Meet UAE employee who takes customer 'by the hand', hailed as 'diligent man' by Dubai Ruler
His work ethic and delight in service of others attracted the notice of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who snubbed him a shoutout on Twitter.
The UAE national also garnered praise from Sheikh Mohammed himself in a tweet recently, who called him a "hardworking man" trying to get transactions done, accompanied by pictures of the man in action.
Youssef, a 46-year-old who lives in Sharjah and works at the Emirates National Oil Company (Enoc) vehicle registration centre at the Al Qusais branch, was humbled by the honour. After Sheikh Mohammed's commendation, Enoc Group celebrated Youssef's exemplary customer service.
There was a post from Sheikh Mohammed about me, I was in the lobby with a client when I was told. I asked, 'Me?' I couldn't believe it at first until my buyer showed me.
He continued, “I thought maybe it was fake and looked when I had a chance on my break. Tears welled in my eyes with pure elation. Not long after, I got calls from different.”
Working together
To see Youssef living what he preaches when it comes to customer service is truly inspiring. He puts in plenty of hours — four-hour stretches during Ramadan, and run between 9-10km a day.
We prep six days a week and during Ramadan serve 200 to 300 clients daily. I often have a busier eight-hour shift on the regular days,' he said.
Although Youssef has a busy schedule, he stays committed to proactive service. I do not want customers to be lost; I want to solve issues at the outset, he said.
When he is ready, meetings with clients will pass easily, and he will do his job effectively. The challenges are part of the job, I help my colleagues with coordination. We attempt to collaborate, he said.
'Being kind to the elderly'
He showed empathy, he said he'd talk to customers who were seniors or having a hard time with forms and paperwork. I guide the customer, with kindness towards the elderly and compassion towards those unable to "perform" due to, inter alia, their documents not being accepted. Cars bring joy and I make sure they go away happy.
He highly stressed, "I do make sure they work out a little print on returning.
The second thing that makes up his approach to customer service is patience and kindness. Not all of my moods are my best — “to make sure, when I walk in work, I am in a good mood. Here's my therapist rule: A customer may piss me off, but I don't piss them off. In such scenarios, I patiently listen, listen to their anger, and let out a smile," Youssef said, adding that a word of kindness and a smile show the customers than through the stress.
He has had some remarkable experiences that showcase Youssef's dedication. One was for a senior citizen who wanted to export his car but didn't know the process requires an extra inspection & expense.
He did not realize that the inspection had to happen on foreign territory so that he had to pay for a new inspection with new costs to suffer. "The export process was relatively quick, but the registration which came after this needed a proper inspection of the car - which in the end would cost him more," Youssef said.
The solution came in 30 minutes,” said he. I put up with him, even replaced the tire, and he said he was quite happy. He said, 'That man held me and prayed for me and my family — three minutes he prayed for me,' " he recounted.
Youssef recalled another instance where he helped a woman whose car was rejected over tinting. Rather than just telling her, he did it for her, providing that little extra effort that goes a long way to winning customers for life.
'Strive to be number one'
Youssef strongly believes in teaming and leading. No matter what your position is, always aim to be the best. Live the values created of the coaches you lead. He said: "Work hard and you'll get there.
After 25 years of working in customer service, Now being a trainer, Youssef Implemented a culture of support/ collaboration in his workplace. It's not praise for me, rather praise for all my colleagues and management. We are one and when a client meets with me, they meet my team too. He reiterated, saying, “The whole work is integrated teamwork.
His journey stands as a testament of how acts of kindness, hard work and belief in teamwork can spur excellence in public service. Watching his, example, lead by example, was an inspiration to everyone to perform at their best in their respective positions.
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