BEN KALKMAN. Iron Sharpens Iron. Impamvu Zitera Kwakira Nabi Abakiriya. En avant pour nos droits de consommateurs. Motivate Your Team NEW!

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1 Issue 3: Sept-Nov 2010 Iron Sharpens Iron An interview with the PS, Ministry of East African Community in Rwanda, Mr. Robert Ssali Impamvu Zitera Kwakira Nabi Abakiriya En avant pour nos droits de consommateurs Motivate Your Team BEN KALKMAN CEO, Banque Populaire du Rwanda Customer care is about efficieny NEW! Ask Our Lawyer Answers to legal issues

2 Imikorere yawe niko gaciro kawe Ubupfura bwawe burangwa n imikorere yawe Twese dushima umugenzo mwiza w ubupfura ndetse tukubaha abatuboneye izuba: ababyeyi n abakurambere bacu baranzwe n umuco mwiza w ubupfura. Dushima kandi imigenzo myiza n indangagaciro z umuco nyarwanda byaduhesheje ishema ry ubunyarwanda ubu tukaba duharanira gukomeza uwo murage. Harageze rero ngo imvugo ibe ingiro: ubupfura, ubutwari n ubunyangamugayo biturange mu mikorere yacu, bityo biduheshe ishema mu murimo wacu. Ubupfura bugaragarira mu buryo twitwara, ibikorwa dukora, ndetse n uburyo tubikora. 2 The SERVICEMAG September - November 2010

3 PUBLISHER S NOTE Rwanda is a dynamic country with many positive things happening. Since July 1 st 2010 for instance, Rwanda together with Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi have embarked on the Common Market Protocol that will bring free movement of labor, capital, goods and services within the region. While some are afraid of the competition that this will create, many other people in the business community appreciate the fact that this will avail greater opportunities for trade in goods and services; employment opportunities for people in the East African Community member states. Our focus this issue is the East Africa Community Common Market Protocol with an interview with Robert Ssali, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of East African Community in Rwanda. Banque Populaire is another example of the dynamism in the Rwandan economy. What used to be a cooperative some years ago has embarked on a dynamic process and has become a commercial bank. Read the personality profile of Mr Ben Kalkman, the CEO of this Bank and know what he and his team are doing in improving the bank s image by offering better services. If you were at the launch of the second issue of The ServiceMag three months ago at the Laico Hotel in Kigali, then you were lucky to be part of our gracious audience that evening. Many have asked why we organize events with the release of each issue of The ServiceMag. The main purpose is to bring together people in the service industry to discuss their challenges, share best practices and of course network. In this third edition, we are adding a new column called Ask our Lawyer to answer our readers questions from a legal aspect. Send any legal question on the services you receive and Katia Maniakirazi, our legal expert will be happy to answer them. Again, we want to thank you all for your numerous comments/feedback/ suggestions. Thanks again to the contributors and sponsors. It is because of you that we continue to publish. Dear reader, reading helps in developing your mental capacity. Reading stimulates the brain, instructs, informs, entertains, motivates and inspires. Reading is a powerful way of upgrading one s knowledge and that is why I encourage you to read not only the entire ServiceMag but also books, newspapers and even material via the internet. If you don t read you are definitely missing out on a great way of learning as well as a wonderful way of improving your life and business. One of the most basic foundations of power in business comes from having access to information and controlling it. Develop the habit of reading. Resolve to never let a day go by without reading something and you will see the effect. Remember knowledge is power! Enjoy the reading Sandra Idossou Publisher If you don t read you are definitely missing out on a great way of learning as well as a wonderful way of improving your life and business. Published By Shei & Enz Consulting P.O.Box 3425 Kigali Rwanda The opinions expressed in The ServiceMag and The ServiceMag Online do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, publishers or their agents. *Articles and contributions are welcome. If you would like to share your customer service experience please send it to editor@servicemag.com The SERVICEMAG September - November

4 CONTENTS 42 FOR THE MANAGER 30 Leadership Personnel 33 Impanvu Umunani Zitera Kwakira Nabi Abakiriya 36 Motivate Your Staff HAVE YOUR SAY 44 Mu Banyarwanda, kwakira neza abakugana byari umuko 48 Excellent Service at the Post Office 49 Se Faire Belle à l Egyptienne INTERVIEWS 06 Ben Kalkman 08 Robert Ssali 4 The SERVICEMAG September - November 2010 FEATURES 06 Back to Our Good Values & Traditions 08 Environmental Awareness 10 Bank Populaire du Rwanda 14 En Avant pour nos Droits 16 It Pays to look Good 18 The Philosophy of Inclusion 19 Ikimenya mu Gutanga Servisi 20 Building a Successful Sale personality 21 The Customer is King PLUS 42 Ask Our Lawyer 56 Pictorial 58 Cartoon 04 Your Mail COVER PHOTOGRAPHY BY Paul Snijders. Publisher Sandra Idossou sidossou@theservicemag.com Design & Layout Edward Matovu merik@studiom.ug Editor English Aryantungyisa Otiti aryantu@yahoo.com Editor French Diana Ramarohetra diana@theservicemag.com Kinyarwanda Editor Gaspard Habarurema gaspardhaburema@gmail.com Kinyarwanda Translator Aime Munyanganzo munyaime@yahoo.fr Photographer Paul Snijders paul@macuser.nl Cartoonist Dolph Banza banzadolph@gmail.com Contributors Abena Amoako-Tuffour, Berna Namata, Hermine da Silva, Efua Hagan, Gloria A. Iribagiza, Theoneste Sebihogo, Awambeng René, Kelvin Odoobo, Bea Umwiza, K. Ezéchiel Ouedraogo, Eva Gara, Katia Manirakiza, Olivier Ntaganzwa, Hubert Rutage Ruzibiza, Dalia Farag, Mafoya, Ezrah Ranjato, Paradis Winslet SPONSORS Diamond Ministry of East African Community Banque Populaire du Rwanda Rwanda Development Board Platinum Ecobank RwandAir Kenya Airways - KLM Gold The Manor Hotel Rwanda Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration Ujenge Iposita Silver Fina Bank Intersec Datapro Bronze Expand

