoir parler le langage des gens : l’argent • Ne révéler pas tous vos projets aux femmes parce qu’elles ne savent pas garder un secret • La vertu ne paie pas • La compétence n’est pas reconnue, mais c’est celui que vous connaissez dans le système • On ne peut pas faire confiance aux gens • Pour vivre heureux il faut vivre caché Il va essentiellement rejeter la responsabilité de son échec sur les autres, l’environnement et le système. Et vous, vous allez commencer votre aventure avec des idées comme celles-ci. Naturelle-

44 The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016

ment votre résultat va confirmer les statistiques qui disent entre autres que 80% des nouvelles entreprises ferment au bout de 18 mois. Inconsciemment, vous allez répéter le schéma dicté par les statistiques. Et quand vous aurez vos premières difficultés d’entrepreneurs, vous donnerez raison aux statistiques. Si vous voulez réussir, apprenez de ceux qui ont échoué mais qui se sont relevés ou de ceux qui ont gagné. 2. LISEZ LA BIOGRAPHIE DE CEUX QUI ONT VIOLÉ LES RÈGLES ET ON REUSSIT HONNÊTEMENT Les statistiques et les données d’aujourd’hui n’incitent pas vraiment à essayer de grandes choses. Si vous voulez réussir, aller à l’école de ceux qui ont décidé que leurs vies ne respecteront pas les statistiques, lisez leurs histoires et leurs biographies et vous verrez votre vie autrement. • On a dit de Lionel Messi qu’il est trop petit pour jouer, il a suivi un traitement hormonal pour gagner des centimètres de plus. Aujourd’hui il est le meilleur joueur au monde • On a dit à Les Brown qu’il est nul, il est aujourd’hui un des meilleurs formateurs au monde • Jack Mar a essuyé plein de refus, aujo-

BUSINESS MANAGMENT

The seven skills you should have, NOW! Used with permission from Strive Masiyiwa

If I was leaving school today, even with just a High School diploma, there are seven things, I would want to learn to do, as soon as possible:

6 selling Online

urd’hui il est à la tête du site de vente en ligne ALIBABA Finalement si on devait respecter et écouter les statistiques, on n’ira nulle part et on ne prendrait pas de risques. Vous devez décider et refuser que votre vie ne respectera pas les statistiques. Vous devez garder constamment à l’esprit, que c’est vous qui faites les choses. 3. OPTIMISER VOTRE CAPACITÉ D’ADAPTABILITÉ QUE DE VOULOIR PROTÉGER VOS ACQUIS Si vous écoutez les statistiques, vous êtes voué tôt ou tard à l’échec. Alors vous seriez plus occupé à vous protéger du néant qu’à agir pour le contrer. Je suis parfaitement d’accord avec Robert Kiyozaki qui dit que : « Dans un monde en pleine fluctuation, les seuls qui courent un risque sont ceux qui ne prennent aucun risque”. Il est plutôt question pour chacun d’entre nous de travailler notre capacité d’adaptation plutôt que de protection, parce que finalement on est en sécurité nulle part. Mais on peut s’en sortir partout où on sera. A votre transformation ! Coach & Auteur, Directeur Général The H&C Group marcelling@gmail.com/00228 92860146

5setting up a website

prepare a financial ledger

and domain

have a basic craft skill, (even in agriculture,or plumbing)

business 4 write aplan

html and basic coding

3backing up to the cloud

I would do this, even if I had studied political science, law or medicine!I would do this if I wanted to be a top professional, in the new economy! I would do this if I wanted to be a top entrepreneur! The world has changed. These seven skills will either turn you into the next Jack Ma, or they will help you get a better job, or earn you more money, at whatever you do. If you are already working, even as a teacher in the rural areas, you should try and get these seven skills within the next 12 months. This is what you should be teaching, if you want to build Africa’s prosperity. Let those who have ears to hear, HEAR. If you are learning about some of them for the first time, I suggest you use your research skills on the Internet to find out what they are.

