100 COMPANIES TO SIGN UP FOR 2ND GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE WEEK

Under the theme: ACHIEVING CUSTOMER SERVICE EXCELLENCE IN GHANA; THE ROLE OF STAKEHOLDERS. The 2012, 2ND GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE WEEK has received absolute endorsement from the business community in Ghana, of which 100 companies are expected to sign up for this most important business event in Ghana and the world at large. This is the programme line up of 2012, 2ND GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE WEEK 1) 1ST-2ND OCTOBER 2012: ENGAGEMENT WITH THE MEDIA, on the state of customer service in Ghana, challenges and the way forward. 2) 3RD -5TH OCTOBER 2012: GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE FAIR AND BEST PRACTICE CONFERENCE. VENUE: BRITISH COUNCIL, TIME: 9:00AM-5:00PM DAILY *The official launch of the GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE CHARTER, the national standard for customer service excellence. *The official launch of the GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE REPORT, dubbed CUSTOMER SERVICE IN GHANA. Meanwhile, the GHANA INVESTMENT PROMOTIONS CENTRE (GIPC), GHANA TOURISM AUTHORITY, PRIVATE ENTERPRISE FOUNDATION and the GHANA CHAMBER OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS are expected to join the national partnership for the GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE WEEK, which includes the PUBLIC SECTOR REFORM SECRETARIAT (OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT), GHANA NATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY , CITY LIGHTS GHANA LIMITED and NEST OF IDEAS CONSULTING LIMITED. On the 8th of July 2011, the GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE WEEK was launched at the British council, by Hon. Seth Adjei Baah, Member of Parliament and President of the GHANA NATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY. During the 1ST GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE SUMMIT, the national stakeholders summit on customer service development in Ghana. THE GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE WEEK, under the distinguished patronage of Hon. Seth Adjei Baah, Member of Parliament and President of the GHANA NATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, seeks to serve as an annual national event devoted to recognizing the importance of customer service, and honouring organizations and personalities committed to customer service excellence in Ghana as part of the INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE WEEK. Historically, the INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE WEEK is an event which is normally celebrated within the first full week of October every year. Since its inception in 1988, it has become a global week to celebrate excellence in customer service and to appreciate the role of customers in business growth and sustainability. Each year, thousands of businesses and members of the public service around the world celebrate Customer Service Week. The event also serves as a platform for businesses to appreciate loyal customer as well. Since the Customer Service Week was launched in the USA, 1988, it has been launched as a concept in other matured service quality oriented countries, such as Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. THE GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE WEEK HAS BEEN DEVELOPED AND LAUNCHED IN GHANA BY: ORGANISATION FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE EXCELLENCE-GHANA (OCSEG) The Customer Service Week aims to raise the standards of Customer Service across Ghana through awareness creation, education and sharing of global best practice. The GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE WEEK is designed to highly focus on the business community, the private and public sector, the working class, business students and the public at large. Participating organisations represent leading financial, healthcare, insurance, manufacturing, retailing, hospitality, communications, not-for-profit and educational organisations as well as some agencies. What unites them is their intense commitment and dedication to raising the quality of customer service in the Ghana.

GHANA TO LAUNCH CUSTOMER SERVICE CHARTER AND AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

As part of national efforts to champion and entrench the culture of excellence in customer service delivery across Ghana, the
Organisation for Customer Service Excellence-Ghana (OCSEG), the leading national authority committed to the development of customer service across Ghana, in consultations with its major national stakeholders, the Public Sector Reform Secretariat (Office of the President, Republic of Ghana), Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Nest of Ideas Consulting Limited, a leading customer service consultancy firm in Ghana, have designed the GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE CHARTER (GHCSC 001),the national standard for excellence in customer service.
The aim is to develop Ghana as Africa’s service destination, the GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE CHARTER (GHCSC 001) seeks to serve as a national initiative dedicated to setting high standards in customer service through the provision of accreditation, certification and validation of customer service excellence in Ghana.
The GHCSC 001 has been designed to guide companies and organisations from both the public and private sector to provide high quality service to the customer.
This is keeping in line with existing laws, rules, regulations, norms, professional ethics and most importantly-customer expectations.
This charter applies to the relationship between organisations from both the public and private sector, and their customers. Therefore, adherence to this charter will ensure total customer satisfaction and retention, leading to organisational growth and profitability.

CORPORATE GHANA CONSULTED OVER GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE CHARTER

The Executive Director of the Organisation For Customer Service Excellence-Ghana (OCSEG),has met the business community to discuss the
GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE CHARTER,an initiative of OCSEG in collaboration with the public and private sector.

“THE GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE CHARTER will serve as a national benchmark for customer service excellence.

The GHCSC 001 is introduced against the background that Ghana, as a respected member of the global community, striving to position itself as a service destination in Africa, adhering to international standards and global best practice in customer service can not be ignored. Hence the need to design and introduce the,
GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE CHARTER (GHCSC 001) which seeks to provide best practice against which organisations can benchmark their customer service and differentiate themselves from competitors. Developed in consultation with consumers, customer service advocates and professionals, business and industry representatives and stakeholders from the public sector, the charter establishes the principle of achieving excellence in customer service and recommends best practice in day- to day encounter with the customer and business operations including responsiveness, politeness and promptness in the provision of information to enhanced customer interaction for total customer satisfaction and retention, leading to absolute positive organisational credibility, growth and profitability.

