The University organized a one-day training on customer service facilitated by the JKUAT Centre of Professional Consultancy in an effort to align the skills of front office staff with current customer engagement and satisfaction trends.

The training participants were taken through the process of creating a culture of customer focus, understanding and serving customer needs, as well as developing self-awareness skills in order to achieve customer excellence.

Addressing the participants, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Finance and Administration, Prof. Bernard Ikua, said, customer care is a requirement for any institution that seeks to give quality service to its stakeholders.

“This training will provide staff with current skills in customer care excellence, as well as increase staff engagement with customers, which will benefit the university’s image,” Prof. Ikua stated.

He further stated that continual personnel upskilling is important in order to remain ahead of the curve and improving customer satisfaction, which he believes, will boost customer retention.

Dr. Mereipei Naisieku, Chairperson of the Centre of Professional Consultancy, challenged the participants to embrace their position as ambassadors of a customer excellence culture by being professional, warm, and responsive in all customer interactions in order to promote a positive image of the university.

She also stated that giving outstanding customer service is dependent on employing calm and pleasant language and body language to clients as a way of convincing them that one can assist them, further urging the participants to maintain a happy attitude in their profession.

“By ensuring we create an environment where all members of the university prioritize and consistently strive to meet customers’ expectations, we will be able to resolve issues with empathy and care and improve the university’s brand credibility,” said Dr. Nasieku, a lecturer in the Department of Economics, Accounting, and Finance.

The acting Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Dr. Joan Mutua stated that actualizing one’s personality can be the key to having the ability to handle other people.

“Self-awareness is an important aspect of knowing your strengths and weaknesses, which allows you to maximize your strengths while minimizing your weaknesses. This gives you a better perspective on how to deal with customers,” Dr. Joan explained.

She also emphasized on the significance of the university’s service charter, urging the training participants to read and understand the document as it will guide them while engaging their clients.