The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016 45

Sa nd ra

Id os s

Bén u in

SP A à m par on Ou Ka adi no ida rit s a uve h, é u a

TRAVEL

après midi de Mercredi, me voici embarquée avec ma copine Vivi et les enfants pour une journée loin du bruit de Cotonou, à Ouidah, ville historique du Bénin. L’engouement pour cette journée est née d’une vidéo que j’avais regardé la semaine précédente sur les réseaux sociaux sur le Spa Karité situé à Casa del Papa à Ouidah.« Etes-vous sûr que ce coin de jouvence est bien situé dans mon Bénin ?», me demandais-je. Après un excellent déjeuner avec des produits frais et un personnel compétent et disponible au restaurant de l’hôtel, nous voici enfin prêts pour notre expérience Spa. Situé sur pilotis, le Spa est l’un des plus

beaux et naturels que j’ai jamais visité. Pour obtenir ce bien-être, cette revitalisation et cette régénération en profondeur, le Docteur Joël Filori, concepteur du Spa, a mis ses compétences en médecine au service des protocoles de soins appliqués à des personnes en bonne santé. Décor tout simplement somptueux sans fioritures. Des matériaux locaux, les cabines toutes habillées en rideaux blancs, les oiseaux qui chantent, les crabes qui se promènent sur quelques allées, …Bref, un vrai paradis africain comme je les aime. Vivi et moi optons pour la première option de cure d’une heure et quinze minutes appelée « Passeport Africain » qui

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comporte un protocole commun et autorise 3 variantes selon la demande du curiste avec au choix, 20 minutes de : 1. Massage manuel pour la relaxation 2. Balnéothérapie pour le modelage 3. Chemin lumineux pour l’amincissement Munie au sortir des vestiaires d’un peignoir et de draps de bain, mon soin a débuté par un hammam dans une ambiance chaude et humide parfumée aux huiles essentielles pour détoxifier la peau. Deuxième étape du protocole, un gom-

TRAVEL mage au savon noir qui a de nombreuses vertus, malheureusement inconnus par beaucoup. Même l’éponge du brossage est un végétal local utilisé autrefois dans nos traditions. Vient ensuite, une douche multi-jets qui finira d’éliminer les impuretés de la peau avant qu’un deuxième passage dans le hammam complète l’ouverture des pores. A présent me voici prête pour la préparation exclusive au Spa Karité appelée « Magie d’Afrique ». A base de beurre de Karité, huile de baobab, aloe vera et lait de coco, tous extraits sur place, cette dernière a pour effet de nourrir et de régénérer ma peau maintenant purifiée et détoxifiée par le gommage. Une fois cette concoction absorbée à saturation par ma peau, place à une pluie tropicale dans une baignoire en bois. La beauté de cette étape est le lissage aux agrumes qui éliminent l’excès de cet enveloppement pour faire place au massage dispensée par Bénédicte. Ces mains douces et toniques me firent oublier le stress et autres soucis pendant 30 min-

utes. Le tout bordée par le chant des oiseaux et le bruit de la lagune au loin. Quelle relaxation, quelle jouvence… Seul regret, quitter en fin de journée ce coin de paradis, qui m’a fait croire l’espace d’une journée que j’avais voyagé très loin.

Quelques points clés Gommage au savon noir : Ce gommage fait suite de manière indispensable au rituel du hammam. En effet, pour être efficace, et réellement ôter sans douleur les cellules issues de la desquamation de la peau, l’ouverture des pores et l’hydratation majeure du derme sont incontournables. Dans leur souci de rigueur extrême, les thérapeutes du Spa Karité, rentrent eux-mêmes dans le hammam, afin de réaliser le gommage de la manière la plus efficace et la plus complète en utilisant les structures végétales de loofa, loofa cueilli sur l’arbre voisin, séché et décortiqué au Spa lui-même, les graines étant restituées à

l’environnement pour la pérennité de la production naturelle. Le corps est donc ainsi systématiquement gommé au savon noir produit au Bénin par l’entreprise de cosmétologie Natura Pluie tropicale et lissage aux agrumes : Un portique de bambous inondera en pluie tiède et douce la totalité du corps du curiste, qui sentira ruisseler sur sa peau le fluide mélange d’excédent d’émulsion et de pluie bienfaisante. Les pores de la peau se seront refermés sur leur soin précieux, et, c’est manuellement qu’un lissage soigneux sera réalisé par notre thérapeute pour aviver l’éclat de cet épiderme régénéré. Une fois le lissage accompli, une nouvelle pluie tropicale, suivi du tamponnement manuel par nos thérapeutes, terminera la purification quasi - rituelle de ce soin. sidossou@theservicemag.com

