ABOUT THE 1st GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARDS

The Customer Service Advocate in collaboration with the Ghana Writers And Newspapers Society present, the 1st Ghana Customer Service Awards, to recognize, promote, reward excellence, professionalism and outstanding achievement in customer service, in Ghana.
LEGAL STATUS: Customer Service Advocate and Ghana Writers And Newspapers Society are registered under the laws of Ghana with offices in Kaneshie and Abeka Lapaz.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The 4th-8th of OCTOBER 2010, Ghana will join the rest of the world to celebrate the international CUSTOMER SERVICE WEEK, as part of the International Customer Service week celebrations, which is always within the first full week of October.
Initiated by the International Customer Service Association in 1988, it has become a global week to celebrate excellence in customer service.
Each year, thousands of businesses around the world celebrate Customer Service Week. It’s an international event devoted to recognizing the importance of customer service and honoring employees and businesses responsible for taking care of their customers.
TO MARK THIS EVENT, AS GHANA IS A MEMBER OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, THAT CUSTOMER SERVICE ADVOCATE AND THE GHANA WRITERS AND NEWSPAPERS SOCIETY, LAUNCHED THE 1st GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARDS,ON 19th NOVEMBER 2010 AT THE ACCRA INTERNATIONAL PRESS CENTRE.
The 1st Ghana Customer Service Awards has been designed to recognize, encourage and reward businesses in Ghana for their excellent treatment of, and positive attitude towards their customers, annually.
THE AIM OF THE GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARDS IS TO CELEBRATE EXCELLENCE AND PROFESSIONALISM IN CUSTOMER SERVICE DELIVERY IN GHANA ANNUALLY.
The Ghana Customer Service Awards will showcase achievements in Customer Service delivered by businesses, organizations or service providers.
The awards are solely based on customer nominations, appreciating the excellent customer service that they have enjoyed from a company or a service provider.
Award rankings are in no way influenced by the opinion of sponsors, organizations, or their staff.
The GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARDS nominations are strictly determined by a random national customer satisfaction survey dabbed, the
‘‘VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER SURVEY’’
OBJECTIVES OF THE AWARDS ARE TO:
1) Encourage businesses in Ghana to raise their standard of customer service.
2) Reward businesses in Ghana that provide exceptional customer service.
In achieving these objectives, the Ghana Customer Service Awards, will provide businesses in Ghana a unique way to:
1) Connect with their customers by seeking out their feedback and responding to their needs.
2) Cost effectively advertise and promote their commitment to providing an excellent customer service experience and;
Ultimately enhance business performance through improved customer retention and the generation of new customers.
PROBLEM STATEMENT:
Companies across Ghana spend a great deal of time and money every year trying to win and retain customers. They invest in fancy advertising, celebrity endorsements, loyalty programs, websites and much more.
The result? Most companies are still not building strong connections with either current or prospective customers. To take the first steps toward building strong, loyal, long lasting and most importantly profitable customer relationships, companies need to listen to the voices of their customers. Their stories are the key to future success because ultimately it is the customer who controls the relationship! Are you listening to your customers?
To stay healthy, companies must be able to attract new customers as well as sustain and grow their relationships with existing ones. Building strong customer relationships takes time and these relationships are either enhanced or undermined every time a customer comes in contact with an organization, its people and the quality of the customer service they experience.
With customer expectations continually rising, the Ghanaian community is becoming aware of the essence of customer service in achieving business success. It is against this background that the event,
“1st Ghana Customer Service Awards “is organized for customers to appreciate as well as to reward organizations who have served them better, therefore setting new standards in customer service in Ghana.
THEME: “SETTING NEW STANDARDS IN CUSTOMER SERVICE ’’
TARGET: Businesses or organizations operating and registered under the laws of Ghana, with special emphasis on: BANKS, INSURANCE COMPANIES, TELECOMMUNICATION COMPANIES, TRANSPORTATION: BUSES AND AIRLINES , HOTELS,CONSTRUCTION & HOUSING, RESTAURANTS, ENTERTAINMENT CENTRES, HEALTH CENTRES, UTILITIES AND PUBLIC SECTOR INSTITUTIONS.
PROPOSED STAKEHOLDERS: MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY, GHANA NATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, CONSUMER PROTECTION AGENCY AND THE INSTITUTE FOR ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL AND JOURNALISTS (IFEJ)
PROPOSED MEDIA PARTNERS: BUSINESS WEEK,BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL TIMES,DAILY GRAPHIC, GHANAIAN TIMES ,DAILY GUIDE ,INSIGHT ,DAILY DISPATCH,DAILY EXPRESS,JOY FM,CITI FM,PEACE FM,GTV,TV3,METRO TV,TV AFRICA, myjoyonline.com and ghanabusinessnews.com
THE EVENT LOGO: The logo designed and adopted for the 1st Ghana Customer Service Awards is a symbol of a handshake representing satisfaction and thank you (a show of appreciation).This is what the award stands for; it’s about customers appreciating businesses who have served them better.
This portrays the promotion of excellence in customer service in Ghana.
THE AWARDS AND HOW IT WORKS: This is an awards based on customer nominations .Companies and organizations must be nominated by their customers through, a national customer satisfaction survey dubbed,
“VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER ’’, a random national customer satisfaction survey.
After all, who will better evaluate great service than customers themselves?
1) During this survey, 2,5oo questioners will be made available in all regional capitals, by authorized volunteers who will conduct the random survey at public places such as supermarkets, salons, restaurants, hotels, car parks, offices and streets.
The survey will be based on 5 customer priority areas as identified by the organizers, namely:
A) COMPETENCE AND RELIABILITY OF STAFF
B) RESPONSIVENESS AND TIMELINESS
C) ASSURANCE AND TRUSTWORTHINESS
D) EMPATHY AND PRICING
E) SERVICE ENVIRONMENT {location, premises, environment, appearance of staff and technology}

