In today’s highly competitive business environment, being an organisation that listens to its stakeholders has become arguably the most significant factor in determining the success or failure of most business entities. Apparently, many organisations are making strides to put in place effective communication mechanisms in a bid to create and sustain the widest customer interface. In this difficult economic environment, it is clear that organisations that do not seek feedback from their customers, shareholders and communities stand no chance of surviving.
The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA), in an effort to establish effective communication with its clients and obtain their opinions, has recently launched a Call Centre.
The ZINWA Call Centre, which can be contacted on 0867 700 4339, (04) 850 066 and (04) 850 261 between Monday and Friday during normal working hours, is a demonstration of the Authority’s commitment to transform itself into being a customer focused organisation that takes customer feedback seriously.
By introducing a Call Centre, the Authority is establishing a direct line of communication with customers so as to get as much feedback from them as possible. In other words, the Call Centre is a demonstration of the Authority’s preparedness to hear from customers and take their feedback seriously.
This is coming at a time when the water sector is facing serious challenges, many of which have generated debate among clients and various stakeholder groups.
Some of the topical issues that the Authority would like to discuss with consumers include effects of climate change on water and food security, water conservation methods, illegal use of irrigation water, the water permit and water agreement system in Zimbabwe, as well as regulations for groundwater utilisation. For a long time, public understanding of water management issues has been characterised by various misconceptions and sadly, relevant information has not been as readily accessible as it should be. As a result, it has not been easy for ZINWA to gather much insight into how exactly water users feel about water management issues in Zimbabwe. Now that the ZINWA Call Centre is in place, the communication barrier has been broken. It should now be easy for water users and other stakeholders in the water sector to contact us and share with us their ideas on how water management can be improved.
It is vital to remember that although ZINWA is the ultimate authority in terms of water resources management in Zimbabwe, long term water security can only by guaranteed if all stakeholders in the water sector, including individual consumers, adopt a collective mind-set and are willing to share their views on water related issues and also give constructive criticism where they feel things are not going in the right way.
It is a well-known fact that water is life, and naturally, water management is and has always been one of the most important yet misunderstood topics. Against such a background, ZINWA has seen it fit to create a platform that allows customers to have easy access to information about water management issues.
This will hopefully go a long way in helping people understand not only the Authority’s mandate and functions as encapsulated in the Water Act (Chapter 20:24) and the ZINWA Act (Chapter 20:25) but also the highly misunderstood relationship between ZINWA and local Authority in terms of supply of water in major cities and towns. By launching this information hub, the Authority feels it has made itself available to those seeking clarity on any water related issues.
With the Call Centre now fully operational, after its launch on the 1st of April 2016, the Authority is expecting consumers to grab this opportunity with both hands and make contributions that will enhance sustainability in water management. That said, it should not be forgotten that it takes more than opening communication lines to create a long lasting relationship and understanding between ZINWA and its clients. The ZINWA Call Centre cannot serve its purpose unless consumers and stakeholders make use of it.
It is an opportunity for water users not only to hear but also to be heard.
For more information please contact the corporate Communications and Marketing Department [email protected], mail to: [email protected] or visit www.zinwa.co.zw, You can also like our page on Facebook page.