“

Le Docteur Joël Filori, concepteur du Spa, a mis ses compétences en médecine au service des protocoles de soins appliqués à des personnes en bonne santé. Décor tout simplement somptueux sans fioritures. The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016 47

“

TRAVEL

Epic Life-time escapades in Magical Kenya By Sandra Idossou

Board for several travel writers of the region. My anxiety and excitement to capture and discover Magical Kenya, a haven of rest and relaxation with unparalleled service knew no bounds. Five days of perfect inclusion in Kenya to get closer than before to some of Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gentle giants such as the big Five (lions, elephants, buffaloes, rhinoceros and leopards). Here is the magic I experienced to inspire you to plan for your next adrenaline- filled adventure, packed with beauty and relaxation.

Wonder in the streets of Nairobi Nairobi is one of the most vibrant places in Africa as its population of over three million makes the city not only the largest and fastest growing city in Kenya, but one of the largest in Africa. Nairobi is known as the safari capital of Africa surrounded by plains, cliffs and forests. The city of Nairobi is filled with many things to do during the day and the night and visitors can have their pick from numerous safaris (wildlife, cultural, sport,

adventure, scenic and specialist), ecotourism tours, sports activities, restaurants, culture, shopping and entertainment. Nairobi is the only capital city in the world with a national park within its boundaries and you need to start by discovering gems like Uhuru National Park home to large herds of Zebra, Wildebeest, Buffalo, Giraffe, Lion, Cheetah, Hippo, Rhino and even birdlife. For a quieter place, Lake Naivasha, about an hour and a half from Nairobi is a stylish and unique place with abundant and uncongested game viewing.

Pump your adrenaline at the Masai Mara For someone who has often watched Discovery Channel and many other travel series, Masai Mara has always been a dream. The Masai Mara National Park is one of Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest wildlife reserves renowned for its annual wildebeest migration. I was left spellbound and speechless. The park hosts over two million

48 The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016

ant to indulge yourself in paradise for exclusive life-moments such as weddings, honeymoons, and anniversaries or for simple escapades to unwind? No need to go far because Kenya is beautiful; with remote and unspoilt destinations, charming people, diverse cultures, delicious food and a great wildlife wrapped in warm hospitality. The Masai Mara has always been on the top of my bucket list. I felt so blessed to be invited for a familiarization tour organized recently by the Kenya Tourism

wildebeest, zebra and Thomsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gazelle, and has the highest lion density in the world. The Masai Mara Park is about 5,400 to 5,500 feet above sea level and hosts over 95 species of mammals and about 570 bird species have been recorded so far. The Masai Mara was the ultimate destination for lions on an unforgettable game drive with expert safari guides. Rapaheal Mutula, from the Olare Mara Kimpinski was our gem; he was so skilful and security-oriented that even when a big family of elephants nearly encircled our jeep and most of us started saying our last prayers, he remained calm and composed throughout the whole experience. His composure restored strength in us and we realised that the elephants would not harm us if we stayed calm and just enjoyed their display. Seeing a lion devouring its prey while other hungry predators (hyenas and jackals) patiently waited for their turn was one of my magic moments in Masai Mara.

TRAVEL Watamu has residential pods for dolphins.

Indulge yourself at the Olare Mara Kempinski

Swim with Dolphins at Watamu

Nestled in the midst of the magical natural park, this camp is located in the conservancy and boasts of 12 deluxe tents, including a honeymoon suite with its own plunge pool. Tastefully decorated, they consist of sweeping canvas tents, comfortable beds made from local wood, wide sofas and a luxurious base from which to gaze out over the majestic Olempalakae hill.

Discover some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best scuba diving experiences in Watamu, the small village on the Kenyan coast, approximately 120 km north of Mombasa and 25 km south of Malindi. It is internationally renowned for its pristine white-sand beaches and reef-protected lagoons, which line the Watamu National Marine Park and Reserves, the oldest in East Africa and covers over 229 kmsq. The marine protected areas are also recognized internationally as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

An epic moment of my stay at the exclusive camp was watching the buffaloes grazing on the other side of the Mara river from the private deck of my tent.

The most exciting part of my visit to Watamu was my Dolphin watching trip.

