Customer service is everyone’s job – Stop treating it as a department

What the report says

The Observer published an opinion piece arguing that customer service should be treated as a company-wide responsibility rather than left to a single department. The article says the real test comes after Customer Service Week ends, when organizations must show they can consistently deliver on promises through everyday operations, not just public messaging. It uses examples from insurance, finance and digital services to show how delays, poor communication and weak internal coordination can leave customers frustrated even when individual employees are polite and professional.

The piece cites Uganda-focused survey findings to support its point. It references the Insurance Regulatory Authority’s 2023 Policyholders Satisfaction Survey, which reported satisfaction levels of 72% for insurers’ customer service, 68% for communication and claims handling, and 52% for complaints resolution. It also points to the 2025 Financial Consumer Protection Survey, which found that 83% of respondents had experienced a quality problem with digital financial services in the previous 12 months. The author says these figures suggest customers want reliable systems, timely decisions and clear communication, not just courtesy.

The article also discusses how digital tools and artificial intelligence can help service delivery, but only if they are paired with human support and simpler processes. It recommends aligning performance metrics with customer outcomes, breaking down internal barriers, empowering staff to resolve issues and acting on customer feedback. The author, identified as the chief operating officer of ICEA LION Life Uganda, concludes that the measure of customer service is whether an organization delivers on its promises consistently.