Kamapala, Uganda | Staff of Kampala International University (KIU) have undergone training in customer care relations and service delivery aimed at strengthening professionalism and improving services offered to students and other stakeholders.
The training, organised by the Directorate of Quality Assurance and Monitoring, was held on Thursday at the university’s Main Campus and brought together staff from various departments including Quality Assurance, Academic Affairs, Finance, Customer Care, Student Affairs, Admissions and Marketing.
The session focused on strengthening teamwork, effective communication and professional conduct as key components for improving the experience of students and other university clients.
Opening the training, the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, Mundu Mustafa, said the session was organised to equip staff with practical tools that would help them enhance customer care relations and professionalism in their daily duties.
He noted that improved customer care would enable the institution to serve its clients better and enhance the university’s overall service delivery.
During the first presentation, the Vice Chancellor, Muhammed Ngoma, commended the university administration for prioritising customer care, saying the quality of service delivered to external clients largely depends on how staff interact with each other within the institution.
Ngoma urged staff to build positive working relationships, noting that they were employed to solve problems within the institution rather than create them.
He explained that strengthening internal relations among staff would improve how the university engages with students, parents and other stakeholders.
The Vice Chancellor also encouraged staff to practise professional communication, active listening and collaborative problem-solving to improve the overall customer experience at the university.
He added that improved service delivery would reduce complaints, prevent issues from escalating and help safeguard the reputation of the institution.
Ngoma further challenged staff to embrace key competencies such as Emotional Quotient (EQ), Social Quotient (SQ) and Digital Quotient (DQ) in order to effectively respond to the demands of service delivery in a modern university environment.
In the second presentation, Dr. Mustafa delivered a session on understanding Emotional Quotient as a paradigm for conflict management.
He encouraged staff to adopt the five key components of emotional intelligence—self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills—saying these were essential tools for managing workplace conflicts and improving service delivery.
According to him, these skills enable staff to remain committed to positive outcomes, understand the perspectives of others and communicate effectively to resolve workplace challenges.
During an interactive session, directors and staff from different university directorates shared experiences on how they handle challenges within their offices and coordinate with other units to ensure smooth service delivery.
Closing the training, the Campus Administrator, Ainebyoona Christine, urged staff to implement the lessons learned during the session.
She encouraged them to apply the knowledge and skills gained in their daily interactions with colleagues and clients in order to strengthen service delivery and uphold the university’s reputation.
The training forms part of KIU’s continued efforts to promote a professional work environment and ensure that stakeholders receive efficient and quality services across the institution.