5 Your I loved the article 10 Things for Effective Customer Service Training. I have been working for the last 8 years and was privileged three months ago to attend a training session on Customer Service. I learnt to be proactive, to smile and think outside the box. Before the training, I believed that customer care was not Rwandan. I was happy to learn that with a positive attitude one can satisfy customers. Today I feel empowered and I really wish all managers would understand the importance of training employees. Training us is an investment, I must admit; but an investment that will boost our professionalism and positively affect the results of our company. Ignace Kaliza I think the subject matter of the magazine is fantastic since this is an area Rwandans need to improve. I commend the magazine in selecting certain thought-provoking and helpful topics. I especially found Customer Service: Root Causes Verses Symptoms ; and Give It Time! very interesting. However I would like to advise the magazine to avoid emotional and caustic articles which lead to offense rather than offering constructive criticism. Amanda Doyle Congratulation on coming up with such an educative project as the Service Mag is. I am a career advisor at Kigali Institute Management. Our focus in career advisory education is to produce students who are employable, have the necessary skills, are competent in their sphere of work and increase overall corporate effectiveness and efficiency. I have used your magazine in my classes to highlight a number of issues. The students appreciated the issues that you raised and even wanted to read the magazine themselves. Please include the Kigali Institute of Management on your distribution list both for our students and faculty members. Beatrice Madya Je voudrais vous suggérer de prendre un historien ou sociologue qui pourrait écrire plus d article sur nos traditions ou nos coutumes rwandaises par rapport à la notion du service. Il doit bien y avoir des explications historiques sur les causes de la méfiance que nous remarquons chez certains vendeurs. En comprenant mieux notre histoire du passé, on peut mieux aborder le présent et se préparer davtange à l avenir. Merci encore pour le boulot excellent que vous faites dans cette éducation de la population. Jean Baptiste Izimana Thank you for your contribution to customer care services in Rwanda. I have read your magazine and learnt how to receive my clients. I encourage all people offering services to read this magazine and learn from it. I also appreciate the sponsors and would like to encourage other businesses and investors to take part in sponsoring. Paul Shumbusho Nikundiye ikinyamakuru cyanyu ku buryo butangaje ubu nyine nyotewe no kuzabona nimero ikurikira. Mu byukuri gisa neza, cyanditse neza kandi kirashimishije ku buryo usanga gitanga inama zubaka. Nifuzaga rwose mbikuye ku mutima ko Leta yacu n ibigo bikorera hano byagufasha kugira ngo iki kinyamakuru kijye gisohoka buri kwezi kandi n inyandiko nyinshi zikaba ziri mu Kinyarwanda. Ndahamya ntashidikanya ko uko kigenda kirushaho gusomwa abantu bakiga ibindi bintu bishya ari na ko kizagenda kigira uruhare rugaragara mu gutuma hatangwa serivisi inoze izatuma igihugu cyacu kigera ku iterambere. Numva mfite ubushobozi bwo kubafasha nabikora rwose ntitangiriye itama. Ntucike intege komeza inzira watangiye. Imana izagufasha kuko iki ni igikurwa kiguhesha agaciro kikanagahesha ikipe mukorana n igihugu cyacu. Imana ibahe umugisha kandi ibakomeze. Byanditswe na Cyriaque Nkurunziza Bonjour, je suis tombé sur vous récemment. Je dois dire que j ai beaucoup apprécié l esprit même de votre magazine. L article sur «Qu es-ce qui tue votre image?» m a fait particulièrement mourir de rire. Je dois dire que je me suis reconnu dans quelques remarques. En tout cas, merci pour les conseils, cela va me permettre d améliorer mon image. Imasy Jamison J ai toujours aimé votre magazine. Je me suis dit que je voulais moi aussi y participer mais je n ai pas encore eu le temps d écrire un article. Le service au Rwanda et surtout à l interieur du pays a vraiment besoin de telle initiative pour avancer. Puis-je vous suggérer d avoir plus d articles sur le service publique tels que la Police, les hôpitaux et les districts. Elise G. Write to us letters@theservicemag.com Connect with us on The SERVICEMAG September - November

