Press release:

DED hosts seminar on customer service excellence for retail managers

Dubai, 28 June 2012: The Business Excellence Department at the Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) recently hosted a seminar on ‘Culture of Service Excellence’ for retailers participating in the Dubai Service Excellence Scheme (DSES). Organised as part of DED’s efforts to enhance overall customer service standards in Dubai, the seminar highlighted the ‘people skills’ that inspire customer confidence and differentiate a competitive business.

Around 140 managers from organisations enrolled under DSES attended the half-day seminar, which was held at the Business Village, Deira, on the 27th of June 2012. Speakers in the seminar emphasised on importance of social media “a paradigm shift in the way we serve customers”, importance of measuring customer service and building effective customer experience and giving personalised service, how right staff attitude can breed success for organizations, and how to effectively handle customer complaints.

Mr Ali Ibrahim, Deputy Director General for Planning and Development Affairs at DED, said the Dubai Government is committed to actively collaborate with the private sector in boosting quality and excellence across all sectors of the economy. He said: “Our Government organisations follow the same European Foundation for Quality Management ( EFQM) model as that of the private sector, thus ensuring that all stakeholders can have a standardized approach towards quality. By basing our quality approach on a common platform and framework, we can together achieve excellence and take the economy to the next level of growth”.

Ashish Panjabi, CEO, Jacky’s Group; Ramona F. Rusu, Business Excellence Manager, Burj Al Arab; Indu Singhal, Director, Emirates Business Management International Consultants; Sangeeth Ibrahim, AVP-Head of Training & Development Division, Sharjah Islamic Bank and Dharam Sood Veer, Training Manager, Apparel Group addressed the seminar.

“Customer service quality has assumed greater significance, especially in the prevailing uncertainties in the business sector. Given the high stakes that services sector holds in Dubai’s economic performance and attractiveness as a hub for retail and tourism, customer satisfaction should be a top priority for any organisation and business in the emirate,” commented Mohammed Bushanain, Executive Director, Corporate Quality & Management Excellence at DED.

“The Dubai Service Excellence Scheme has provided retailers an efficient platform to review their customer service standards, learn from best practices and make improvements for more productive customer relations. The knowledge and value-add following from DSES will enrich overall economic activity and development in Dubai,” added Bushanain.

The DSES is a certification primarily targeting Dubai-based businesses that have a high interface with customers and was launched with the specific intention to facilitate growth in the tourism, trade, finance and service sectors. The scheme aims to promote businesses that strive for an ever-increasing standard in customer service and boost customer confidence through high ethical behaviour.