2,000 entries received as Nigeria Customers’ Service Awards 2014 hots up

Nominations for the 2014 Edition of the Nigeria Customer Service Awards have revved up with over 2,000 corporate entities jostling for the prestigious awards scheduled to hold on October 9, this year in Abuja.

The NCSA is the local event organised yearly in Nigeria to mark the International Customer Week being held globally in the first official stretch week of October each year.

The award recognises companies that deliver effective customer service with a view to making them to leverage on such value-orientation and encourage other entities to emulate such commitment to business social responsibility principles.

Categories covered under the awards are, banking and finance; telecommunication; hospitality and tourism; transport; real estate; oil and gas; construction; manufacturing; pension fund administrators; information and communications technology (ICT); and automobile industries.

Others include, agriculture; super marts, insurance; healthcare; education; entertainment and courier services sector.

A statement issued by Ilias Aliyu, the coordinating director of the NCSA, said this year’s Awards are designed to celebrate customer service delivery excellence and create the consciousness among corporate business owners in Nigeria to go beyond paying lip service to customer service by establishing a closer connection with customers in view of the long term benefits for their entities and the nation’s economy.

Aliyu stated:  “Essentially, companies are assessed on their customer service practices in a process that includes customer feedback and a review of staff and management processes as they relate to customer service and the Nigeria mystery shoppers providers’ reports.

“Indeed, the NCSAs is packaged to encourage each company to improve their commitment to efficient service delivery on a continuous basis and by implication, empower them to properly position their brands at the leading edge of the increasing dynamic global market environment,” he added.

In the past few years, the organisers of the NCSAs have recognised some entities whose services and evidence-based commitment to customers’ satisfaction were acknowledged nationwide.

The 2013 Awardees comprise of Etisalat Telecommunications, GuarantyTrust Bank (GTB), Notore, Petrochemicals, Channels Television, Elizade Motors, Arik Airlines, Pathcare Health Services (ISO certified health provider, and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), amongst others.

Aliyu assured that the 2014 edition promised to be more engaging and better planned with about 32 business sectors in focus while  leading consulting firms, professional marketers and value assurance experts would be involved in the final selection process.