Manzini – The Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS) is celebrating Customer Service Week 2025 under the theme “Mission Possible,” signaling its commitment to improving taxpayer experiences nationwide.
Commissioner General Brightwell Nkambule spoke to Eswatini TV’s Market View, outlining ERS’s four pillars of customer service: respect, communication, visibility, and speed. “Respect is what we are taught from early days back in the village. Every interaction with every client is actually an opportunity to serve better, exceed expectations, and earn trust,” Nkambule said.
He explained that communication involves informing clients of changes in tax processes or legislation and ensuring taxpayers are never taken by surprise. ERS has also introduced co-creation, inviting clients to participate in designing systems and processes. Visibility has been strengthened through nationwide service centers, ports of entry, social media platforms, a modern call center, and an updated website. Speed is addressed with customer service turnaround times published online to ensure services are delivered within set timelines.
To measure service quality, ERS uses the Net Promoter Score (NPS) system, launched in 2018, allowing clients to rate interactions from 1 to 10. Scores above 8 are considered excellent. The agency’s ratings improved steadily, from -5 in 2020 to 77 percent in March 2025. Mananga station in Manzini even achieved a 100 percent satisfaction rate in December 2024.
Nkambule acknowledged remaining challenges, such as long queues at border posts and initial teething problems with new systems at service centers. “We have increased staff at ports of entry and resolved most system issues,” he said, noting that as of August 2025, almost all service centers reported satisfaction ratings above 85 percent.
The ERS has also shifted from a coercive approach to persuasive compliance, rebranding from a revenue authority to a service-focused agency, conducting roadshows, and engaging staff and clients in continuous improvement. Nkambule is scheduled to share this experience at the Customer Experience Conference at The Loop Commission.
He urged taxpayers to continue providing feedback and assured that ERS listens and adapts services to meet client needs, including plans to translate forms into Portuguese for Mozambican clients.
“Every interaction is an opportunity to exceed expectations. We want every client leaving our offices to be happy,” Nkambule said.
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