The Customer Service Center at the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has recently received a visiting delegation from the Customer Service Department at the Ministry of Interior in Abu Dhabi to review the best practices and top-notch systems adopted by various sections, customers service centers, call center and quality and customers care section of the department.

They were also acquainted with the sophisticated systems in use; which are aligned with the highest global standards.

The delegation was received by Ahmed Mohammed Mahboob, Director of RTA Customers Service, who stressed the importance of these visits, considering them as key channels of achieving the single common objective of enhancing the business conduct which would be made possible through exchanging expertise with various entities across the UAE, and reviewing the best practices capable of enhancing the performance and achievement drive.

“RTA successes have made it a point of attraction for many others seeking to benefit from its advanced practices and cutting-edge programmes,” he noted.

“The Customer Service Centers feature high on the priority of the Dep’t as they are the front-end of the RTA and a point of communication between the community segments and all RTA officials. These centers provide a holistic range of diverse services that include responding to customer inquiries, and furnishing callers with a constant flow of information that concern them. Such offering is made through a sprawling network of centers spanning the Emirate enabling customers process their transactions in a handy manner without having to wait for long. After all, Customer Service Centers play a huge role in receiving customer feedbacks and constructive inputs that contribute to the enhancement of the business processes and the overall performance of RTA agencies,” added Mahboob.

The meeting was interceded by a visual presentation illustrating all sections of Customers Service Department focusing on the work mechanism of various affiliated branches and centers in Dubai along with the key services provided.

It also touched on the Call Center and its crucial role in giving a clear vision and proper destination for callers from different community segments in responding to their inquiries.

It also highlighted the careful employees’ selection mechanism in place at the Center covering assessing the professional competencies in establishing proper communication with others with a view to raising the profile of the RTA.

The Customer Service Team escorted the delegation in a tour of RTA’s Call Center as well as Umm Al Ramool Customer Service Center, and acquainted them with the latest systems in use at these sites aimed at maximizing customers’ satisfaction.

At the end of the meeting, the delegation members lauded the visit as it offered them exposure to vital and rich information about the job nature of RTA Customer Service Centers along with the applicable regulations and laws.

They stressed the importance of such meetings in strengthening the cooperative links between the two sides and exchanging expertise to leverage the business performance.

‘Bank Benchmark Index Awards’ recognizes Al Hilal’s innovative service strategies

October 10, 2011

Al Hilal Bank, a progressive Islamic bank, was named ‘Most Improved Bank’ during the ‘2011 Bank Benchmark Index Awards’ organized as part of this year’s ‘UAE Customer Service Week’ running from October 3 to 6, 2011 at the Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resorts. The win reflects Al Hilal Bank’s exceptional efforts to raise customer service standards across the local banking sector through pioneering initiatives such as the UAE’s largest banking branch and the Middle East’s first-ever bank-installed gold ATM.

The 2011 Bank Benchmark Awards was researched and developed by Ethos Consultancy, the International Quality and Productivity Center, and The International Customer Service Institute. This year’s eight (8) award categories included Best Bank (Overall, Branch, Call Center and Website Performance), Best Islamic Bank, Best International Bank, Most Improved Bank, and Most Highly Recommended Bank.

“This victory asserts Al Hilal Bank’s outstanding ability to deliver world-class services. We shall continue to embody what a truly progressive Islamic bank is all about: an innovator and adopter of the best tools and techniques for delivering the best customer services and gaining industry’s respect in the process. We dedicate this award to our valued clients, our partners and stakeholders who constantly serve as our inspirations,” said Saif Humaid Bin Dalmooj Al-Dhahiri, Executive Vice President, Human Resources Management and Facilities Management, Al Hilal Bank.

The Annual UAE Customer Service Week fetes customer-centric organizations that have significantly raised customer service standards through awareness, education and world-class best practices. This year’s edition was held under the patronage of H.H. Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of the UAE. The event’s UAE Customer Service Week STAR Awards recognized organizational, governmental and individual service excellence in 11 separate categories, while its Bank Benchmark Index (BBI) Awards honored banks that value customer service and strive towards service excellence.

Al Hilal Bank is fully owned by the Abu Dhabi Investment Council, the investment arm of the Government of Abu Dhabi. It currently serves over 40,000 clients through 19 local branches and more than 90 ATMs across the UAE as well as three branches in Kazakhstan. Al Hilal was recently presented the ‘Quality Appreciation Award’ by the Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award, the UAE’s most prestigious business excellence award.

Company underlines SageCRM’s capacity to build and support long-term customer satisfaction and loyalty during MECC ‘10 event

June 01, 2010

The regional call centre industry is witnessing significant expansion amidst the ever-growing demand for customer service and support, and many of them are looking to leverage new trends and technologies in call centre solutions, said Sage Software, the leading global supplier of ERP, CRM and HRM solutions to medium and large organisations. In line with this, the company marked a significant presence, along with new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) partners Pan Cyber and Voxtron, at the recently concluded ‘Middle East Call Centre ’10’ (MECC ’10) Conference and Exhibition in Dubai, where it underlined the capacity to build and support long-term customer satisfaction and loyalty of its ‘SageCRM’ solution.