6 FEATURE PHOTO BY Paul Snijders. 6 The SERVICEMAG September - November 2010

7 Back to Our Good Values and Traditions By Sandra Idossou A few months ago I was travelling with some colleagues in a village called Nkungu near Cyangugu. We got hungry and decided to buy some biscuits in a small village shop. The shop attendant, a woman of about 60 was chatting with a friend. She stopped her conversation immediately and offered me such a friendly and warm smile that made me forget about my hunger. Although we were faced with the language barrier, this woman tried her best to assist me. She showed me two different types of biscuits. I was so overwhelmed with her attitude that I decided to buy all her stock of biscuits. Why can t we get this type of service in Kigali and other big cities? I have been in several shops in Kigali and in other cities in Rwanda but had never experienced such warmth from a sales person. How I wish my banker, my insurance company, my telecom provider, my restaurant, the cashier at my grocery shop and the so many service providers I deal with could learn good customer care from this old village woman. Is customer care in villages better than it is in big cities? Are people in villages better equipped with good manners than those in town? Are we so civilized or westernized in cities that we have forgotten the good manners we were taught in our traditions? As Africans, we have many values that go hand in hand with good customer care practices. We are taught right from Are we so civilized or westernized in cities that we have forgotten the good manners we were taught in our traditions? our childhood to be nice to visitors, to show appreciation to people, to greet or thank people, to honor our promises, to be diligent with our work, to be courteous and so many other values. The first time I saw Rwandans greeting each other with the big hugs I was deeply touched. I found this so beautiful and could not understand why people in offices and businesses were so cold. Why can t we see the same warmth in our offices? Why have we left our good traditions and culture at home? Why are we completely different when we are working? Why do our smiling faces disappear just when we enter our shops? The good customer care attitudes portrayed by the old woman were natural to her. I m sure she has never gone through any formal training on customer care; neither does she read any of the customer care articles in the New Times but deep inside her, she knows exactly what it takes to touch customers emotions. She just understands that being available and nice to customers is a requisite for every sustainable business. Customer service is the set of behaviors undertaken by any person in business during an interaction with customers. It is simply being able to provide assistance, care, respect and attention to customers. Customer care has always been a competitive advantage even in our traditions as it entails all the little things we do to build excellent rapport with each and every customer. As Africans, we can be proud of our rich traditions and values on hospitality, caring, loyalty, responsibility, selflessness, solidarity, perseverance, sociability, honesty, courtesy, respect and even on dress code and so many other more. A people without culture are not a people at all. Let s then reinforce our traditional values for our own future and destiny as these cultural values and attitudes will shape our economic success. No matter the type of business you are into, behave in a manner that causes your customers to become loyal to you. Your own destiny is in your hands and in your words. Let s decide to go back today to our values and traditions and we will be able to create a better emotional relationship with people we deal with. TSM sidossou@theservicemag.com The SERVICEMAG September - November

8 FEATURES Environmental Awareness in the Service Industry By Abena Amoako-Tuffour For some the link between the service industry and environmental sustainability may not be obvious but there is a very important connection. Environmental sustainability is using the earth s resources carefully so that they are not permanently depleted or destroyed for future generations. An example of sustainable forestry is to cut down some trees but to leave enough to prevent serious soil erosion and the permanent destruction of the local wildlife habitat. It would then be sustainable to plant more trees to replace the ones you cut down. Consider the daily activities of airports, restaurants, hotels, car rentals, business centers, grocery stores, and the public sector. Though they offer different services, they all consume and affect the earth s resources. For example, they all use large quantities of water; many use paper and most if not all use vehicles to carry out day-to-day activities which mean consuming fossil fuels and emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. In addition, all of these service providers cater to large quantities of people - from tens to thousands of people a day. This means that by simply existing as a business or institution, you have a significant impact on the environment. And depending on your awareness and concern for the environment, this impact is either positive or negative. As the world s population increases and lifestyles evolve, our relationship with the earth can affect the health of other people, plants, and animals and determine whether they live or die. According to a 2002 United Nations Environment Program press release, climate change, and the pollution from cars and industries are two of the emerging threats Africa will face over the next three decades. And environmental conservation is receiving more attention around the world. Rwanda s Kwita Izina (baby gorilla naming ceremony) event is an effort to promote environmental awareness and to protect the diverse wildlife and habitats of Rwanda and neighboring countries. In Rwanda, many in the service industry have some environmentally-friendly practices although they may not be aware of it. For instance the absence 8 The SERVICEMAG September - November 2010

9 Being environmentally friendly does not only show respect for the planet and others living on it but it can also save time and money PHOTO BY Paul Snijders of packaging for food in markets and restaurants requires people to bring reusable bags and containers. This means that very little waste is being produced. While some western countries are trying hard to promote the use of reusable bags for shopping, many Rwandans use them because nothing else is available or because it s cheaper than having to buy envelopes every time they shop. One business center in Remera uses minimal amounts of paper. Besides the occasional large order, they use on average 10 pages a day for printing and photocopying.. We recycle paper- for example if we print out too many copies by mistake, instead of throwing it away, we use it as scrap paper says Sharon, who works there. These are good examples of environmentally friendly behavior, but people must be aware of the environmental impacts of their behavior in order to keep up these good practices. Being environmentally friendly not only shows respect for the planet and others living on it, human or non-human, it can also save time, money and foster creativity as well. For instance, workers in Mexico and Peru make handbags from discarded candy wrappers! The service industry has a large impact on the environment and has the opportunity to be leaders in environmental sustainability. There are many different ways to work on being environmentally sustainable: Sell coffee? Buy coffee beans grown with natural fertilizers instead of artificial ones that destroy other plants, are harmful to human health; Sell or serve food? Use reusable food containers instead of disposable ones. Use a lot of paper? Think of alternatives such as , erasable whiteboard. Also print double-sided when you can and reuse paper for scrap. Avoid wasting power, turn off your lights, your television, your computer when they are not being used. The possibilities are endless but the earth s resources are not. Think of how you can play your part for a thriving and sustainable service industry. TSM aatuffour@gmail.com The SERVICEMAG September - November