2) Reports or entries that will emerge from the survey shall be subjected to analysis and strict proof by a seven member independent awards committee to be nominated by the organizers of the awards from the various stakeholders; MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY, GHANA NATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, CONSUMER PROTECTION AGENCY AND THE INSTITUTE FOR ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL AND JOURNALISTS (IFEJ), To determine the award winners of the 1st GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARDS.
AWARDS FRAMEWORK: The 1st GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARDS will focus on awarding Ghana’s best top 10 providers of customer service from these sectors namely, BANKS, INSURANCE COMPANIES, TELECOMMUNICATION COMPANIES, TRANSPORTATION: BUSES AND AIRLINES , HOTELS, CONSTRUCTION & HOUSING,RESTAURANTS, ENTERTAINMENT CENTRES, MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS, HEALTH CENTRES,SUPER MARKETS, UTILITIES AND PUBLIC SECTOR INSTITUTIONS.
AWARDS PRESENTATION:The awards will be presented to deserving organizations at their business premises.This is a novelty and the first time that business awards are being presented and delivered, door to door at the work places of award winners, encouraging a sense of belonging and good will, among their staff and the entire workers of winning organization,instead of the usual awards ceremonies associated with dinner-dance and long speeches.
Early 0n MARCH 2011,Under the theme ‘GHANA, AN EMERGING OIL ECONOMY: THE NEED FOR A NATIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE CULTURE’
The CUSTOMER SERVICE ADVOCATE AND PARTNERS will host the
1st GHANA CUSTOMER SERVICE CONFERENCE.
This event will identify the role of government and the private sector in achieving a national customer service culture, as the nation emerges as an oil economy and a preferred business destination in the West-African sub- region.
During the conference,2010 Ghana Customer Service Award winners will be given the opportunity to share their success story experience and best practice in customer service delivery with participants {customers, the business community and the public at large}.
SOURCE FUNDING:
1) CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS AND DONATIONS: The role of customer service in the private sector can not be underestimated. In fact, customers are the wheels that drive every business. Companies may sponsor or donate as part of their contributions to the development of a NATIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE CULTURE.
2) PARTICIPATION FEES: Participating companies, organizations or service providers will be mandated to pay participation fees, depending on the size of these of the organizations, based on their number of staff or employees.

WHY YOUR COMPANY OR ORGANIZATION SHOULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE AWARDS AS A SPONSOR OR PARTICIPANT:
There are a number of compelling reasons why your company should consider its association with the awards, as an award winner, sponsor or donor in aid of the Ghana Customer Service Awards programme.
1) Competitive Edge: Provides a tangible point of difference over your
competitors.
2) Trust: Helps customers feel secure about the level of Customer Service they can expect to receive from your company.
3) Credibility and Stature: Demonstrates to customers your commitment to excellence in customer service which strengthens your corporate reputation.
4) Exposure: Enables you to promote your Award-winning status to both your current and potential customers which helps you to retain customers and gain new business.
5) Focus: Focuses employees on maintaining and improving customer service levels.
6) Motivate: Recognizes employees past efforts and encourages them to continue to deliver exceptional service.
7) Public Relations: Prompts media to communicate positive messages about your company.
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:
1) Promote your products and services to Ghana’s small and medium sized businesses.
2) Associate your brand with customer service excellence via our unique awards program.
3) Tailor your advertising efforts to connect with small and medium sized business owners nationwide.
4) Help businesses in Ghana to improve their customer focus and service standards.
5) Be recognized as a brand that is committed to its customers and helping to set new standards in customer service in Ghana.
YOUR OPTIONS:
1) Award Pack Sponsorship. Ghana Customer Service Award winners receive an ‘Awards Pack’; we can insert your promotional material, special offers and brochures in to this pack. This option presents a unique opportunity for your brand to connect with Award winners and generate new business opportunities.
2) Certificate of Sponsorship. All Ghana Customer Service Award winners shall receive a high quality framed certificate as part of their Awards Pack. We can add your brand logo to the certificate and feature your company as an Award Partner.
3) A custom promotional package. Need more? Got a different idea? We’re all ears. Contact us to see what we can work out.
4) Radio and TV advertisements and inclusion of sponsors logo or brands on public communications materials such as handbills, banners and other event souvenirs.
We welcome your interest in sponsoring the Ghana Customer Service Awards and the conference as well.
Please do not hesitate to Contact us at any time to discuss any of the above options.
CONCLUSION: As Ghana positions itself as an emerging oil economy, there is the need for us as a nation, to place much premium on a national customer service culture in accordance with international best practice to enhance consumer and investor confidence towards a good business environment for a better Ghana.
This we can achieve among other things through the
1st Ghana Customer Service Awards and the Ghana Customer Service Conference.