The UAE on a journey to Leadership in Customer Excellence

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Neveed and Rashid go through workshop notes together at the Ritz Carlton DIFC

Naveed and Rashid go through workshop notes together at the Ritz Carlton DIFC

We in the UAE are used to best of everything and in particular, we can proudly say that we have the best customer service one can get in this region but there is room to be the best in the world. To ensure the quality of service even gets better, the Academia of Excellence announced it’s opening with a comprehensive summit at the Ritz Carlton DIFC, showcasing global business leaders and key UAE institutions on how to achieve true customer centricity.

To those not in the know, the Academia of Excellence is a specialized institution for the creation and enhancement of the “Customer Experience”. Real Customer Excellence demands a deep and thorough understanding of the ideas, skills, tools and techniques for achieving customer excellence.

I was lucky enough to see some of the brainstorming notes on the walls after work last night and it was amazing how much thought went into ensuring the success of the institution as well as the summit. 

The raison d etre of the Academia of Excellence is to provide Emiratis and expats with the requisite skill sets for a differentiated and admired UAE market known for its passion and success based on an unrelenting but practical focus on customer values.

The Academia of Excellence is founded by Mr. Naveed Syed and Mr. Rashid Mahboob. Naveed is a successful entrepreneur with over 18 years of chronicled success in driving benchmark-setting growth and expansion for globally focused fortune 500, turnaround, and start-up organizations.

“The UAE is a young country growing at an exponential pace in a dynamic global economy in which paradigms are created and demolished at an increasingly fast pace,” says Naveed. “The one constant in all this is the Customer – we needed to create a set up in which the requisite skills, tools and techniques are provided to achieve true customer centricity.”

The Academia of Excellence has partnered with the Dubai International Academic City (DIAC) with master-class courses in Xtreme Customer Loyalty™, Increasing Revenues through Customer Loyalty and Best Practices of Chief Customer Officers to name a few.

The Academia of Excellence opening summit at the Ritz Carlton DIFC Dubai was an interesting showcase of what the Academia of Excellence offers with workshops and seminars by global as well as UAE based business leaders towards the achievement of the ultimate Customer Experience.

As Naveed says, “The UAE now continues on a Journey to Leadership in Customer Excellence.” With UAE hosting more and more international events and growing in all spheres of life, we can be assured by the Academia of Excellence that customer service will be top notch in the near future.

Fall collection at ValleyDez

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An awesome chick, Seema will be revamping my wardrobe soon but with all the clothes that I have, she knows I will not be buying anything to revamp it but more figuring out what I have altogether and how they go with each other depending on my mood. All I hope is that she does not try to coax me to go to Valleydez – This season, Valleydez is all about contrasts; making a statement with bold colours and graphic prints while maintaining a soft femininity through flowing materials, delicate accessories, playful skirts and a selection of sophisticated dresses.

I know if I get there, Seem will have an easy task to get me buying so while I shall steer clear, those with ample space in their wardrobes may want to check the new collection out.

valeey

The colour palette captures the essence of the winter’s dramatic and elegant look with black, shades of pink and purple with splashes of red. Remaining true to what’s a la mode this season, prints and graphic designs are staples- lush bouquets of flowers on long skirts, wild animal motifs, exciting digital patterns on cropped pants, and an aesthetic combination of colour blocking laced with gold accents.

shereen shabnam valleydez

With an exciting variety of collections to choose from, you are sure to find the right pieces to brighten and embolden your winter wardrobe. Scouting the latest in Fashion drop by the shop to get acquainted with some new kids on the block this season such as 75 Faubourg denim, Stark Clutchs, Meli Melo,Project 104, WILBUR & GUSSIE among others.

Skincare and men

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Kiehls Shereen Shabnam

Just had some comments that I am biased and write only for women….not true because until now, I have written loads on toys for boys, in particular cars and yachts so this time, its different. Skin care for men. Not that I know much about skincare for men but after over a century of listening to the needs of its customers, Kiehl’s know a thing or two about men and their skincare.