10 BANQUE POPULAIRE The Rising Phoenix By Berna Namata With the largest number of branches branches countrywide and a major market share, Banque Populaire du Rwanda (BPR) is steadily setting the pace to become a leading retail bank in the country. Yet it is only two years since the bank changed from being a cooperative to a corporate structure after Rabo Development from Netherlands bought a minority stake - 35 percent in the bank. Despite turning into a fully fledged commercial bank, it has remained true to its cooperative roots by retaining its widespread shareholder base of clients from throughout the country. True to its name Banki Y abaturage - (the people s bank), BPR now features approximately over 574,624 small shareholders and one major one albeit a minority shareholder- in Rabo Development. Our target is the lower segment of the population where we have over 1 million clients. We are not going to compete head-on with the other banks for the corporate market, says Ben Kalkman, a Dutch national who has been the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BPR since The Bank has a mission to offer a full range of financial services in the urban and rural areas in a market driven and financially sustainable way. It is based on cooperative characteristics with special attention given to farmers, agribusiness enterprises, private individuals and micro as well as small and medium enterprises. Kalkman also points out that as minority shareholders; Rabo Development only comes to provide technical support to the Rwandan team. BPR has a Shareholders Agreement as well as a Technical Assistance Agreement in place. As from mid 2008 a whole new management team was established in Kigali while restructuring was done of all layers of management at Head Office and in the branch network. We had more than 400 people leave the bank for various reasons, for example corruption, fraud, incompetence. Others were opposed to change, but we had a lot of good people coming in too and we conducted training for them (staff), Kalkman says. While the Bank took serious write-offs over 2009, Kalkman points out that long term development of the financial institution is more paramount than profitability. Last year the Bank was forced to write off approximately Rwf1billion from its balance sheet which dated as far as 10 years. According to the CEO, Rabo Development s mission is to help financial institutions to evolve into fully fledged financially sustainable retail banks with an agricultural and rural orientation. This is why it is called Rabo Development, every where we are - we think in terms of at least 10 years. The first two years have been about taking control and cleaning up the balance sheet. However Kalkman also points out that improved service delivery has enabled the bank to comfortably increase its market share. PHOTOS BY Paul Snijders According to Konde Bugingo, the Head of Operations at BPR, the bank is working around the clock to improve service delivery by connecting all its 188 branches in the country into one network to facilitate clients access to their accounts everywhere in Rwanda. So far, 38 branches of 188 branches have been connected and the process will continue until 2011, though the official says delays are expected in most of rural areas due to lack of electricity and internet connectivity. Bugingo also points out that the Bank has invested both human and capital resources to improve service delivery. Improving the way people work and deliver services is important people have to realize that any delay in their work 10 The SERVICEMAG September - November 2010

11 COVER INTERVIEW is actually affecting a certain customer who is actually paying their salary, he says. As part of the wider efforts to improve service turnovers within the Bank, Bugingo says the BPR has rolled out a state of the art Mobile Banking service to its clients. Our mobile banking facility will go beyond what is currently offered to the market SMS banking, he says. With this product, Bugingo says clients will be able to access banking and financial services on their mobile phones, transfer between accounts, buy electricity, purchase airtime, Pay bills such as DSTV, Startimes, MTN/Tigo postpaid etc. Richard Ndahiro, the Marketing and Product Development Manager at the Bank also points out that with the innovation - BPR mobile Banking, the Bank is positioning itself to be the leading retail bank in the country. BPR s bright future is undisputable. We see ourselves as the leading retail bank in a short period from now. We have the most valuable asset to make this happen--a huge client base and a large branch network, Ndahiro says. But the Bank is far from exhaustion as far as product development is concerned, Ndahiro points out. Apart from the mobile banking, the Bank is planning to increase its Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) network to at least 50 machines from the current 25 machines to ease the long queues at the Bank s branches across the country. For the most frequent and basic banking Apart from the mobile banking, the Bank is planning to increase its Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) network to at least 50 machines from the current 25 machines to ease the long queues transactions--clients won t need to storm the branch any more--but use their phones or ATM. Clients will only come to the branch to get other services like loans. This gives us more room to better cater for those who come to our branches, Ndahiro says. BPR is the 6th partner bank of Rabo Development following successful partnerships in Tanzania (National Microfinance Bank), China (United Rural Co-operative Bank of Hangzhou), Zambia (Zambia National Commercial Bank), Mozambique (Banco Terra) and Paraguay (Banco Regional). TSM bernanamata@gmail.com The SERVICEMAG September - November

12 COVER INTERVIEW PHOTO BY Paul Snijders. In an exclusive interview with The ServiceMag, Ben Kalkman, Chief Executive Officer of Banque Populaire Du Rwanda (BPR) notes that while the task has been challenging, he remains enthusiastic and optimistic as the bank is making great strides. Below are the exerpts The Service Mag (TSM): Almost three years down the road, how have you been able to convert a large microfinance network of cooperatives into a commercial bank? Ben Kalkman (BK): It is a long journey and it is not over yet because what we inherited was something that was non- existent; we did not inherit a bank. We had to create a bank out of 140 independent Saving and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs) of which many were either technically bankrupt or not functioning. Now we have 189 branches. We have a management structure like European banks have. This means everything had to change. We had to step up everything from scratch we also had to clean the balance sheet and the credit portfolio. The first thing we had to do was take control; even if there was a due diligence performed it was kind of a hopeless quest because every branch operated with a different policy, different personnel, different board, different credit policy. We eventually had to find means of creating one balance sheet and of course there are other issues personnel, staff training, Information Technology, network - that is about everything. It is actually more complicated than just starting from scratch and building a new bank. TSM: How would you describe the impact of Rabo Development so far? BK: The expectations were unrealistic in many ways; people expect that since an international bank has come in then within a year everything will be fixed. We are slowly building it up with many Rabo expatriates even though Rabo Ben Kalkman Customer care is about efficiency 12 The SERVICEMAG September - November 2010

