This document discusses improving customer service in the public sector. It identifies some common issues like complex structures that confuse customers, poor customer relations, and slow service. It advocates reforming public services to be more accessible, accountable and responsive to individual needs. Some key areas of focus for reform are improving processes, fostering positive attitudes among staff, enhancing communication, and ensuring timely performance. Specific strategies discussed include streamlining procedures, training staff on customer care, implementing new technologies like call centers and websites, and setting clear performance standards for prompt service delivery. The document emphasizes that excellent customer service depends on factors like hiring caring staff, investing in employees, embracing automation, continuous training, leadership involvement, benchmarking best practices, and maintaining a positive image

1. Looking for Excellence
CPA Kandole Patrick
kandles2009@gmail.com
Customer Service
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2. Generic Public Sector Customer Service
Issues
 The establishment is not full, too much work and
inefficiency, stressed staff?
 The Structures are complex – customers have
difficultly knowing which number to ring to contact
the correct person
 Customers don't get the service promptly,
frustrated, referred from one office to the other
 Poor customer relations, no respect and
recognition, poor engagement- members not
seen until campaign time!
 The impression that customers are captive.
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3. Reform needs
 Bring government closer to people,
 Revitalising public services
 Responding to the increasingly diverse nature of
stakeholders
 Ensuring that public services are more
accessible, accountable and responsive to
individual needs and the lifestyles that people
now lead.
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4. Key reform focus- (PACT)
 Process in place (P) –
– delivery system, customer support, technical support,
convenience( tax payment),standardization
 A positive attitude-
– Politeness, Professionalism, Personalization
 Effective communication (C)-
– instant feedback, call center, service stations and
centers, body , oral, telephone, emails, websites.
 Timely performance (T)-
– promptness, automation, queuing models,
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5. Processes and Procedures
 User friendly process to access a service
 Activities focused on customer requirements-
fast service?
– A long queue?
– Updated web site?
– Flexible plans?
– Ease access
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6. Attitudes
 Customer is not an obstruction, it is the
reason we exist
– Supplement process with a human element
– Surprise the customer with positivity
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7. Communication
 Awareness about process to obtain a service
 Language – body, oral
 Customer care desk
 Dress code
 Image creation, image of a caring
organization?
 Outlook of staff-bored? Happy?
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8. Timely action, promptness
 Time has a value, value customers’ time.
How long does it take to obtain a trading
license? To get listed on the CMA?-
Efficiency of a process depends on delivery
time
– Avoid keeping customers waiting
– Inform customers on status of requested service
– Set time and performance standards- how long it
takes to get serviced
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9. Critical innovations for enhanced
service
Focusingongettingtheseareasright
willestablishasolidandsustainable
foundationforthedeliveryofan
extraordinarycustomerexperience
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10. Hire People who Care,
 A caring person will make an extra effort to
make a positive and lasting first impression,
solve problems for clients when it counts.
 A Specialists team to share the love when the
customer is scared and angry, all the systems
are down, and the top management team is out
 A good control environment- caring for the public
assets and cash
 Good governance
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11. Invest in the Human resource, the
value chain
 Invest in staff welfare-Happy employees create
happy customers, which creates happy
stakeholders
 Support staff through actions of senior leaders-
study leave, office meals, free lunch time,
retreats….medical
 Staff should value the work environment, an
organization that cares for them
 Hygiene and sanitation
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12. Automation
 Fast processing and retrieval
– Answer answering machines?
– Filling forms on line?
– Pay taxes by smart phones
– Make appointments on line
– Fast production of reports
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13. Training & Re-Training
 Continuous hands on training and awareness
of customer care issues enhances
organization image and outputs
– Untrained staff are usually stressed due to failure
to serve customers appropriately
– On job training depends on whether then trainer
know the subject!
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14. Leadership Involvement
 Leaders that care about customers, top
leadership attitude has a cascade effect
 Highly technical supervisors who are also
accomplished coaches is a key success
factor
 Leadership that cares. How does a leader
respond to customer complaints
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15. Benchmarking
 Compare with the best in similar service in
region, world…. in terms of
– Time management
– Quality of service and products
– Environment, office space
– Human resource management- salary, training
– Management styles
– Financial management, quality control systems
– Customer survey methods
– Infrastructure- web site, equipment, office buildings
– image16

