Service counters deserted as city gets smart
SOME CUSTOMERS SURPRISED TO FIND EMPTY DESKS AT GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS ON FIRST DAY OF ‘WEEK WITHOUT SERVICE CENTRES’
Customer service counters at Dubai government departments were empty as most transactions moved exclusively online yesterday, the first day of the ‘Week without Service Centres’ initiative.
Some customers who were not aware of the initiative, which runs till Thursday, had showed up at the centres. However, some staff were on duty to guide customers on how to access the services online.
Customers said they were happy with the ease of completing their transactions through smart channels such as websites, apps and electronic kiosks. There were a few teething problems for customers who were used to visiting centres instead of using digital platforms.
The initiative, led by the Department of Finance, is seeing the participation of almost 40 government departments. Around 1,100 services, such as seeking permits or paying bills, will only be accessible electronically during the initiative.
Empty counters
At the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) Customer Happiness Centre headquarters, counters were empty but staff were on hand to greet and assist customers who did not know about the initiative.
One of the customers who was able to complete his transactions online using the laptops and apps available at the premises was Mark Shone. He visited Dewa to close his account as he was leaving the country.
“It’s challenging to do it on your own. But I was referred to the right people to guide me and I finally got a solution. The staff were helpful and the service was satisfactory,” Shone told Gulf News.
Smart solutions
At the Kifaf Centre of Dubai Municipality, top officials from a number of government departments inaugurated the initiative together. Dawood Al Hajiri, director general of Dubai Municipality; Abdullah Al Basti, secretary general of Dubai Executive Council; Abdul Rahman Al Saleh, director general of the Department of Finance, and other officials were present.
Employees of various Dubai departments closed their counters and moved to “smart tables” where customer service executives used iPads and smart phones to assist customers complete online transactions.
Abed Ali, a 50-year-old Pakistani expat, said he came to Al Kifaf Centre to take permission for a promotional campaign. “Earlier I used to give all the documents to the official at the counter. Today, I was asked to fill in the details on an iPad. I’m not familiar with using these gadgets. I found it a bit difficult but the staff helped me.”
Meanwhile, customers of Dubai Health Authority (DHA) will be able to complete the process for obtaining and renewing medical licences for facilities and professionals online, among other services. Amani Al Jasmi, director of DHA’s IT department, said: “This initiative promotes the culture of smart transformation as it encourages facilities to deliver government services online and helps customers get used to completing transactions, which will help meet the smart transformation goals by 2021.”
The headquarters of General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA Dubai) also looked deserted yesterday. Customers who visited GDRFA Dubai headquarters and branches were guided to smart tablets to complete their transaction.
Meanwhile, Dubai Police provided its services using the smart police station, which operates 24 hours a day and offers 27 key services, including reporting of crimes, traffic accidents and community services.