13 Development only has 35 percent with a management contract. The majority shares are owned by members of the independent SACCOs who became shareholders of the bank when we took over. Rabo Development came in with an investment of more than 6 million Euros in addition to 4 million Euros from the Dutch government. We have not more than seven Rabo Bank staff offering temporary assistance from Rabo in Holland and other Rabo partner banks on the Continent; the rest of the staff is local or from the region. Basically the team we have on the ground is very small which is essentially because Bank Populaire is and has to remain a Rwandan bank. It is a huge task the first year 2008 was all about taking control and 2009 was a big clean up year; cleaning up our balance sheet. The first year we made more than Rwf2 billion in profits. Last year we took a drastic approach to go deep into the credit portfolio and reclassify all of the assets. This pushed up our Non Performing loans (NPLs) ratio but at least this was a real picture of what the real situation was. We have written off more than Rwf1billion from the balance sheet which dates back as far as 10 years. I can safely say that the figures before 2008 were not so reliable to say the least. We have cleaned up the whole portfolio and put in place a completely new banking general ledger system including installing new banking software (T24) state of the art, expanded the branch network (189 branches now ), rolled out a new human resource management structure with job descriptions, targets and appraisals that allows staff to receive bonuses. We are connecting as many branches as possible (currently 36 branches are connected) but we are hampered by what MTN, Rwandatel and Tigo can offer. We are even considering satellite technology because the more branches you have connected, the more control you have over the network. This reduces the risk of fraud and greatly increases customer care service to clients. TSM: Poor customer service is still a huge challenge in both public and private sectors in this country, how is the Bank tackling this issue? BK: In the past we did not even have a customer care department. So we set it up and trained customer care officers. We also train all our commercial people in customer care actually explaining what true service delivery is and making them live up to it because service levels in general in the banking industry were extremely low for a variety of reasons. This is not just a Bank Populaire initiative, but that of the whole banking industry through the RBA (Rwandan Bankers Association). We are working on reducing the queues, rolling out more electronic products like mobile banking, expanding our ATM network; we are doing almost everything to increase service levels to the client. This is nationwide effort. TSM: The misconception about customer care has been that many people think it has got more to do with courtesy (smiling, greeting a customer), yet customers or clients are always looking for value for money. What is your view? BK: Customer care is about efficiency. It is about understanding the concept and making sure that the customer gets the service that he/she needs and you must be able to deliver it. And you can only deliver it only if you have the right tools such as good automation, the right organization, good structure and the right mentality. Rwanda is not a very service minded society you see this when you go to the supermarket or the banks, but it is changing rapidly. I just renewed my work permit it was amazing; state of the art automation, very fast and efficient. I think a lot of the improvement has to do with the establishment of the East African Community because service delivery levels in Kenya, Tanzania or Uganda are higher. This is a very promising development. We are doing our best, this is not a fast process, but by the end of next year we will have something like 100 ATMS. In one month s time we will roll out mobile banking for approximately 300,000 and these clients will not have to come to the bank any more for transactions. Watch this space; you will not recognize this bank in three years time. TSM: What is the major challenge affecting service delivery in the financial sector? BK: Shortage of skills in the industry; the... we are doing almost everything to increase service levels to the client. This is nationwide effort. level of people that we are hiring from cashiers to junior staff is still low because they have not been properly trained. We have to train all the people ourselves and then they get stolen by the other banks and we have to train again and again. We (Bankers) are setting up a Banker s institute under the Bankers Association where we are going to train our own people to give them certificates as cashiers, credit officers etc. This will lead to much higher professionalization of the industry. TSM: Future plans; what big plans or projects are in the pipeline? BK: We are restructuring all our branches ; we have already done 10 branches totally redone and not just repainting - a new customer client guiding system electronic, customer care, reception,commercial officers etc. These branches offer a much better look & feel. That combined with full ATM service and full model banking; this is a radical change across the board We have just set up a call centre with international expertise to facilitate our clients. TSM: On a lighter note, who is Ben Kalkman? BK: I am Dutch. I grew up in Caribbean and South America. I have 18 years experience in international banking in ten different countries. Rwanda is my first job in Africa. My work style is probably too egalitarian for Rwandan standards. We work in management teams; I do not like to take decisions alone. There is a senior management team and we do many things in committees. I believe in leading by example so what we expect from people we have to demonstrate ourselves and of course delegate and train at the same time. TSM The SERVICEMAG September - November