The regional call centre industry has witnessed minimal setback from the global economic downturn, thanks to the foresight of majority of the companies to focus on customer retention tactics rather than risk sacrificing the level of customer care. Effectively addressing this specific goal, ‘SageCRM’ can make critical information for call centres - including service requests, call and escalation history, interactions, multiple contacts, support cases, email, and sent and received documents - easily accessible, thereby facilitating the quick resolution of issues and extensive cross-sell or up-sell opportunities. The solution can also help call centres shorten sales cycles and close deals faster by providing a complete 360º view of vital customer data and automatic distribution of leads.

“After dodging a massive hit from the global economic meltdown, the region’s call centre industry has proven its maturity and forward-looking approach towards strategic growth amidst tremendous challenges,” said Reggie Fernandes, Sales Manager - Gulf Region, Sage Software. “During our participation at MECC ’10, we have met with top officials of leading call centres in the region, primarily decisions makers, who remain focused on leveraging the latest available technologies to maintain and exceed their current performance. We were successful in initiating relationships with key client contacts, and we are planning to leverage this by ensuring that they reap the benefits offered by ‘Sage CRM’ in growing their business.”

Incorporating industry-leading technology to foster better business practices and effortless information exchange throughout the organisation, ‘SageCRM’ is an easy-to-use, fast-to-deploy, feature-rich, low-cost, Internet-based CRM solution designed to introduce the real benefits of CRM. Adopting the software can empower companies to make the most of every customer interaction and maximise business opportunities and customer satisfaction through fast and convenient access to critical consumer information. Providing comprehensive, easy-to-use tools to successfully manage consumer relationships, ‘SageCRM’ allows users to quickly analyse, manage, and synchronise sales, marketing and customer care activities across all points of contact, thereby giving them a crucial competitive advantage. In addition to the call centre industry, ‘SageCRM’ is widely used for different businesses in the banking, construction, real estate, and retail sectors.

“By allowing regional call centres to run their business their way, ’SageCRM’ holds tremendous potential to help not only call centres in the region but companies in other industries, which experienced stronger drawback from the crisis, in their customer retention efforts and other initiatives targeting growth. We have designed this CRM software to promote complete flexibility, and we are expecting many call centres in the Middle East to appreciate this, adopt the solution and contribute in maintaining the industry’s impressive growth momentum,” concluded Fernandes.

“Best Service Performance Brand” award in large business category

Dubai, UAE; April 7, 2010: Pure Gold Jewellers announced today (April 7) that it registered an 85% increase in diamond sales in the first quarter of 2010 compared to the same period last year.

The announcement comes at a perfect time for the company as it received its “Best Service Performance Brand” award in the large business category for the third consecutive year under the Dubai Service Excellence Scheme (DSES) of the Dubai Department of Economic Development.

“This recognition becomes a special icing on the cake as we registered an 85% increase in diamond sales in the first quarter as compared to the same period last year,” announced Pure Gold Jewellers CEO and Managing Director Karim Merchant.

The younger Merchant and his father, Firoz Merchant, Founder and Chairman of the Pure Gold Group, accepted the award from HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, at the awarding ceremony held at the Grand Hyatt honoring businesses that offer excellent service to their customers.

Pure Gold Jewellers emerged as the top winner from over 100s of shops that were audited for maintaining good customer service standards across all outlets during the 2009 cycle of the award programme. The outlets in Deira and Bur Dubai were also adjudged as the “Best Service Performing Outlet” in the jewellery category.

“We are extremely honored to receive this recognition for three consecutive years. This means so much to us because customer service is always our priority. We are committed to give our customers the best possible experience in our stores and our staff are trained to do just that. We would not have won this award without the dedicated efforts of our team and, of course, our valued and loyal customers,” said Mr. Firoz Merchant.

“I would also like to express my gratitude to the Dubai government for this initiative because this award supports businesses and recognizes their contribution to the overall shopping experience of every visitor to Dubai and its residents,” added the founder and chairman.

Pure Gold Jewellers, established in 1989, is one of the fastest growing jewellery houses in the UAE, with 75 outlets across GCC. It has become a favorite among customers for its lifetime repair and exchange guarantee policies, and 100 per cent certification for all products.

“Excellence and innovation are the two pillars on which Pure Gold Jewellers has been built. We capitalize on these aspects which we also instill in our staff. Our success is also their success so they are an important part of this award,” further said the CEO and managing director.

The DSES is an initiative aimed at promoting excellence in customer service standards and recognizing businesses that provide excellent service for their customers. This scheme is suited to all businesses, especially businesses from the service sector where customer service is the single most differentiating factor between the business competitors.

The scheme shall emphasise the importance of a conducive, clean, orderly and well-maintained business environment. The ability to provide excellent customer service is largely dependent upon the attitude, knowledge and competence of frontline and back-office staff, which in turn is dependent upon their skills and the management’s commitment to training and development.

The program is designed to differentiate businesses through a reputation of service excellence based on customer-focused and quality driven culture.

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