The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of the UAE is evaluating the customer service centres of etisalat and du and grading them in a bid to provide better services to customers.
The ‘Erteqa’ initiative was launched last year, but TRA had completed the pilot evaluation process and implemented it today, which includes a range of efforts and initiatives that focuses on customer’s happiness.
The ‘Erteqa’ initiative falls under the umbrella of ‘Esaad’ initiative which includes network centres, ICT rating and coverage.
Hamad Obaid Al Mansouri, Director General of TRA, said that the evaluation is based on seven stars criteria, and plates bearing the number of stars as a certificate of quality of excellence for the centre’s efforts in serving the customers and achieving their happiness.
“Our ultimate goal is to evaluate the 202 centres. So far, we have assessed 40 centres and we will install the stars plate today. The objective is not to install the plates but to improve the excellence and quality of service providers and launch innovative services that meet customers need, overcome obstacles and difficulties faced by the customers,” he said.
Mohammad Jadah, director for wireless networks and services at TRA, said that the evaluation guidelines include six criteria — easy access to service centre, facilities provided by the centre, employees’ behaviour towards customers, presentation mechanisms of products and services, efficiency and effectiveness of provided services and meeting the customers’ needs, and embedding the innovation element in all stages of service provision.
He said that the grading will be only up to five stars this year, while six and seven stars will be implemented from next year.
TRA has appointed a separate third-party team to evaluate the process by going to the business centres and getting feedback from serviced customers.
Saif Bin Ghelaita, executive director for technology development affairs at TRA, said that the remaining 162 service centres will be completed before June this year.
“To get the six and seven stars, the service centres have to sustain the five-star ranking for couple of years. The voice of customers is going to heard from now on and taken into consideration,” he said.