Now Kiehl’s brand celebrates the introduction of Facial Fuel “Heavy Lifting” Firming, Lifting, Anti-Wrinkle Moisturizer for Men. The latest introduction to Kiehl’s popular Facial Fuel franchise, “Heavy Lifting” is a clinically-proven anti-aging treatment specifically formulated for men’s thicker, coarser skin.

“Men are from Mars.  Women are from Venus”
–John Gray, Ph. D, best-selling author

Men take a different approach than women to nearly everything in life. That difference extends even to their skin physiology and even their skincare routine. Men want to look good, professional, successful, youthful and healthy, yet they won’t use 4-8 products to get there.  Men want easy-to-use, multi-tasking products with ingredients they’ve heard of – and they want to see tangible results.

Kiehl’s, a pioneer in men’s skincare, continues to meet a man’s very specific skincare needs

With nearly 50 years of experience formulating products that meet the unique needs of a man’s skin, Kiehl’s chemists are true experts in developing skin care that delivers the superior results for today’s more sophisticated man. Facial Fuel “Heavy Lifting” Firming, Lifting, Anti-Wrinkle Moisturizer for Men is a dual-action anti-aging formula to battle the aging skin of men.  This formula begins with a first, very important action – gentle, yet thorough exfoliation to clear away surface layer debris.  Utilizing LHA Exfoliating Actives to break away surface layer debris on men’s tougher, thicker skin, this step immediately improves dull looking skin and it allows for the second action – lifting and firming to occur more effectively.

So there…you have it from the experts. And I get to change the perception that I only highlight news and stuff related to women 🙂

Fall Winter 13/14 Accessories from bimba & lola

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I’m loving the bags from bimba & lola – This season’s collection draws its soft, playful and feminine inspiration from the two ladies of the famed Grey Gardens, Edith Ewing Bouvier and her daughter, Edith Bouvier Beale.

Fijianchick bimba & lola

Mirroring the Beales’ opulent past in their jewellery pieces Bimba and Lola creates a ‘vintage heirloom’ look.

Fijianchick 2 bimba

Scarves, handbags and hats are essential to an elegant fifties ensemble. The Autumn-Winter collection pairs delicate patterns with bright, bold colours. Love it!

3 - bimba & lola shereen shabnam

The Porsche 918 Spyder celebrates world debut

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PI-VR GmbH vred 6.07

Diva is on about Porsche again…This time for good reason as the technologically pioneering Porsche 918 Spyder celebrated its debut at this year’s International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt. The super sportscar with plug-in hybrid drive marks the beginning of a new era for sportscar manufacturing.

Never before has a super sportscar designed for everyday use offered such an impressive dynamic performance combined with the fuel consumption of a compact car. In setting this technological benchmark, the Porsche 918 Spyder is taking on a pioneering role similar to that of the 911 when it was unveiled at the IAA fifty years ago.

Anyway…to mark this anniversary, Porsche is presenting the “50 years 911” limited edition model. Based on the 911 Carrera S platform, this special model combines traditional 911 features with state-of-the-art technology. Porsche is completing its sportscar line-up with the new 911 Turbo, which is being presented to the public for the first time at the major trade show in Frankfurt.

The 918 Spyder is the continuation of the traditional Porsche DNA in a ground-breaking sportscar concept. Designed from the start to be a high-performance hybrid, the 918 Spyder boasts an unprecedented combination of performance (offering the 887-bhp output of a super sportscar) and the virtually silent locomotion of an electric vehicle.

What excites me most – The vehicle is able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds and offers an average standard fuel consumption of between 3.0 and 3.3 litres/100 km. The 918 Spyder concept also allows a combustion engine to be combined with an electric motor-based drive to further optimise the dynamic performance of the vehicle.

Going back in history – Since its debut at the IAA in September 1963, the 911 has been revered by car enthusiasts around the world as the epitome of the sportscar. The bestseller is now celebrating its 50th anniversary in Frankfurt, and Porsche is marking the occasion with a limited edition model based on the current 911 Carrera S.