The beauty of the Marine Park and Reserve is its rich marine life from the visiting Whale Sharks and Manta Rays to three species of Sea Turtle. The Park and its coral gardens are one of the main justifications for visiting Watamu. There is an exceptional shoreline, Watamu has been voted one of the top ten beaches in the world; steeped in natural fauna and flora and with three stunning bays, Watamu, Blue Lagoon and Turtle Bay.If you have never experienced snorkelling, then the coral garden of Watamu should be the next item on your bucket list because even for people who do not swim, the boat attendants have the necessary security skills to guide visitors to the colourful coral.

Forget about everything and take a bare foot break at Che Shale Che Chale is a chic isolated beach retreat nestled in lush vegetation and set on a pristine and secluded beach that stretches for 5 kilometres. It is a real Robinson Crusoe lodge that offers miles of wide empty beaches. Getting to it can be very challenging but once you arrive there, you are just amazed by the natural beauty of the place and its bandas built 100% with natural materials. Miles of unspoilt deserted beach await you, seven stylish beach bandas, attentive service, and delicious fresh cuisine. It is the perfect place for a romantic weekend and get-away secluded destination. Lounging on the beach or finding your new passion with activities ranging from deep-sea fishing to the best kitesurfing in East Africa make this place a unique destination. Kenya is simply magical and revigorating. This is the destination to be visited, discovered and rediscovered over and over again. sidossou@theservicemag.com

The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016 49

OUR FRUSTRATIONS

OUR FRUSTRATIONS CANALSAT IMPROVE YOUR SERVICES Canalsat team please work on the behaviour of your agents, a month ago I paid 3 months subscription fees at UTC now am disconnected and when I went to Tele 10 to claim found that the agent loaded only one month , I rushed to UTC and the agent is not around he left for lunch, when I called him Mr Jean Merci he asked me to wait 10 min after 1 hour the agent phone is off, funny enough a lady from UNDP met me there complaining on the same issue. Mr Nyagahene your company’s reputation is at stake. Who can help please?

Pacifique Nzamwita

KCB RWANDA I have issues with @KCBRwanda I would like to share! In September 2015 I wrote to KCB and shared my instruction to Solas Insurance Co directing the bank to stop deducting some money off my account for an insurance package I had earlier on arranged with Solas. To my surprise, @KCBRwanda continues to deduct that same amount from my account seven months after my initial instructions to stop the arrangement with Solas. Several visits to their main branch have not helped! Instead of getting refunded, I continue to receive monthly statements with unaccounted for deductions. Victor Mugarura

50 The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016

SORAS INSURANCE, SHAME It is a shame to have an insurer like SORAS ASSURANCES GENERALES LTD which keeps the claim for a period of 2 months and, when a client calls for follow up, without any verification, the official responses becomes “SORAS rejects your claim” yet they accept the damage caused by their client. This is terrible and absurd

MAUVAISE QUALITE DE SERVICES POUR UAP Je me suis dernièrement rendue au siège d’UAP pour retirer un contrat. Arrivee a la réception, il n’y avait personne pour accueillir les clients qui entraient. J’ai passe plus de 2 heures en attendant que quelqu’un puisse m’aider a localiser la personne que je cherchais. La majorite des travailleurs passaient devant moi et regardaient avec mepris tous ceux qui attendaient le (la) receptionniste sans meme demander si on va besoin d’aide. Est-ce vraiment la qualite de services dont nous avons besoin ? THE SERVICE MAG, svp aidez-nous !!!

TRANSFERT ON BANKS Hello ALL. Someone working with Banks help me to understand; Why do Banks take forever to transfer money frm one bank to another? I was paid on Thursday afternoon thru KCB and they are supposed to transfer my Salary to BK. Upto now I haven’t received my pay! I don’t know if the delay is at KCB or BK! This is my experience month after month!! If this is not poor service what is it??

Grace Gasana

OUR FRUSTRATIONS

NAKUMATT

KVCS PARKING FEES

J’ai acheté une petite machine à laver à Nakumatt le Jeudi dernier qui n’a jamais marche. Je l’ai signalé le cas à Nakumatt et ils ont envoyé leur technicien qui, après avoir essayé le fixer sans succès, a publié un rapport indiquant que la machine avait un défaut d’usine et ne pouvait pas être fixé.

