Business Reporter
A CUSTOMER Service Symposium is set to take place in Harare from October 2-3. The symposium, which is organised by Customer Service International, will be part of the commemorations to mark this year’s Customer Service Week. Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Engineer

Walter Mzembi will open the symposium.
He is expected to take the opportunity to give an update on the country’s preparedness to host the 2013 United Nations World Tourism Organisation General Assembly, as well as highlight the need for customer service to be treated as a national agenda.

Customer Service Week is an international event devoted to recognising the importance of customer service and to honouring the people who serve and support customers with the highest degree of care and professionalism.
Said CSI customer service strategist Mr Ed Masau said the symposium would be held under the theme “Driving Profitability through Customer Service Strategy”.

“During the symposium we will touch on how Zimbabwean organisations can adopt service delivery as their strategy to ward off competition and increase the bottom line,” he said.
Two international facilitators will grace this year’s symposium. Mr Shahrill Aj the founder and principal consultant for Nu Quest Management in Singapore, will facilitate

the strategy formulation session with the theme “Designing a Customer Service Strategy that Impacts the Bottom Line.”

Mr Aj is a certified customer service trainer and brings a wealth of experience from Singapore where he has worked closely with organisations through business and performance assessment, training and service delivery.
Currently, he is a much sought after facilitator for corporate and professional courses in innovation in ASEAN, South Asia, Middle East, Africa and other parts of the world.

Since 2005, he has been on the team of International Trainers with Civil Service College International to facilitate and deliver public service courses to foreign governments.

Almenta Pty (South Africa) managing director Ms Mary Kumbula will facilitate the session titled “Aligning Business Processes Towards Customer Service Excellence”.
Ms Kumbula brings to the symposium extensive experience in the areas of customer service management, and sales and marketing among others.
She has had the rare opportunity of working in three different economies, namely Zimbabwe, South Africa and United States of America.

Local presenters include Dr Shingi Munyeza of African Sun Ltd, Institute of People Management president Ms Rose Nhamo, Econet Wireless head of customer service Mr Otis Makahamadze and Mr Gary Thompson of Gary Thompson and Associates.