20 Mar 2013

First National Bank director of Human Resources, Ms Gaone Macholo says Batswana need to improve their attitude towards foreigners if the country is to attract foreign direct investment.

Speaking at the BNPC customer service convention in Gaborone, Ms Macholo said Botswana should not associate herself with bad service.

The director advised Batswana to work hard and not leave room for failure, adding that companies that engage their staff in welfare matters by treating them usually well produce good results.

Ms Macholo said companies should improve competitiveness and service delivery to help position Botswana well in service delivery.

She said it was imperative for companies to focus on their staff because they are the ones who offer services to the customers.

In his presentation, Dr Buck Tang from Quality Service Centre in Singapore said in all different industries there is a common person, being the customer.

He said simple service language borders on the customer all the time, adding that “Even if you manage to pull customers to the door step through adverts, they will not buy if the service is of poor quality.”

Dr Tang also noted that pricing of product was important because nowadays users and consumers look beyond that and want an excellent product.

He said companies should capture the hearts of customers to ensure that they do not regret ever doing business with them.

“Customers have to love the whole package, when they talk about how beautiful is Botswana, they should also mention the service,” he said.

Dr Tang stressed that attitude matters in customer service, adding that whenever customers choose a certain service or products, they consider how that service would benefit them.

He also said that some companies have ways of managing emotional expectations adding that one simple statement may ruin a relationship with a customer. ENDS