The local service providers has been implored to promote a culture of service excellence in order to enhance the competitiveness of all sectors and to spearhead economic development.
Delivering her speech at the inaugural Malawi Service Excellence Awards (SEA) ceremony which was attended by leading organizations from various sectors and state enterprises at Sunbird Capital Hotel in Lilongwe on Thursday, 19th November, 2015, the Chartered Institute of Customer Management’s Chief Executive officer Ms Ricky Harris bemoaned the tendency by most firms of focusing on profit maximisation and growth at the expense of service delivery. “In many instances, as business leaders and indeed policy makers, we preoccupy ourselves with profitability, growth and a lot of other things, forgetting the management of customer experience, which includes: a culture of serving, service delivery, the attitudes and mind-sets that people need to have individually and collectively if our country is to realize its full potential”.
The Service Excellence Awards are organised and managed by Chartered Institute of Customer Management (CICM) which is a customer service professional board with presence in three continents and over 14 African countries. Similar awards were held in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Kenya and many other countries. According to Dr Peter Mbiko Jere a local CICM partner based in Lilongwe, winning organisations will automatically participate at continental service excellence awards to be held next year in Capetown South Africa.
Several firms were awarded in various categories for outstanding services to customers and commitment to service delivery. Protea Hotel, Ecobank, Malawi Airlines, Metropolitan Health, Premier Bus Service, CFAO, Puma Energy, Skyband, Shoprite, TNM, were among the winners in different categories. Blantyre City Council received an award for being the most customer focused local authority. There were also some individual customer focused service awards that were awarded to Mr. Felix Mlusu, CEO – NICO Limited, Madame Sikhu Nkhoma, CEO – EDH Holdings and Madame Bernadette Mandolooma, CEO – NBS Bank in the private sector; Professor Address Malata – Principal, Kamuzu College of Nursing, Mr. Jimmy Lipunga, CEO – Private Public Partnership (PPP) Commission, and His Worship, Mr. Noel Chalamanda, Mayor – City of Blantyre in the public sector.
According to Mr Rinos Mautsa a customer service