14 Courses au supermarché, déjeuner au restaurant, réparation de chaussures chez le cordonnier, achat de pagnes au marché, déplacement en taxi, ces actes on les fait tous les jours. Mais saviez-vous qu en accomplissant ces actes, en retour, vous avez des En Avant Pour Nos Droits De Consommateur! Par Hermine da SILVA PHOTOGRAPHY BY Mark Sebukima droits? Eh oui, ces différents faits font de nous des consommateurs vu que nous faisons usage des biens et services divers pour répondre à nos différents besoins Mais il n est pas sûr que, nous soyons tous des consommateurs au même degré et au même niveau. Il y a évidemment un grand écart entre le consommateur rwandais, sénégalais, africain et le consommateur français ou américain. Qui dit droit, dit obligation bien évidemment. Mais alors, qu est-ce qu on entend par droit quand on est consommateur? A t-on réellement des droits? Etre consommateur en Afrique Le consommateur a le droit d avoir toutes les informations dont il a besoin sur un produit ou service. donne t-il des droits à part s entendre dire qu on est roi??? Sachez mesdames et messieurs, que faire ses courses (acheter son pain, ou réparer sa chaussure) n est pas si anodin que cela. En remplissant vos paniers, vous faites partie du droit sans le savoir! Exemple : en faisant vos courses, vous vous êtes blessé en glissant sur le sol, la vendeuse refuse votre billet de 1000 francs sous prétexte qu il est déchiré, le vigile du magasin a exigé de fouiller votre sac? Ces situations, on les vit tous les jours. Leur bien fondé? On se le pose souvent. 14 The SERVICEMAG September - November 2010

15 Et les réponses qu on trouve relèvent surtout du bon sens me diriez-vous. En effet, le droit des consommateurs peut être défini comme étant un juste milieu avec ce qui est juste, ou bien. QUELS SONT ALORS LES DROITS DES CONSOMMATEURS Un consommateur a des droits et comme celui d un employé, il relève de la responsabilité de la société, de la commerçante ou du mécanicien de s assurer que les droits de son client soient respectés en tout temps. Les plus élémentaires de ces droits sont recensés comme suit: Le droit d être entendu Le revendeur, le plombier, la vendeuse de pagne ou toute autre personne impliquée doit écouter le consommateur quand il se plaint. Le droit à la sécurité Le consommateur doit être protégé contre les contrefaçons, les défauts ou tous les dangers cachés dans les produits ou services qu il achète. Il a le droit également à la sécurité physique au cours de ses achats. Si le commerçant exerce son activité dans une zone à risques où pullulent les bandits, il doit assurer la sécurité du consommateur, de son client. Le droit à réparation Lorsque on vous vend un produit ou un service de qualité inférieure, vous avez le droit de retourner au vendeur et demander un échange ou un remboursement. Dans certains cas, ce droit est protégé par la loi et les consommateurs peuvent porter leurs cas devant les tribunaux et exiger leur droit à réparation. Le droit à un environnement sain Le consommateur a droit à un environnement physique qui permettra d améliorer sa qualité de vie. Le droit d être informé Le consommateur a le droit d avoir toutes les informations dont il a besoin sur un produit ou service. Par exemple, en tant qu acheteur, j ai absolument le droit de demander à une vendeuse de beignets, les ingrédients qu elle a utilisés pour les préparer sans qu elle m en demande la raison. Si je signe un contrat pour prendre un crédit, je suis en droit de demander des informations détaillées du contrat. Le droit de choisir Les consommateurs doivent insister sur une variété de produits et de marchandises à choisir en fonction des goûts personnels, de la qualité ou du prix. Si le supermarché du coin me propose une seule variété de mangues, je peux insister pour qu elle m en propose d autres. La concurrence sur le marché nous permet d acheter ce qui répond le plus à nos goûts et désirs. Le droit à l éducation des consommateurs Les consommateurs ont droit à être éduqués dans un cadre de consommation. En tant que consommateur, on a le droit d être éduqué sur comment consommer tout simplement. Mais cela relève surtout de la responsabilité de l État et des sociétés privées qui se doivent de les mettre en pratique. Partout dans le monde aujourd hui, les entreprises ont commencé, continué ou essayent d améliorer leurs diverses pratiques pour chouchouter leurs clients à travers les droits des consommateurs. Vous constaterez qu on vous sollicite, par exemple, pour savoir si vous êtes contents de tel ou tel produit. Tout ceci avec pour objectif de permettre aux sociétés de pouvoir rapidement remédier à des défaillances de leur service, de s assurer que leurs produits ou services sont de qualité, en veillant à ce que le client puisse justement prétendre à ses droits. LE CAS AFRICAIN En Afrique, certains produits de consommation sont préparés et vendus dans de mauvaises conditions d hygiène. Les dates de péremption des produits sont rarement respectées. Des publicités «mensongères» à la télévision et à la radio vantent des produits (savons en poudre, boissons sucrées, lait, ) dont les qualités ne sont pas vérifiées. C est vrai, des organisations et associations de défense des consommateurs ont fait leur apparition depuis peu dans certains de nos pays. Mais leur actions sont tellement minimes qu il n y a pas encore de répercussion sur nos vies de consommateurs de tous les jours. Le consommateur africain d une manière général, ne dispose pas encore d une conscience de consommateur, s identifiant comme un sujet de droit et de devoir. Chacun se retrouve balancé entre les brimades et les répressions subies en tant que consommateur parce qu on ne connaît pas nos droits. Parfois même, le vendeur n est absolument pas conscient de ses obligations envers nous. Combien n ont pas piaffé de colère parce que nous n avons pas d informations sur un produit et que le commerçant ne daignait même pas nous répondre parce qu il est excédé par nos questions? Combien de fois on s est fait «jeté» dehors par un magasin parce qu on a ramené un matériel, acheté la veille, qui n est pas identique à la publicité vue à la télé? Combien de fois n a t-on pas osé crier à l arnaque quand on s est fait berné sur le prix d un produit? Tant de questions qui ont leur réponse dans le droit mais qui ne s applique pas encore chez nous. DROIT ÉQUIVAUT AUSSI À DEVOIR Il est temps aussi que le consommateur, bien qu ayant des droits, comprenne également que prétendre à des droits signifie avoir des devoirs. Le devoir de prendre sur soi et de s informer sur les produits qu on souhaite acheter avant d aller au magasin, par exemple. Ceci éviterait bien des désagréments. Car en se disant Roi, il arrive malheureusement qu on se comporte mal (non respect du commerçant et des produits, arrogance) Autant d éléments qui conduisent le commerçant à bafouer nos droits. Pour que vive le commerce, faisons en sorte de respecter nos droits envers les consommateurs. Et nous consommateurs, respectons nos devoirs. Il y va surtout de notre économie et du développement de notre pays. TSM hdsilva23@gmail.com The SERVICEMAG September - November

