Ingenium Concepts, NCSA to Train 4 Million Africans Annually on Customer Service

Mary Nnah

In a bid to equip Africans with the core skills of excellent customer service as well as train them in the act of customer relationship,  a business advisory firm, Ingenium Concepts Limited in partnership with the United States-based National Customer Service Association (NCSA), has embarked on a mission to train 4 million people annually across Africa.

The training sessions which hold virtually in cohorts throughout the year had their first cohort for 2023 recently.

Speaking at the opening of the training,  globally certified Customer Service Expert and Principal CEO of Ingenium Concepts Limited,  Jennifer Orode, said, “We are in partnership with NCSA to use this programme to train 4 million people annually across Africa. 

“It is not just West Africa; we will run it in South, East, and Central Africa. It is going to run for a minimum of five years. This is because we want Africa’s economy and general business landscape to be better, and we are contributing our quota through these training cohorts.”

Orode explained further that the training programme initiative is aimed at equipping participants with the core skills of excellent customer service to help reduce the gap in whatever industry and grow the economy in terms of Gross Domestic Product, GDP.

“The training is targeted at the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) and other organisations across all sectors. SMEs can do better and help grow our economy. The customer service representatives can be an exception at service”, she noted.

The initiative, themed,  ”Be That Exceptional Customer Service Representative”; seeks to empower one million customer care agents across Africa in each quarter of the year. 

The first cohort, held on March 31, 2023, was a hybrid event, offering onsite components in Lagos, Nigeria and a virtual training room where participants joined from wherever they were.

Orode expressed that,  “Despite the pacey growth of the African economy engendered by thriving SMEs on the continent, there still exists a significant gap of skilled labour, especially in customer service”. 

She noted that in a highly competitive world, businesses that will be profitable and sustainable must devise means to consistently guarantee access to their customers’ resources, noting therefore that the initiative is her firm’s  response to that gap.”

She said, “It will not be a wishy-washy event that will scratch the surface of customer service delivery. Instead, it will deliver on the intricacies of customer dynamics and behavior in the modern world to the benefit of all stakeholders in the world of business, customers, customer care representatives, and businesses alike”.

“Many SMEs out there don’t know how to service their customers and that is why we see horrible service that affects them. Customer services affect the business cultures and the training is not only for customer service staff but for the Human Resources, HR, Accountant, and even the security guards at the gate. Every employee needs this training”, she added.

To enable them to deliver this laudable initiative and reach a vast audience; Ingenium Concepts revealed further that the firm will work in partnership with organisations across Africa that demonstrate their commitment to improving customer service on the continent and are making a positive impact on the communities they serve.