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Brand Oman puts customers first

MUSCAT -- The Brand Oman Management Unit (BOMU) will launch the second phase of Frontline Oman an initiative aimed at improving customer care and customer service in Oman's public sector on June 26 at the Muscat Inter-Continental Hotel with a number of leading government agencies.

As the old adage goes the customer is always right. After all, they are what oils the wheels of business. Indeed, in a time when many in business have had to slash budgets, maintaining and attracting new clientele is more important than ever.

But it's not just businesses that deal with the general public on a day-to-day basis that need to think about customer service and customer care, nearly every organisation whether it is in the private or public sector has some kind of end-user and being good at dealing with, and keeping, those end-users happy, might well be the difference that sets an organisation or a country apart from its competitors.

It is in this regard that BOMU has designed a three-day customer service and customer care program that will involve the Royal Oman Police (ROP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Housing, Ministry of Manpower, Public Prosecution and Muscat Municipality.

The three-day programme, delivered by Dr Maen al Qatamin, President and CEO of Knowledge Horizon, a leading international professional training organisation, will provide participants with practical advice and support on improving working relationships with the general public, dealing with difficult situations and handling complaints.

"Frontline Oman was launched in 2009 with an ROP pilot project and given its resounding success and the positive feedback we received, we've decided to expand the initiative and include a number of public sector organisations. Indeed, the demand to be involved has been really gratifying," says His Highness Sayyid Faisal bin Turki al Said, COO, BOMU.

"We'll be looking at several themes," says Sayyid Faisal "from understanding the nature of customer care and its importance to the public sector, to getting to grips with what constitutes good communication skills, verbal and non-verbal. We'll also focus on the importance of using effective communication in dealing with customers, to managing customer feedback and strategies for dealing with demanding situations and customers who are unhappy. It'll be a comprehensive and thorough programme."

Whether you work in government or business, your relationship with your customers should be a positive one, suggests BOMU's Maymuna al Adawy and Frontline Oman Project Manager.

Al Adawy goes to say: "Particularly from a ministry point of view, customer care is all about building and protecting your reputation.

If we can instil a top-class customer care, customer service culture in the public sector it'll have a huge impact on the country's brand. Conducting this type of program helps BOMU introduce concepts like nation branding and national competitiveness to civil servants. Indeed, although they may not be aware of it, civil servants play a vital role in promoting the country."

Al Adawy concludes: "In the old days, if you upset a customer they would go away and tell their family and friends and they'd probably tell a few people as well. But these days, with the advent of social networking sites you upset someone and suddenly 500,000 people know about it."

By Staff Reporter

© Oman Daily Observer 2010