16. House keeping and image
 Hygiene- how are the washrooms, remove garbage, foul
smells
 Orderly arrangement of tools, furniture… equipment
 Clean uniforms, vehicles well marked
 Routine maintenance ( buildings, compounds,…… machines)
 What image do want to depict to the outer customer?
Community perception, what they remember the organization
for?
 Branding- a “better city”, “a better CMA” a better you?
 Happy staff
 Professional ethics
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17. Customer Service Advisor
 Dealing with customer queries at first point of contact
 Developing customer care policy
 Developing a customer care training programme for all
staff
 Reporting back and influencing service delivery
 Developing systems to support the role
 Feedback strategy
 Developing a customer service strategy
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18. Group Activity; What areas in your organization will
you focus on in order to deliver an outstanding
service and improvement of standards?
 People-recruit skilled staff, allocation of duties, skills
training in ICT
 Process- merge, align procedures, Activities-each dept to
clear work in time and efficiently,
 Attitudes- caring
 Communication-ICT staff ensure proper working of web
site and timely posting, staff meetings and interaction,
ease access to senior management
 Costs-prompt requests for supplies, procurement
planning, regular audits
 Time-work plan, set time for completion of each activity
and responsible persons, increase involvement
 Technology-Ipads, SMS, web site,
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19. Customer Service Excellence –
How to deliver customer satisfaction
The Final Outcome
The way the service kept its promise
The way the service handled any
problems
Initial Wait
How long it takes overall
Number of times had to contact the
service
Accuracy
Comprehensiveness
Being kept informed about progress
Competent Staff
Being treated fairly
Polite and friendly Staff
How sympathetic staff were to your
needs
Delivery
Timeliness
Information
Professionalism
Staff Attitude
Satisfaction
with Service
What matters to customers = Drivers
30%
24%
18%
16%
12%

20. Final thought? Attitude transformation.
 “A customer is the most important visitor in our
premises.
 He is not dependent on us, we are dependent on him.
He is not an interruption to our work, he is the purpose
of it.
 He is not an outsider to our business, he is part of it.
 We are not doing him a favour by serving him; he is
doing us a favour by giving us the opportunity to do
so”.
Mahatma Gandhi
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21. Developing a Service Strategy:
Systematic Process
Phase 1:
Analysis &
Preparation
Phase 2:
Design &
Development
Phase 3:
Pilot Test
Phase 4:
Roll Out &
Transfer
Analyze the situation:
• Diagram & revise
processes to define
baseline situation
• Collect information on
the benchmarked
services and
standards
• Analyze information &
develop benchmarks
• Prepare proposal &
form working group
Develop the strategy:
• Define areas of
improvement &
strategies by segment
• Analyze cost- benefit of
technological support
(help desks, )
• Define new processes
and objectives
• Prioritize activities
Implement Pilot:
• Establish pilot
parameters
• Finalize budget
• Establish operational
requirements
• Test tools
• Prepare pilot site
• Train personnel
• Implement pilot
• Supervise & monitor
• Adjust strategy
• Define conclusions
Integrate strategy in the
institution
• Define strategic &
operational
implications
• Develop support
materials
• Establish an action
plan by dept
• Train personnel
• Modify / upgrade
systems
• Implement roll out
• Define follow up and
monitoring plan
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22. IN SUMMARY: Transformation
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•
‘Hello Mrs. Kimani, the
DOE is responsible for
this, let me find out who
can assist you and call you
back’
‘Yes, I can take the
details and have your
new bin delivered within
3 working days.’
‘‘Let me just check for
you…that meeting begins at
7.30 am, and will be for two
weeks, allowance payable,
Would you like to reserve a
place?
‘Sorry’
we don’t
deal
with street lighting’
‘Sorry, we don’t have
Info on the
Order paper, I’ll give
you
another number’ to call
‘Sorry,
bins are dealt with
by another dept and
they are engaged,
can you call back?

23. Customer Service
The end
CPA Kandole Patrick FCCA
kandles2009@gmail.com
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