Got a bill for 2 unpaid tickets (200RWF) from KVCS on wich I have to add 10,000 of penalties. One of the so called unpaid tickets is from march 2014. But the plates of my car have been issued in august 2015. This is a gross mistake that I can easily prove. Obviously there is a lot of mistakes that can’t be proven. Do you know if there is a way of escalation or an authorithy reponsible of KVSC where we can complain? Lyliose Nl

J’ai évidemment demandé un remplacement, mais Nakumatt n’avait pas le même modèle en stock. Ils m’ont proposé de choisir un modele différent, plus cher, pour lequel je devais payer Frw 100.000 au-dessus de ce que j’avais déjà payé pour l’autre machine. Je refusai leur offre et suggéré qu’ils ne me demandent pas de supplément pour l’autre modèle, ou au moins me donner un rabais comme un signe de bonne volonté. Ils ont refusé Je les ai donc demandé de me rembourser, à laquelle ils sont opposés, et insiste pour me donner une note de crédit à la place, à utiliser pour mes futurs achats dans leur magasin !! Ceci est absolument inacceptable; ils ne peuvent pas refuser de me donner mon argent, et me forcer à magasiner avec eux, surtout après cette horrible expérience avec eux. Je pense à les poursuivre en justice, mais avant que j’y arrive, y aurait-il quelqu’un d’autre dans la même situation et qu’est-ce que vous me conseiller de faire, afin de récupérer mon argent de Nakumatt? Mario Lino Ruscitto

INYANGE, WAKE UP It’s exactly 7:59AM in Kigali Rwanda and the only milk depot in my neighborhood is CLOSED! I have lost count of how many times the same script is unfolding. My late grandpa (may the good Lord rest his soul in eternal peace) would compare milk business with newspaper vending – at least both require a serious fight with that seducing warmth between the bed sheets! Stupid me am here venting like a prominent shareholder at Inyange Industries. I am NOT one neither do I contemplates buying shares. Perhaps the company is not even listed, coz if it was the shareholders would be shouting at the rooftops due to stagnated returns. That said, I urgently need to strike a date with Mrs. strong tea alias mukaru the twin brother of strungi! BUT whichever the case, someone is NOT only sleeping on the job, he/she is snoring with an accent!

Joseph Njata

MTN SERVICE CENTER Dear MTN, i posted this already, but was encouraged to do it again; please make A LINE FOR PAYEMENTS ONLY at your office in UTC, it is very annoying to wait half an hour or more just to be able to pay your bill, because the costumer infront of you has an issue with his phone/sim card etc.You have (normally) three people serving, why can’t one ONLY do the bills? to be continued... Susan Okle Scholer

The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016 51

ADVERTORIAL

ISCO Focusing on career development and increased employee value Rogers Mugerwa

ith the knowledge that career development is key towards company growth, Rwanda’s leading Security Company ISCO - Intersec Security is focusing on developing individual staff career and increasing their value every day. With the recent introduction of new services such as cash processing, logistics (courier, transport and warehousing) preceding the move to new headquarters in Kigali’s Gikondo suburb, it is clear that ISCO is intentional about expanding employment opportunities. They are playing a vital role in bridging the unemployment gap, developing employees’ skills and providing them with favorable working environment in order to grow as a company. The ServiceMag met with Rogers Mugerwa, Client Systems Administrator at ISCO, who shared how he started as a guard in the institution more than five years ago to where he is today, in the sales and marketing department. Below are the excerpts. QN: When did you join ISCO and how did you join ISCO? I joined ISCO in April 2010 then Intersec Security. I had applied for a

white collar job since I was a graduate from University with a Bachelors Degree in Project Planning and Management, but unfortunately no vacancy was available so I joined the intake program as a guard. I went through a one-month training course after which I was deployed to work as a security guard at the Ugandan High Commission in Nyarutarama, Kigali. QN: What pushed you to apply for a job as a guard given your academic qualifications? Before joining ISCO, I was employed as a field sales representative. I earned on a commission basis. When I came to Rwanda, I tried to do the same. I taught doctors English Grammar and Vocabulary at a language training school in Kagugu, Kigali and earned Rwf 80,000 every two weeks. It seemed a decent amount. I felt I still had a lot of opportunities to explore in Rwanda so I applied for a job at Intersec. QN: For how long did you work as a guard and how were you promoted? I worked as a guard for nine months then I approached the Marketing and Human Resource managers, gave them my education qualifications and background that

