NMB Bank clinches top honors at Tanzania Service Excellence Awards

Dar es Salaam. NMB Bank Plc has three awards at this year’s Annual Tanzania Service Excellence Awards, thanks to its commitment to enhancing service excellence and transforming lives by offering services that socially and economically empower consumers, businesses, and communities.

The 2024 Annual Tanzania Service Excellence Awards, which were held in Dar es Salaam at the weekend, saw NMB Bank Plc emerge as the overall winner for the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) category. It also emerged as the first runner-up in the Banking Sector and the first runner-up for the Special Inclusive Customer Service Programme.

Organised by the Chartered Institute of Customer Management, the awards recognised NMB Bank’s commitment to enhancing service excellence and transforming lives by offering services that socially and economically empower consumers, businesses, and communities. The Service Excellence Awards were launched in 2010 and have been held in various African countries, but made their debut in Tanzania this year.

Speaking shortly after receiving the awards, NMB’s head of Customer Experience, Ms Abella Tarimo, said the awards were a testament to the proper execution of the bank’s strategy. “At NMB Bank, customer satisfaction is the core of our operations, which is why we always put our customers first. We upgraded our system last year to ensure we provided seamless services. Our customer service centre has been working 24 hours a day since January this year, and all this shows how we are committed to service excellence.”

She added: “Through our innovative digital solutions, extensive branch network, and dedicated employees, we will continue to champion shaping Tanzania’s financial landscape and providing exceptional services to our valued customers, while also giving back to communities that we operate in through our corporate social investment programme.” Speaking at the event, the Director of International Trade and Economic Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador John Ulanga, said the structure of Tanzania’s economy has changed significantly in the past 30 years.

“30 years ago, about 48 to 50 percent of our gross domestic product (GDP) was contributed by agriculture, and the services sector accounted for around 25 percent. Today, almost 50 percent of the GDP is contributed by the services sector,” he said.

He said the perfect structure of a middle-income country requires 50 percent of GDP to be contributed by the services sector, 20 percent or less by agriculture, and the remaining 30 percent to be contributed by manufacturing and other sectors. He urged companies to invest in technology so as to enhance both customer service and the customer experience journey.

“The quality service provided distinguishes one company from another. The time is now for companies to focus on how best they can boost customer service,” he added.