Helping others is
core of customer care
By Tabisa Mntengwana
18 November 2008
DEALING with queries and complaints, and giving feedback to residents is all in a day’s work for Buffalo City’s customer care facilitator, Amanda Charlie.
Charlie is fondly known as Mandy to the people with whom she interacts. “Most municipal customers have come to know me, even though most of them have never met me,” she says.
To Charlie, being a customer care facilitator means being able to communicate with people and being able to find ways to help them when they have a problem.
She has worked for the municipality for over eight years. “I am very familiar with the happenings of the city,” she says. “My experience in the dealings of the municipality helps me a lot when logging complaints and queries.”
Talking about the challenges in her line of work, Charlie says it is difficult to work with rude and grumpy customers. “[But] my experience in dealing with customers has helped me to learn how to deal with those types of people in a professional way.”
The time it takes for City departments to respond to queries is another challenge. “At times it takes over a week for departments to get information for a customer.”
However, Charlie loves working for the municipality - particularly in customer care. “In all the years I have worked here, being at the customer care centre has made me realise how important it is to help others.
“I now know that helping [people] and solving people’s problems is my purpose here on Earth,” she says.
Charlie is the mother of two boys and has been married for more than 11 years. “The other reason I am dedicated to my work is my boys - they are an inspiration to work hard and be an example.”
Her day officially starts at 8am, ending at 4pm, “but because my job is very demanding I’m always at the office at 7.30am”.
On a normal day, the centre takes at least five calls, but most of the time people walk in for information and enquiries.
Some days are busier, however, with calls to the centre increasing in frequency; for example, when the City was installing missing manhole covers in early October, “the customer care centre received over 25 calls a day”.
At present Charlie is the only person responsible for the centre. “At times this becomes a challenge but with my experience I am capable of dealing with pressure and I like the challenge.”
Queries range from sewerage blockages, power outages, potholes, manhole covers, street lights, tree trimming and cutting, and grass cutting on open municipal spaces and pavements, to burst water pipes, among others.
“All these complaints and queries are referred to the relevant departments in writing or telephonically.”
She has a bachelor of arts degree, a higher diploma in education and an honours in psychology, all from the University of Fort Hare, and is studying human resources through the University of South Africa (Unisa).
She also holds a certificate on HIV/Aids care and counselling from Unisa.
Charlie has some basic guidelines for a good customer care worker:
- Treat your customers with respect;
- Let your customer know that his or her problem is important to you;
- Allow the customer to speak and listen attentively;
- Ask questions of clarity without interruptions;
- If possible, solve the customer’s problem during the interaction; and
- If not, indicate how the problem should or will be solved.
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