Dubai: A new star rating system will be applied for all government service centres, and the ratings must be displayed at the entrance of these centres.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced this while unveiling the first phase of the rating system. A total of 75 centres have been evaluated. The system will gauge services provided by government centres using customer service criteria adopted by the private sector. Ratings will range from a minimum of two stars to a maximum of seven, and will be displayed at the entrance of every centre in order to reflect to the centre’s level of services.
Shaikh Mohammad revealed that three centres have achieved a five-star rating, and inaugurated the first five-star plaque at the Ministry of Justice service centre in Abu Dhabi. The preliminary phase also showed that 33 government service centres have been given a four-star rating, and 39 centres received a three-star rating. By the end of 2014, the rating will encompass the customer service centres of all federal bodies in the UAE.
Assessments will be carried out by external auditors to ensure impartial results and ratings.
“Previously, we stated that we want government service centres to be like hotels. Today, we begin the implementation of this idea. A total of 5,000 employees have been trained in accordance with the new criteria. Seventy-five government centres have been evaluated, and the goal is to evaluate a total of 400 government centres during the coming months,” Shaikh Mohammad said.
“The UAE government is striving to compete with the private sector. The message we want to convey to everyone is that government centres are centres of innovation and development, and good hospitality,” he added.
“More important than the service it is the way in which it is being delivered, and customer satisfaction is more important than the number of completed applications. Our goal is for the UAE to be a leading country in global practices in the area of customer service. The star rating system for government service centres was created by Emiratis, and we have asked them to adhere to global private sector criteria during the classification process. This is an Emirati experience that is available to everyone who is interested,” said Shaikh Mohammad.
Shaikh Mohammad pointed out that the centres that achieve a two- or three-star rating will be closely monitored. He praised and thanked centres that recorded a five-star rating, and urged them towards achieving a seven-star rating.
The ceremony launching the system was attended by Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Dr Hadef Jua’an Al Daheri, Minister of Justice, and other senior officials.
