Waiting time at Emirates Post Karama down to 11 seconds after Sheikh Mohammed's tweet

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Waiting time at Emirates Post Karama down to 11 seconds after Sheikh Mohammeds tweet
Emirates Post now has a total of 25 customer service counters with at least 8 desks dedicated only for Emirates ID transactions. - Angel Tesorero

Dubai - Taking to his Twitter account on April 22, Sheikh Mohammed shared a photo of long queues at the branch.

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Angel Tesorero

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Published: Wed 18 Sep 2019, 8:45 PM

Last updated: Thu 19 Sep 2019, 8:22 AM

Waiting time for customers at the Emirates Post central branch in Karama is now down to 11 seconds - a dramatic improvement from the frustrating 40-minute delay some months ago, Khaleej Times observed on Wednesday, September 18.
Even transactions are done faster, averaging three minutes per person.
All these improvements were noticed after the branch underwent a major refurbishment last month and additional customer service counters were put up.
The Emirates Post branch in Karama, which serves as the main hub of postal operations in Dubai, came under fire early this year after His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, criticised its poor services.
Taking to his Twitter account on April 22, Sheikh Mohammed shared a photo of long queues at the branch.
He reprimanded the government agency and publicly shared its performance report - all in the spirit of transparency and the need for stronger customer service.
"This is not our level nor our service. I will not keep in my team whoever offers such a poor level of service," he tweeted.
It was this particular tweet that prompted the UAE Vice-President to announce a comprehensive performance evaluation of 600 government service centres across the country, listing the top five and bottom five centres.
Evident change
Clients previously had to wait for around 40 minutes before they can be served at the branch. Some counters were unmanned and each one handles a wide mix of services.
On Wednesday, there was an entirely different scene.
Interaction with customers was warm and cordial. Upon entering the branch, a representative directs a customer to the corresponding service counter after getting a ticket number.
Out of the 25 counters, eight desks were dedicated to Emirates ID transactions, which take the bulk of operations at the branch. Three were for heavy weight shipment; two for government transactions; and at least 11 designated as customer happiness service counters.
It was also observed that more Emiratis are doing frontline customer relations.
At 3:00pm on Wednesday, around 4,163 customers have been served at the branch, which is open from 7:30am until 9:00pm from Saturday to Thursday.
Thumbs up from customers
"Person-to-person transaction is now faster and more pleasant," remarked Filipino expat Jun Masangkay, who got his new Emirates ID within a couple of minutes.
"The service has greatly improved. When I came here (Karama branch) two years ago to get my first Emirates ID, I really had to wait for a long time. There was no dedicated counter for the ID and I had to wait in a long queue with other customers," he told Khaleej Times.
An Indian expat, who asked not to be named, added: "Before, if you got hungry because of waiting, you had to go out and look for a cafeteria. Now, there is a cafeteria right inside the branch. And the branch is also well lighted and properly ventilated, unlike before."
A 24/7 self-service kiosk was also added at the branch.
The Dubai Central Happiness Centre in Karama has undergone a month-long major refurbishment back in August 4.
Abdulla M. Alashram, acting Group CEO of Emirates Post, previously said that the refurbishment plans were aligned with their customer-centric strategy.
"We assure them that the refurbishment will result in a more streamlined and enhanced customer journey."
THE TRANSFORMATION
>Dramatic reduction in waiting period
>Warm, cordial interaction with customers
>More service counters
>Counters handle specific transactions
>A 24/7 self-service kiosk was added
>A cafeteria was put up inside the branch
>The branch is now well lighted and properly ventilated
angel@khaleejtimes.com


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