Public sector performs worst in customer service – Report

The Public Sector, in the recent Customer Service Report 2019, has been pinpointed as the worst performer for customer satisfaction in the country.

The Ghana Customer Service Index (GCSI) report used metrics such as Look and Feel, Competence, Professionalism, Ease of Doing Business, Customer-Focused Innovations, Staff Engagement, and Feedback & Complaints to analyse customer service delivery across nine sectors of the economy

The report analysed the public sector based on nine institutions – including the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Authority (DVLA); Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA); Passport office; National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS); Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT); Ghana Police Service; Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC); Food and Drugs Authority (FDA); and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC).

The sector scored 3.5 percent in customer loyalty and 56.45 percent in total customer satisfaction, which is a slight improvement from the 54.02 percent achieved in 2018. The survey was conducted mostly in the ministries area in Accra and online to get a sense of general perceptions held about the sector.

The bottom-three sectors were public institutions, telecommunications and the utilities sector, while the retail sector came top as the leading sector in customer satisfaction, followed by the online and transport sectors.

Speaking on the report, President of the Institute of Customer Service Professionals (ICSP), Yvonne Ohui MacCarthy, noted that the top-three sectors are made up of mostly foreign-owned companies and are driven largely by technology, while the bottom-three is the reverse. She is therefore calling for the digitisation of public sector to reduce the excessive human interference.

“The public sector has a great potential to improve customer service through digital channels and synchronisation, but that can only happen if the needed systems are put in place to improve effectiveness.

The report is a true reflection of our environment, culture and attitude toward customer service as Ghanaians. The top-three sectors are made up of mostly foreign-owned companies and are driven largely by technology, while the bottom-three is the reverse.

“Ghanaians do not value customer service; they treat their business or customers differently to what the foreigners do. Systems are not digitalised nor synchronised, and they also have structural issues with so many bureaucratic practices that are irrelevant,” she said.

The public-sector designs and implements policies and programmes that aim to fulfil government’s broad economic and social objectives. Specifically, it performs four functions: making economic and social policies; designing and implementing public programmes; raising revenue; and managing accountability.

The performances of sectors follow from top-to-bottom – Retail sector, online businesses sector, Transport, Hospitality, Financial sector, Healthcare sector, Utilities sector, Telecommunications sector, and Public sector.

Recommendations

The report recommended that businesses need to foster a service culture that will support the customer delight experience. The attitude of a customer needs to be positively influenced through each experience of and engagement with the company, the report noted.

Businesses, the report urged, must show compassion because: “Customers have emotions; so they need to be appreciated and to feel special when engaging with a business. Respond promptly. Customer enquiries and complaints should be addressed quickly and efficiently, thus showing them the business is serious about their needs and that it wants to be positive and proactive in helping them”.