16 FEATURES It Pays to Look Good By Efua Hagan The way you groom yourself in the corporate world is important. It determines the first impression you make on clients, investors and customers. You should therefore always aim to impress through your physical appearance. In this day and age, it literally does pay to look good, no matter whether you are a man or a woman. Dress code matters Unfortunately, whether we like it or not people are going to judge us based on the way we dress and we have no control over this, the reality is that well dressed people are taken more seriously. A person s professional appearance needs to support his/her professional accomplishments; therefore the way you dress should reflect your services. For instance, if you want to tell people that you provide professional services, then you will need to reflect this by dressing in a professional manner. Showing that you care about your personal appearance conveys to the person you are meeting with that they are important to you. Pay attention to the details Personal grooming for the business world doesn t just involve choosing the right outfit; it should also consist of, having neat nails, shaving, moderate make-up and hair, clean and appropriate clothing, good hygiene. Whether you are a man or woman, the trick is to pay attention to the details. Paying attention to the details of your appearance sends a message to others that you will also pay close attention to business details, and the needs of your customers and clients. For women, hair should be neat and conservative, with appropriate jewelry that isn t too loud.. Since men can t In this day and age, it literally does pay to look good, no matter whether you are a man or a woman. wear makeup, a clean shave is at the top of their list for grooming to look professional. Hygiene shouldn t be overlooked Now that we have established that our physical appearance counts volumes, what about that not so pleasant topic of body odor? Let s face it, it s a major put off if you have to be stuck in a meeting with someone with a terrible body odor. Sweating is the main cause of body odors it contains organic substances which are broken down into acids by the bacteria present on the skin surface. Overactive bacteria present in the underarms causes the odor. So what is the solution to bad odor? Regular showers and daily use of deodorant/antiperspirant is sure to keep you smelling fresh. If you perspire more than usual, consider carrying deodorant around with you in your bag, and touch up every now and again. Since personal grooming plays an enormous role in determining how others perceive us, you would do well to ensure that you look well kept in your day to day business encounters. In addition, personal grooming will make you look better and become more confident about yourself as you deal with clients. TSM ms.efuahagan@gmail.com PHOTOGRAPHY from GettyImages. 16 The SERVICEMAG September - November 2010

17 PHOTO by George Baryamwisaki Ikimenyane Mu Gutanga Serivisi Byanditswe na Theoneste Sebihogo Bimaze kugaragara ko aho Leta ishyiriye ingufu mu gushishikariza Abanyarwanda ku bijyanye no gutanga serivise nziza, inoze kandi yihuse, hari byinshi bitangiye guhinduka. Gusa haracyagaragara ikibazo muri iyo mitangire ya serivise. Mperutse kunyarukira kuri imwe mu mabanki y ubucuruzi ngiye kubikuza udufaranga ariko ibyo nahaboneye byatumye nibaza byinshi. Twari ku murongo twese dutegereje ko batwakira ngiye kubona mbona umwe mu bakozi ba banki araje asuhuza umukiriya twari kumwe ku murongo dutegereje ko batwakira n ubwo uwagombaga kutwakira yari yibereye kuri telefoni; aba amwatse sheki aragenda mu kanya aba amuzaniye amafaranga nuko arigendera. Mukandi kanya mbona haje Umuzungu ajya ku murongo nk abandi na we mukanya umwe mubakozi aba araje amubaza mu cyongereza niba hari icyo yamufasha nuko amukura mu murongo aragenda amubikuriza amafaranga nawe arigendera. Uwagombaga kutwakira aho aviriye kuri telefoni aratangira aratwakira. Ntibyatinze haza undi mukobwa wavugaga icyongereza cyinshi nuko ahita nawe amwakira kandi atari ku murongo nk abandi bose. Nyuma ni bwo natangiye kwibaza niba tugomba guhindura ururimi tukajya twivugira icyongereza mu gihe tugiye gushaka serivise n uko ikinyarwanda tukacyihorera, cyangwa se niba serivise nziza igomba guhabwa abanyamahanga kuruta abanyarwanda bavuga ikinyarwanda gusa. Na none ndibaza niba ugomba kumenyana n umwe mu bakozi b aho ugiye gushaka serivise kugira ngo ukunde uhabwe serivise nziza. Ndagira ngo nibutse abakora muri banki ko amafaranga y abakiriya ari yo atuma banki ikomeza gukora kandi ko umukiriya atakagombye kubona serivise nk aho ayikuye mu menyo ya rubamba icyakora baca umugani ngo ikinyoni kigurutse kitavuze bacyita icyana nahise njya kureba uyoboye abakozi kuri za gishe mpita mubwira ko serivise bampaye ntayishimiye na gato kandi ko nibatisubiraho ngo babwire abakozi ko batagomba gukora ivangura iryo ari ryo ryose, tuzigendera mu yandi ma banki. Agashimwe gahabwa umuseriveri Bimenyerewe ko muri Hoteli cyangwa Resitora, umuco wo gutanga agashimwe gahabwa umuseriveri watanze serivisi nziza ntaho gahuriye n ikiguzi cya serivise. Ikimaze kugaragara ni uko igihe udahaye umuseriveri ako gashimwe iyo ugarutse ubutaha agerageza gukambya agahanga ndetse ntanakwiteho bikagaragara ko ugomba gutanga ako gashimwe kugira ngo ubutaha uzahabwe serivise; ibyo njye mbigereranya na ruswa ari na yo mpamvu usanga abanyamahanga (abazungu) bitaweho kabone n iyo batatanga ako gashimwe kuko burya abazungu bose si ko batanga agashimwe cyane cyane iyo bamaze kumenya ko kuva kwa Rubangura kugera Cyimironko ari 180 frw asanga bya biceri agomba kubitegesha bisi kuko burya Abazungu bagira imibare myinshi si nkatwe twumva ko utatanga agashimwe ka 200frw ariko burya na yo ni menshi iyo wibutse ko ashobora kukugeza i Remera. Icyo ngamije kwerekezaho ni uko ako gashimwe katagomba gufatwa nka ruswa cyangwa se ikimenyane oya! Wenda ushobora kutayihabwa kubera ko serivisi yawe itabaye nziza kandi sinangombwa ko uhabwa amafaranga burya no kugushimira ngo URAKOZE birahagije. Ariko rero bantu mujya ku kabari cg resitora mujye mwibuka ko gutanga agashimwe gahabwa umuseriveri ari umuco mwiza kandi mwibuke gushimira nubwo umutwaro uremereye muri kamere ya muntu ari Ugushima. Nawe muntu ukora muri Hoteri, resitora, akabari ntukumve ko kuba utahawe agashimwe n umukiriya ugomba kurya karungu nkaho ryari ideni. TSM tsebihogo@yahoo.com The SERVICEMAG September - November