52 The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016

impressed them. They transferred me from the field to the investigation office. QN: What were your duties and responsibilities in the new role? My duty was to make reports; we had clients who wanted reports in English. Field agents brought back investigation findings, mainly photographs, that I would then narrate and translate. Sometimes I would go to the field myself and make a report. After a while, unfortunately, the head of the investigation unit was involved in an accident which forced him to leave work for a long period of time and I acted as head of the unit. QN: How did you move to the sales and marketing department? When I was promoted to lead the investigation unit, I felt I could do more. I went to the sales and marketing department and observed their quotations, tenders and then approached the marketing manager with my sales proposal. He was very impressed with it and after negotiating my transfer request, I was accepted as a sales and marketing executive but kept my

post in the investigations unit. After a while, I requested to stay in the marketing department permanently. My core duties here were handling all tenders and helping in preparation of contracts. QN: How did you grow in the sales and marketing department? By then, the company only offered two services that included guarding and hi-tech services. Today we offer more services under four sub-brands; In addition to these two, there is the logistics and cash processing departments. At the time, I preferred working in the guarding services section which had roles of preparing quotations, tenders and contracts. I used to package and present information creatively to clients. I worked with the different departments including the legal one to come up with good contracts. QN: How do you find working in ISCO as regard to growing in your career? Selling security services in Rwanda is as difficult as selling insurance services. In fact, those are the two most difficult services to sell in my opinion because someone easily questions the need to pay for them. Rwanda is largely a very secure place so many donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know the security benefits of working with us, which makes it our duty to make sure that they understand them. QN: Over the past 6 years you have been in the company, how have you seen ISCO progress? The company has progressively

improved both financially, administratively and in service delivery. When I joined the company, there were some clients that had previously worked with Intersec before I joined and they had terminated their contracts on a very tense note. The company concentrated on guarding services more and wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fully committed. Since then, the management has changed and so has the commitment and willingness to serve at a higher standard. This has begun to have an impact on our public perception. As I mentioned earlier, we were selling only guarding and hi-tech services, out of which guarding included only armed and unarmed guards. Currently we have reception officers and supervisors, VIP escort services and corporate guard services. As for the hi-tech, we now offer Internet enabled IP cameras that can be configured to your telephone handset. At a click of a button on your phone you can see your office/ warehouse/home or equipment surrounding. In addition to that, there was also formulation of new services such as Cash processing. Cash-in-Transit began in 2013, courier and logistics services that started last year and cash processing which we began recently. We have a combination of more services from the initial two to more than five. Even the staff number has increased, allowing more people to be employed.

ADVERTORIAL QN: Talking about staff, how is ISCO a place for someone to grow in their career? Let me begin with myself. This is the biggest organization I have ever worked for. I have seen a lot of changes that I never expected and this has given me more motivation that if you concentrate and give all your energy to this company, you benefit a lot. I have benefited a lot in terms of training in sales and marketing, and experience. I have seen many come here as interns and grow to serve in higher capacities in the company. Even under guarding services, there are some university graduate intakes working with the knowledge that one day they will be promoted, and they will. QN: What is your advice to all the youths out there who after university expect white collar jobs? Most people think that immediately after graduation, there are jobs waiting for them and the first thing they do is drop their job applications at various offices. Just like I did, I would advise them to drop their pride and do whatever job they get because it is where they will get experience and land better opportunities. Otherwise, if they have the capacity to venture into entrepreneurship, they could invest and start doing business rather than looking for jobs endlessly.

The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016 53

AT YOUR SERVICE

You cannot out-train a bad diet REACHING YOUR FITNESS GOALS IS 20% EXERCISE AND 80% NUTRITION

BY GLORIA IRIBAGIZA

IVAN

Munyengango is a Personal Fitness Trainer who believes that no one can out-train a bad diet. He invests his time to provide a service that goes a long way in ensuring the fitness health of people, something that many neglect yet, it plays a key role in the life and productivity of any individual. Through research, he discovers what his client’s fitness goals are and helps them achieve them through designing a workout routine while advising on proper nutrition. He runs his fitness company called, ‘Fit PIPO 12-Week Transformation’ that consists of 36 sessions. He also doubles as a fitness instructor, training groups of people at Cali Fitness gym in Nyarutarama. This way, he can meet the individual fitness needs of private clients who would rather workout at their homes. THE SERVICE MAG (TSM), spoke to IvaMunyengango about the reasons why hiring a Personal Fitness Trainer is necessary for busy people who find it challenging to meet their fitness goals. 54 The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016

