Yas, Mixx put service quality at centre of customer retention

MWANZA: YAS Tanzania and Mixx by Yas are taking customer support beyond their stores and into major markets across the country, as the companies seek to strengthen customer trust, resolve service disruptions faster and improve retention in an increasingly competitive digital-services market.

The initiative, running until October 9 as part of Customer Service Week, will see support teams visit major markets to address complaints and gather direct feedback from customers, while Yas and Mixx stores will host activities including quizzes and spin-the-wheel games.

Speaking during the launch in Mwanza recently, Yas Director of Customer Experience Mwangaza Matotola said the deployment of teams to markets was intended to bring support closer to customers and enable the company to resolve complaints on the spot where possible.

“In Mwanza, the teams will be stationed at the city’s main market,” she said.

Ms Matotola said cases requiring further investigation would be followed up until resolved, with customers kept informed of progress.

“When we help a customer resolve an issue promptly, we help them keep their business running, stay in touch with their families or complete something that had been held up,” she said.

The approach comes as mobile and digital service providers face growing pressure to deliver reliable services while responding quickly to customer complaints, particularly where service interruptions can affect business transactions and communication.

This year’s Customer Service Week theme, “The Extra Mile,” calls on service providers to listen to customers, provide timely assistance and honour their commitments, according to the company.

Ms Matotola thanked Yas’ more than 33 million customers for their continued trust, saying the company had a responsibility to provide reliable services every day.

She said Yas had invested more than 1.2 trillion/- in expanding and upgrading its network, which comprises more than 4,900 towers.

The investment, she said, was part of efforts to strengthen the network and support reliable services as demand for connectivity and digital services continues to rise.

For Mixx, the customer-service drive is particularly significant because mobile-money transactions are increasingly embedded in customers’ daily economic activities.

Mixx Director of Operations Arnold Ngarashi said timely support was therefore essential when customers experienced transaction-related problems.

“When a customer raises an issue, we handle it with an understanding of how much that money means to them,” he said.

The company’s focus on complaint resolution also extends to how customer information is handled and how service issues are communicated.

Yas Tanzania Chief Regulatory Affairs Officer Sylvia Balwire said protecting customer information and communicating clearly were central to maintaining trust.

“The theme ‘The Extra Mile’ reflects Yas and Mixx’s commitment to protecting customer information, communicating clearly and reliably, and improving the customer experience by listening to feedback and taking responsibility for the service we provide,” she said.

During the week, customers visiting Yas and Mixx stores will have opportunities to win prizes through quizzes and spin-the-wheel games, while visitors will also receive gifts and cake.

The week will also recognise employees serving customers directly in stores and those working behind the scenes to support service delivery.