Roshan's Customer Care Division Awarded ISO-9001 Certification

NEW YORK, Sept. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Roshan, which continues to break new ground in innovation and customer service as Afghanistan's leading telecommunications provider, today announced that its Customer Care Division has been awarded ISO-9001:2008 certification, the highest level of quality management recognized by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Roshan's Customer Care Division is the first in Afghanistan and one of only a handful of in-house customer service call centers in the world to achieve ISO-9001 certification.

"Roshan has consistently set the benchmark for customer service in Afghanistan, and in the region. The ISO-9001 certification demonstrates our commitment to ensuring the highest standards of innovation and quality in meeting the needs of our customers," said Altaf Ladak, chief operating officer. "Our market leadership position is the result of our focus on our customers and ensuring the best possible customer experience in a highly competitive marketplace."

Roshan's Customer Care division was awarded ISO-9001 certification after an exhaustive audit and rigorous assessment of its quality management system and processes by an ISO-accredited certification agency. The certification means that Roshan customers have access to the highest quality of customer care in Afghanistan.

Roshan pioneered the first Western-style call centre in Afghanistan and currently operates the largest purpose-built call center in the country to serve Roshan's more than five million active subscribers. The call centre has more than 160 Customer Care seats and handles more than 20,000 calls per day. The state-of-the art call centre in Kabul is fully automated with a multi-lingual Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system supporting calls in Dari, Pashto and English. Roshan's customer care representatives, nearly a quarter of whom are women, are highly trained professionals able to assist customers with service education, activations, trouble shooting and inquiry resolution. The call center also provides customer care support and facilities to a number of leading Afghan companies and international organizations.

"The ISO-9001:2008 certification is a testament to the fact that you can meet global standards in a developing country like Afghanistan. Roshan has integrated specialized processes, introduced the best customer relationship management technology and continues to invest in the development of a highly trained and customer-centric workforce," added Ladak.

Roshan's leadership and innovation in customer service goes hand-in-hand with its commitment to training and building human capacity. Roshan invests more than $1,500 per employee each year in training and skills development for its Afghan workforce comprising more than 1,200 employees.

Roshan's focus on customer service has garnered international recognition. In 2007, Roshan received a CommsMEA award for Customer Service Provider of the Year.

About Roshan

Roshan (Telecom Development Company Afghanistan Ltd) is Afghanistan's leading telecommunications provider, with coverage in over 230 cities and towns and over 5 million active customers. Roshan directly employs more than 1,200 people and provides indirect employment to more than 30,000 people. Since its inception eight years ago, Roshan has invested over $500 million in Afghanistan and is the country's single largest investor and tax payer. Roshan is deeply committed to Afghanistan's reconstruction and socio-economic development. The Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED), part of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), is a major shareholder of Roshan and promotes private initiatives in building economically sound enterprises in the developing world.  Also owned in part by Monaco Telecom International (MTI) and TeliaSonera, Roshan brings international expertise to Afghanistan and is committed to the highest standards of network quality and coverage for the people of Afghanistan.

SOURCE Roshan