TWO HONOURED FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE EXCELLENCE

Special awards were also given to the CEO of City Lights Ghana Limited, Mr. Emmanuel Okesson and the Head of Customer Service at Somothex Ghana Limited, Mr. Rajesh Narayan for emerging as the Most Customer Service Focused (CEO) of the Year and Customer Service Professional of the Year respectively.

GHANA CUSTOMER SEVICE WEEK AND AWARDS PLANING COMMITTEE VISITS SPONSORS AND AWARD WINNERS

The Ghana Customer Service Awards was instituted last year to serve as a national award programme dedicated to championing customer service excellence across the industrial spectrum in Ghana, toward the attainment of a national customer service culture.
Companies and brands that were awarded at this year’s ceremony include Toyota Ghana Limited, Somotex Ghana, Airtel Ghana, Ghana Commercial Bank, DHL Ghana, AP Oil and Gas Limited, Nyaho Medical Centre, Gold Coast Securities, and Noble House Chinese Restaurant.
The rest are ProCredit Savings and Loans Limited, Vitamilk, Starkist Tuna, Tecno Phones, Standard Water, TV 3, eTV Ghana, Choice Fm and City Lights Ghana Limited.

TECNO PHONES WIN AWARD, AS ONE OF GHANA’S TOP SIX CUSTOMER MOST TRUSTED BRANDS OF THE YEAR 2011-2012

TECNO PHONES, marketed and distributed by MOBILE ZONE GHANA LIMIED, has been awarded at the just ended CORPORATE GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE CONFERENCE to commemorate the

GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE WEEK, TECNO’S award falls in the category of the

MOST CUSTOMER TRUSTED BRANDS OF THE YEAR 2011-2012 as part of the

2ND GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARDS.

Award winners in this category of the awards include TOYOTA, LG, VITA MILK, STARKIST TUNA AND STANDARD WATER as the nations ‘top six most trusted brands of the year.

The Executive Director, Organisation for Customer Service, Mr. Hector Wullf, in his address, explained that the nomination and selection of the award winners were informed by critical observation and interaction with the business community and the consuming public.

The awards seek to celebrate hundreds of proponents of customer service excellence, showcasing a vast array of companies and individuals across the country in pursuit of a national culture of customer service excellence.

GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE WEEK MARKED

A Corporate Ghana Customer Service Conference has been held in Accra to award various companies, brands and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs). The conference anchored on the theme: “THE IMPORTANCE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE IN GHANA, AS A DEVELOPING ECONOMY”, marks part of the activities to climax the Ghana customer service week.
Speaking at the conference, the Minister for Public Sector Reform, Hon. Alhasan Azong, in a speech read on his behalf stated that activities at the public sector reform are aimed at delivering quality service to the citizenry at all levels and it is expected that both the public and private sector collaborates to provide the same level of service at all times.
It is in this light that the government is implementing various reform activities in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies across the country. Prominent among these reform activities, is the Service Delivery Programme, which entails Client Service Units, Business Process Review, Service Charter Development and Public Service Innovation/ Excellence Awards.
The Minister noted that the initiative from the Organisation for Customer Service Excellence which is a private sector organisation has therefore come in handy to support government’s effort at giving the citizenry the best opportunity to access at minimum effort.
He said government has approved the implementation of a New Approach to Public Sector Reform (NAPSR), which emphasis a strong partnership between the public and the private sector institutions for the creation of jobs.
According to him, a customer service excellence oriented public service, facilitates a healthy private sector to thrive, adding that the 21st century provides an organisational supremacy for business growth and sustainability in enhancing service delivery.
He expressed the conviction that customer service is the stronghold of every economy and there is the need to set the stage towards the attainment of a national culture of customer service excellence.
The Executive Director, Organisation for Customer Service, Mr. Hector Wullf, in his address, explained that the nomination and selection of the award winners were informed by critical observation and interaction with the business community and the consuming public.
To ensure high standards in customer service, he noted that the organisation has designed the Ghana Customer Service Charter that will serve as the national standard for consumer service excellence, adding that the Charter will be launched in some few weeks ahead.
Among the companies and brands that received the awards are City Lights Ghana Limited, Toyota (GH) Company Limited, Somothex Ghana, Airtel Ghana, Ghana Commercial Bank Limited, DHL Ghana, AP Oil and Gas Limited, Nyaho Medical Centre and Gold Coast Securities. The rest are Noble House Chinese Restaurant, Procredit Savings and Loans Limited, Vitamilk, Starkist Tuna, Techno Phones, Standard Water, TV3, ETV Ghana as well as Choice FM.
Special awards were also given to the CEO of City Lights Ghana Limited, Mr. Emmanuel Okesson and the Head of Customer Service at Somothex Ghana Limited, Mr. Rajesh Narayan for emerging as the Most Customer Service Focused (CEO) of the Year and Customer Service Professional of the Year respectively.