Dubai: No counters, no queues, no waiting time plus the service is brought directly to you and completed “within minutes” while you sit and sip free refreshments.
This is the “seven-star service” the Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai is now offering its customers at its new Customer Happiness Centre that was launched on Monday.
The centre features an open-plan office like a majlis with a twist. The hall has 25 brightly coloured sitting areas for different groups, including private sitting areas for those requiring privacy.
The absence of the traditional glass counters and cubicles in government offices gives the centre a “homey” atmosphere where customers are treated like guests to one’s home.
Dedicated staff are stationed at the entrance of the hall and greet customers as they come in.
The customers are then escorted to the sitting areas and their Emirates ID are taken for identification through tablets. This starts the whole process and, depending on their need, a customer service representative will join them in the sitting area to complete the transaction.
“Usually in customer service centres, the customer takes a number and sits and waits for his turn and he is called to the counter and served. Here, the concept is different. It’s like when you have someone at home, you won’t let him walk into the house unless you are at the door to welcome him. So you walk in with him and you walk out with him [after his visit],” Khalid Al Kamda, CDA director-general, said.
“So there is no waiting area, no waiting time, no queues. This is how we are embedding our culture into the service,” he added.
All transactions are swiftly completed, Al Kamda said, with an average of seven to eight minutes, and a maximum of 15 minutes if the customer’s documents are not in order.
Al Kamda said the centre follows the standards of the fourth generation of the government excellence system launched by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to provide seven-star customer service from the customer’s perspective.
“Our services in general are related to people’s personal lives, this is why it requires more attention and responsibility from the service provider. Our customers are more often tense and worried about their own issues and it’s our duty to calm their worries and help them find solutions for their social issues in a comfortable and friendly environment,” Al Kamda said.
The services provided at the centre include social benefits for Emiratis, disability benefits like the Sanad card for all Dubai residents, licensing of social clubs for all residents, family consultation, volunteering services, and elderly services, among others.
Yunuz Mohammad Amir, 74, an elderly Emirati who was at the centre on Monday, lauded CDA for the new service.
“We are glad that we don’t have to go through the whole process of queuing and all. We can get the service just by comfortably sitting here.”
What: CDA’s Customer Happiness Centre
Where: Mezzanine Floor, Block A, Al Hudaiba Awards Building (near Union House)
Timings: 7.30am to 2.30pm
Call Centre: 800-2121
No of staff: 33
Capacity: Can accommodate 45 to 50 people daily
Free services: Valet parking, refreshments