TSM: Why Should people hire a Personal Fitness Trainer (PFT) IVAN: Fitness is a growing industry in Rwanda. It is crucial that people train right. It is really important that people know what to do while at the gym. When in groups, people will workout depending on the provided services irrespective of what their goals are. Hiring a Personal Fitness Trainer guarantees that you meet your specific exercise and nutrition goals within a set period of time. TSM: How do you guarantee that your clients meet their fitness goals? IVAN: One of the main duties of a PFT is to be a motivator. Besides designing workout routines and meal plans, it is your duty to keep your clients motivated to the end. Of course there are factors that hinder clients from staying on track. These could be temporary or permanent circumstances like, trav-

elling, injuries, pregnancy or any other reason that stops people from training. The most important thing to do as a PFT is to follow up on the reasons why the client stopped. You need to ask yourself questions on whether, this is related to your program or any other reasons before you proceed with a fitness program.

ent’s trust believing that they are disciplined enough to do their part well. We cannot control the fact that the biggest part of Fitness is in the client’s hands. You cannot out train a bad diet. No matter how much you train, if you do not eat healthy, you cannot reach your fitness goals.

TSM: How do you provide the TSM: What are some of the best service to your clients as challenges you face as PFT? well as find time for yourself IVAN: I work with clients having as a Personal Fitness Trainer? vast differences based on their You surely do not spend the behavior, backgrounds and per- entire day working out. sonalities and it requires a lot of IVAN: Well, I work 10 hours each hard work on my part to learn to day, but this time is usually to adapt to these differences. We al- guide clients on their fitness plan. ways say that Fitness is 20% in the I facilitate their workouts by doing gym and 80% in the kitchen. We demos for them but they are the do not get to spend time in our ones who do most of the exerclient’s kitchens and this is where cises. In order to remain fit, I too the biggest fitness journey lies. need to take time for myself so We completely depend on our cli- that I am rejuvenated to instruct

better. TSM: Why do you think Fitness is a growing industry in Rwanda today? IVAN: Like any other sector that contributes to economic development, Fitness also follows the tempo of the country’s growth. We used to have gyms in major hotels, however, their priority wasn’t the quality of service at the gym but accommodation. They had fitness centers because it was a requirement for the hotels and this affected Fitness service delivery. However, the more the market demands for fitness trainers, the more Fitness Entrepreneurs can invest in this sector. Fitness is a business too that requires business minded people to invest their capital for facilities, equipment and fitness education.

TSM: How can we ensure that the Fitness Business is delivering the services it claims to do? IVAN: Firstly, Fitness Entrepreneurs need to give their clients a return for their money. This is through getting certified, providing quality trainings, improving on their customer care at both the gyms or at the client’s residence, and training every personnel associated with the fitness business as a way of ensuring that the satisfaction of their clients are met. TSM: What motivates you to pursue your vision as a Fitness Trainer? IVAN: The feedback I receive from my clients is my biggest source of motivation. This job is tiresome but knowing that you are contributing to the change and transformation of someone else’s life is very inspiring. glo.irie@gmail.com

The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016 55

PICTORIAL

Atlas Mara Limited continues to build its brand presence in Africa through the unveiling on May 11, 2016 of the new “Banque Populaire du Rwanda (“BPR”), part of Atlas Mara” brand in Rwanda. The brand launch event was held at the New Century Residence (Marriot) while the branch launch happened on 12th May at the BPR Headquarters in Kigali.

56 The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016

Premiere of 1key’s series of live performances blending music and poetry. This first episode of four tells that took place at Innovation Village on 31st March 2016 depicts the story of the storyteller’s evolution.

PICTORIAL

As the African proverb goes “ The Dance is Sweetest when the whole village joins in” The ‘dance’ was indeed sweet as Nairobi joined the jig to welcome Brioche to the city of Nairobi in May 2016 as the Rwandese grown brand expanded into Kenya with its grand launch in true style.

The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016 57

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