18 FEATURES The Philosophy of Inclusion and Service Delivery in Rwanda By Gloria A. Iribagiza Service delivery in Rwanda is still on the low. In spite of the numerous customer care awareness campaigns meant to bring life to this business sector, the practice of providing swift, smooth and satisfactory service is still painfully inconsistent. Without being too negative, this issue definitely trickles down to the mindset of employees and the standards set by the companies, organizations or businesses they work for. There is no way a business is jump-started with the sole purpose of making losses everyone wants to make money, improve their standard of living and become more comfortable. Without this in mind, business owners stand a higher risk of incurring vast losses because they allow the gaping loopholes in service delivery to eat away at their companies. Losses mainly result from the failure to impress, satisfy and maintain customers when delivering a service. Many service providers do not view the customer as the pace setter of a business that he is. One Sunday afternoon, I was starving having missed breakfast and the previous night s supper due to a crazy work errand. I went to a popular eat-out I had grown addicted to, sat and waited to give my order; a waiter arrived in a flash with a big smile. Being the first hungry looking customer in that section, I made a simple French fries and Fanta order to save time. Impressed, I beamed as the waiter returned with my Fanta almost immediately. I swallowed it in an instant and waited. Some more lighter looking customers arrived and filled up the vacant tables, he took their orders and proceeded to the kitchen. In less than fifteen minutes, the waiter was back with their orders; they started munching away as I watched hungrily. I reminded him and I waited some more, he returned with another customer s order and walked away. There must be some mistake, I thought, prompting me to walk to the counter to politely remind him of my order. I got it, it will be there in a moment, he said. Fortyfive minutes later I watched as the other customers left. My time was up and I had to rush to work to beat a deadline. I called the waiter and politely requested that he pack my order. He agreed and 30 minutes later it arrived in a big brown envelope. I paid my dues and walked away. Back at work, I opened the envelope and I was welcomed by flimsy cold French fries peeping out of a shattered aluminum foil, and scattered all over the envelope, there were no serviettes either! The sight of the food was very disappointing; I wasn t sure I could eat this food although I had waited so long for it. The dustbin had its fill that day. Hurt and broken from that experience, I said goodbye to the eating place and got comfortable eating tasteless food from the usual places so that I wouldn t die of hunger. I was previously impressed and satisfied with the popular eat out however one terrible experience where I was carelessly excluded, marginalized and ignored drove me away. The same philosophy of customer inclusion applies to all other service providers in telecommunication, hospitality, health, education and all other sectors of the economy. It s time for Rwanda s service providers to anticipate and apply the philosophy of inclusion whereby they see what their customers see, feel what they feel in terms of service delivery. Seizing and igniting the opportunity to deliver an excellent service to any category of customers will only be achieved through investing in capacity building through customer care training and through instilling the willingness to alter rigid mindsets towards good customer service delivery. Luckily in life, there is always room for redemption. Five months later I missed the damn juicy burgers! So I went back to the popular eat-out, just in case. The ambience was the same, the service seemed good but the feeling was gone. I have since become an eat-out rogue, venturing into different restaurants single-mindedly searching for a lighter to rekindle and ignite the burnt out flame that was destroyed by a sorry example of customer care delivery. TSM glo.irie@gmail.com 18 The SERVICEMAG September - November 2010

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20 FEATURES BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL SALES PERSONALITY By René Awambeng PHOTO BY Adam Scotti 20 The SERVICEMAG September - November 2010