The
American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham Gambia) supported by the US Embassy in The
Gambia on Tuesday convened a daylong micro enterprise development training
course on customer care and ICT at Relax Sahel.
The training exercise, which targeted at least 60 participants of customer care background, was sponsored by a Gambia Growth and Competiveness Project (GGCP) matching grant.
Speaking at the meeting, Kebba T. Njie, chief executive officer of AmCham, said one of their missions is to promote and facilitate trade and investment between The Gambia and the United States.
AmCham The Gambia was established in May 2010 to encourage and promote entrepreneurship, help businesses prosper and grow, increase trade opportunities, and facilitatebusiness export and import of products between The Gambia and the United States of America, as well as to establish partnership between US investors and Gambian entrepreneurs, Njie added.
“Our overall aim, therefore, is to serve the interest and improve the economic vitality of the business community, thus enhancing the quality of life for our peoples and their associated businesses in The Gambia through networking, partnership and business development,” he further stated.
According to Njie, the objective of AmCham is to promote entrepreneurs/innovators seeking new business and investment opportunities.
“Therefore, our main objectives are to help business prosper and grow, increase job opportunities, encourage an orderly expansion and development of all segments of the community, facilitate the export and import of products between the USA and The Gambia and promote the nation’s private enterprise system.”
He added that their vision is to advance the general welfare and prosperity of businesses and communities in The Gambia and the United States.
AmCham, Njie went on, recognizes that “there has been a weak commercial relationship between the US and The Gambia, which is responsible for the less trade activities” between the two countries.
“We believe that the only way to put an end to these problems is to promote the development of growth-oriented market reforms based on a framework that has the following outcomes, thus facilitate movement of trade and factors of production, create commercial infrastructural and distribution systems, develop stable commercial laws and regulations, create a strong network of enthusiastic and trust-worthy group of entrepreneurs in both countries.
In her remarks, Ifsal Consultancy Co.Ltd managing partner, Saffie N. Jobe, said customer service is all about rendering professional service before, during and after the purchase of a product.
“No matter the size of your business, excellent customer service needs to be at the heart of your business model if you wish to be successful,” she said.
“It is important to provide good customer service to all types of customers, including potential, new and existing customers.”
She also spoke about the importance of ICT, saying there are many important dimensions to ICT education.
ICT is complex and quickly changing, she continued. “It is so pervasive in the modern world that everyone must have some understanding of it,” Ms Jobe declared.
“Today, everyone needs a basic understanding of ICT and how to make productive use of it, just to be good students, workers and citizens,” she added.
She said teaching people how to be competent basic users of ICT technologies is an important role in any society.
It will help people to be successful in their academic and work careers, “so they can efficiently participate in the modern technical society”, she noted.