Don’t call me, please dial 253, says Lilongwe Water Board CEO
Lilongwe Water Board Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Alfonso Chikuni has asked customers to stop calling him and other officials whenever they have water issues but, instead, utilise the board’s call centre by dialing 253.
Chikuni made the plea Wednesday when the board in partnership with Nitel, a technological solutions company, briefed journalists about the newly introduced Point of Sale (POSnet) payment device.
The device enables customers on prepaid metering system to buy water units from closer to where they live and has been placed in various filling stations in the city.
Chikuni bemoaned that despite an efficient call centre been operating for more than one-and-a-half years, some customers keep calling him and other senior officers whenever they have water issues.
“We seem to be hitting the wall again and again because people still want to call Chikuni. They don’t want to call 253.
“But we have advertised about it…. It is a very fantastic tool because, when you call, it is for free and you get feedback no matter how long,” Chikuni said.
“Again, you will be called back to be asked whether you have been assisted,” he further said.
Chikuni explained that the call centre was put in place not only for customer satisfaction but also to check the discipline of staff members on how they handle customers.
“It is surprising that the customers haven’t yet adopted it; now one-and-a-half years but we are still struggling.
“We have advertised it but still people would like to call Chikuni and that’s what they do,” Chikuni said.
LWB’s Director of Finance Silli Mbewe, who also said receives direct calls, suggested that there is need for “cultural shift whereby we [customers] feel when we call the call centre we will not be assisted as when you call the CEO.
“But now the CEO might not be conversant with your issue; and maybe, they are in a meeting.”
He asked customers to start believing that they can get better services by calling the call centre and not the CEO.
On this note, Chikuni chipped and said, “Actually when I get these queries, I call the call centre and submit the queries because that’s the only way.”
He then asked the media to help in disseminating information about new innovations taking place in the water board and other sectors so that people understand their importance and later develop enthusiasm to embrace them.
“For instance, information about such things as Nitel’s POSnet; even after a year, somebody will call me and say, ‘where can I buy water units?’” Chikuni said.
He said, surprisingly, it is the elite who call him instead of calling the call centre for fast and efficient service.
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We will keep on calling until when there is no reason to do so.
I was at waterboard yesterday as I waiting for my meeting, the man in the picture came through. I was shocked by the level of respect he was given. This wasn’t mutual respect but glorification. Men who were almost short of kneeling just to go past him. I was shocked. I left without asking who he was. Makes sense that he is the CEO. I don’t know him personally but as a CEO he can instill in those below him the culture that he’s just one of them also doing his job. Malawian culture of glorifying those in top positions… Read more »
the problem is simumayankha ma calls …nane ndiipeze number yanu nziimba..call ncentre yanji yosayankha ma calls
No, no, no, you have taken the Bwana position at this institution, therefore you have to stand and answer our questions and concerns! At least the highest paid can keep us customers and the puplic updated! We don’t need this anonymous devises, which leads to nowhere! Who can argue with a machine!
yeah bcoz WB is another corruptive c9m0any. a contr with no tangible developments and standards. lucky for those who know the Ceos hw about enafe?????
The ceo’s name is in the article…alfonso chikuni. Go get him tiger! Grrrrrrrrhhh! Amafunika
Makofi awili atatu sometimes.
Incompetent Call Centres – Customer service is abysmal and that is why we are calling you. We know you are in agenda-less meetings so shut it. We pay you to run these places and not line your pockets. I’ll be calling you today not 253 and you better be versed in water matters, at least know the formula. No more hiding behind the CEO cloak. Ndili ndi funso, munayamba mwayimbapo ku call centre inuyo?