By Phiwa Sikhondze
Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS) continues to set the benchmark for exceptional customer service, having exceeded its mid-year Net Promoter Score (NPS) target with an impressive score of 76.24.
This achievement, announced during Customer Service Week, highlights ERS’s ongoing transformation into a service-oriented organization focused on enhancing customer satisfaction and voluntary tax compliance.
ERS Commissioner General, Brightwell Nkambule attributed the success to their unwavering commitment to service excellence, which has also driven consistent outperformance in revenue collection.
“Our continued improvement in NPS is directly linked to our ability to surpass revenue targets,” Nkambule noted, underscoring the close relationship between customer satisfaction and voluntary compliance.
The NPS is a globally recognized tool that measures customer loyalty and their likelihood to recommend a service based on their experience. Since adopting this tool in 2019, ERS has used NPS to track its performance and drive continuous improvements in service delivery.
The CG emphasized the significance of this milestone, stating, “NPS has become a game-changer for us. It has allowed us to consistently measure our clients’ satisfaction and make targeted improvements that enhance their experience with ERS.”
ERS’s journey towards service excellence began in 2012 with the development of Customer Service Standards, which guides staff interactions and ensures operational efficiency. However, the implementation of NPS in 2019 marked a turning point, providing ERS with a reliable and consistent method to measure customer feedback and satisfaction.
“The turning point came in 2022 when we began seeing a clear correlation between improving NPS scores and increased voluntary compliance from taxpayers,” Nkambule explained.
By the end of that year, ERS exceeded its NPS target of 30, achieving a score of 47. In 2023, ERS set an ambitious goal of 50 and surpassed it with a remarkable score of 62.55. Alongside these impressive NPS results, ERS also outperformed its revenue collection target for the year, collecting E13.024 billion—surpassing the projected E13.009 billion.
He noted that at ERS, service delivery is more than just a target—it is a core element of the organization’s culture. “Service excellence is non-negotiable. It’s not just another KPI; it’s central to our strategy of enhancing voluntary compliance and closing the tax gap,” Nkambule emphasized.
To ensure consistent improvement, every ERS station is assigned specific NPS targets, and service delivery is reviewed at the management level every two weeks. This approach fosters a culture where all staff take ownership of customer service, driving continuous improvements across the organization.
In its commitment to raising the bar for service delivery, ERS is set to launch the ERS App, which will allow clients to provide real-time feedback on their service experiences. This new initiative is expected to further enhance ERS’s ability to meet and exceed customer expectations.
“As we continue to refine our service delivery using NPS, we remain dedicated to celebrating and enhancing customer satisfaction,” Nkambule said. With NPS as a guiding tool and the full support of its leadership team, ERS is well-positioned to continue elevating its service standards in the years to come.