One way to improve service

We all hate to wait, so a programme aimed at improving customer experiences is welcome

Call centre workers are doing their bet, and public feedback is helping them do even better. Satish Kumar / The National

Customer service is a big issue, and especially so when the consumer in question doesn’t have any choice. Such is the case if you are dealing, by necessity, with a government department. The stereotype, not just here but around the world, is that civil servants work at a somewhat more leisurely pace than their counterparts in private enterprise. That may or may not be true, but in either case it’s good to know that something is being done to ensure that the clients of government departments receive efficient and timely service.

As The National has reported, the General Secretariat of the Executive Council in Abu Dhabi has received feedback from a group of "mystery shoppers" who sampled the face-to-face, phone and email service provided by 38 departments. The aim is to come up with better, smarter ways to serve our needs.

The days of waiting in a seemingly endless queue may not entirely be over, but there is a strong light at the end of the tunnel.