Oman's signature Customer Service forum opens

His Excellency Eng. Ali bin Masoud bin Ali Al Sunaidy, Minister, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, formally launched the three-day forum at a ceremony attended by a gathering of high-profile representatives of private and public sector organizations that have made 'customer services' the hallmark of their operations.

The conference is being held under the auspices of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry which, along with a number of fellow government ministries and institutions, is spearheading the drive to foster the development of a strong customer service culture in the Sultanate. Also supporting the initiative is the Authority for Electricity Regulation (AER) Oman, an autonomous body that has made customer service the credo of its activities.

Before the formal start of deliberations, an array of corporate personalities with distinguished customer service credentials took the stage to offer first-hand insights on the indispensability of customer service to the success of their respective organizations. The executive line-up included Ross Cormack, Chief Executive Officer, Nawras, Dr. Kamila Al Alawi, Director, Education and Training, The Royal Hospital; Anna Marie Power, Head of Service Training, Dubai Airports; and Hayssam Al Amine, Founder and Managing Director, Resource Performance Management.

Their compelling advocacy of customer-oriented policies, implemented to great effect in their organizations, set the tone for the start of three days of deliberations on a broad spectrum of themes focusing on the centrality of customer service for achieving corporate and business success.

As the first forum of its kind to spotlight customer service issues, the agenda is both comprehensive and in-depth. On the opening day, there were instructive presentations by a host of industry experts, as well as corporate executives credited with leading the embrace of customer service strategies in their respective organizations.

Among the key presenters were: Ian Benfield, Director of Customer Affairs, Authority for Electricity Regulation (AER) Oman; Shyam Kumar, Senior Consultant, Up! Your Service; Nabil Al Zadjaly, Executive Assistant Manager, Al Bustan Palace - a Ritz Carlton Hotel; Linda Celestino, General Manager Inflight Services, Oman Air; and Fatma Al Sinawi, Training Manager, Shangri-La's Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa.

Over the next two days, customer service pundits will dwell on a diverse range of themes highlighting, among other issues, the importance of: Developing a customer centric culture to raise service delivery standards and quality in Oman; Designing and implementing a customer service strategy to improve organisational performance; Acquiring, retaining and growing customer relationships; and Empowering employees to deliver customer service excellence and quality.

Oman Customer Service Week concludes on 4th December 2012, paving the way for a reinvigorated and concerted focus on customer service. Leading telecom services provider Omantel is the Associate Partner, while Etihad Airways is the Official Airline Sponsor. Oman Customer Service Week is researched and developed by IQPC Middle East and Global Exhibitions & Conferences LLC.