Windhoek – The long-awaited Customer Service Association of Namibia (CSAN) was launched on Friday morning in the presence of customer service professionals from both the private and public sectors.
The association is the brainchild of the founders of Namibia’s Customer Service Awards & Conference, which will be organised for the second year in a row by the Pupkewitz Graduate School of Business (HP-GSB) at the Polytechnic of Namibia and Conference Link.
Speaking at the launch in Windhoek, Customer Service Association patron, Albertus Aochamub said: “People are too quick to criticise those running public institutions, but negative criticism isn’t going to help us anyway. How about offering suggestions to improve customer service?”
HP-GSB director Grafton Whyte stated: “The Customer Service Association of Namibia will feature two important forums: The Professional Forum will be a platform for dialogue between professionals. The aim of these discussions will be to equip customer service professionals with insights to improve upon service delivery. The Research Forum, on the other hand, will initiate and sponsor research into factors affecting customer service in the Namibian and African contexts. CSAN membership is open to individuals and corporates.”
The rector of the Polytechnic of Namibia Dr Tjama Tjivikua noted: “Hopefully this platform will allow us to examine all environmental factors that impact on service culture, encourage reflection and scrutiny of different viewpoints on current practices in the various sectors of industry; share latest findings and emerging trends; and more importantly perhaps, inform us how we can convert the potential of customer service into an asset that can transform the economy of this country.”
He added that organisations that experience high customer satisfaction are more likely to enjoy high levels of customer retention, receive recommendations and welcome repeat business.
The association is open to accepting members from the corporate and public sectors, as well as individual customer care professionals.
“All organisations dealing with the public are encouraged to join hands and improve customer service by becoming members of the Customer Service Association of Namibia,” said Erica Mulondo, the group services manager:marketing and communications of FNB Namibia that sponsored the launch.
Already, giants like FNB Namibia, Wimpy, Namibia Broadcasting Corporation, NIPAM, Namibia Media Holdings, Business Intelligence Africa, Radio Energy, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Namibia Wildlife Resorts have pledged their support to the association.
by Staff Reporter