Paheja Siririka
WINDHOEK – The Ministry of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare will conduct a countrywide customer satisfaction survey to identify issues between stakeholders and the line ministry.
Lot Ndamanomhata, chief public relations officer at the ministry, said the aim of the survey is to bridge the gap between customers’ expectations and the real services delivered, and to better comprehend the needs of clients.
“The survey is brief and short, and will only take a few minutes to complete,” said Ndamanomhata.
Questions raised in the survey include whether respondents understand the mandate of the ministry, and whether the ministry’s current way of doing things is satisfactory.
The ministry would like to make sure it meets customers’ expectations in as far as service delivery is concerned. Ndamanomhata said the questionnaire would soon be accessible via the internet. The ministry said respondents are unexpected to return the questionnaire on or before August 15,2019.
The issue of service delivery is not new to Namibia. Different ministries have voiced their stances on the impact of poor service delivery, including that of tourism.
The environment and tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta previously said that deprived customer service harms the environment and tourism industry, which are grounds for direct income loss for the country.
Shifeta said there had been a hullabaloo in terms of customer service delivery. “Service delivery adds value to the trade as it serves as the image of the country outside borders through travellers,” he said.
Shifeta cautioned that ill-fated service delivery would result in fewer tourists visiting the country because customers mostly vent their frustrations about their bad experiences on social media platforms and word of mouth.
He recommended that managers and business owners train employees to understand the importance of customer service and boost business, to keep the local commercial fraternity compatible globally.
Another person that has spoken out about service delivery in the country is President Hage Geingob.
“We introduced the Citizen Satisfaction Survey as a baseline assessment to establish standards of public service delivery. Also, 22 of 27 offices, ministries and agencies have revised their customer service charters, while 25 have installed a feedback mechanism through suggestion boxes that are analysed every month to inform remedial plans,” said President Geingob.