Only 1963 special models are available – the same number as the year of the 911 world premiere. In addition to a comprehensive features package and various visual references to the early years of this iconic sportscar, this very special 911 model exclusively combines the wide body of the all-wheel models with the traditional rear-wheel drive of the original 911, which also featured a flat-six engine that transmitted power to the rear wheels.

Science of Photography workshops at Bahrain Science Centre

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Light_Painting[1]

One of the interesting and the most recent workshops that will be held in Bahrain Science Centre, a part of the Ministry of Social Development in the month of September 2013 is the “Science of Photography Workshop”

The main objective of this workshop is to introduce the participants to the basic concepts of the science behind photography. The goal is to illustrate the fundamental basics and terms of digital photography such as ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed to the audience in an interactive and comprehensible manner. The trainers will also be discussing the simple basics and “rules” of photocomposition.

By the end of this workshop, the participants will learn how essential it is to understand and control light in order for them to attain the desired results. They will also understand how the human eye functions and how similar the mechanism is to that of a camera.

The workshop will conclude with a practical exercise of a technique called “Light Painting.” Light painting is a photographic technique in which exposures are made by moving a hand-held light source or by moving the camera.

The workshop primarily targets youngsters from the age of 12 and above. Interested visitors can download the weekly programme on the website www.bahrainsciencecentre.com for more information.

The Bahrain Science Centre is located in Building 334, Road 109, Block 801, Riyadh Avenue, Isa Town, Kingdom of Bahrain and can be contacted on 17686466

A Million Little Pieces

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dima shereen shabnam

Dima Ayad’s new collection really does try to meet the needs of women from all spheres of life.

She recognises that a Woman’s life is made of ‘A Million Little Pieces’ through the roles she strives to fulfil and the people that she engages with in her life. This season’s inspiration drew from a mother, a wife, a sister, a confidante, a lover, a successful working woman, and the list goes on for the many roles a Woman endures.

The Autumn Winter collection is brought to life with subdued tones of Blue, Grey, Rose, Gold, Ivory Purple and Burgundy and a hint of Lime Green. Dima’s staple fabric use of Lace, Gros grain, Crepe, Silk and Tulle ensured the collection evolved while staying true to it signature…. check them out.

dima ayad shereen shabnam

Volkswagen Service Excellence

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I am clearly in VW mode –  As part of their on-going commitment to Service Excellence, Volkswagen Middle East now offers their customers a reduced Cost of Ownership as well as guaranteeing the Recommended Retail Price.

To demonstrate their offering in a different way, they have created the below videos which i thought was cool as normally i get long pages of information from people which take ages to read!

Check them out…Enjoy!

Total Cost of Ownership: http://we.tl/LEOGNQYdku

Recommended Retail Prices: http://we.tl/R4OjN2xsWd

Culinary diversity at The Galleria on Al Maryah Island

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Al Maryah Island - promenade shereen

 Just when I mentally told myself I will be on diet for the next 3 months, it gets thwarted  by news of amazing new dining options – all I can say is I’m glad its in Abu Dhabi so to some extent, the calories will be burnt in travel should I stumble towards Al Maryah Island in the next few weeks.

 Set to open in the coming weeks, The Galleria on Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi’s new luxury retail and dining destination, will not only feature an unrivalled collection of designer labels and luxury brands but also the finest cuisines and some of the world’s most acclaimed dining concepts. Thirteen gourmet outlets that will bring the culinary diversity in Abu Dhabi to a new level are set to impress even the most sophisticated palates.

The Galleria is establishing a reputation as Abu Dhabi’s most alluring urban hub, with 8 new dining concepts, adding to previously announced venues including Zuma, set to complement Emporio Armani Caffe, Almaz by Momo, Caffé Nero and Magnolia Bakery.

Any craving will be catered for by a mixture of licensed and unlicensed venues that will adorn The Galleria’s stunning setting, offering a range of international cuisines by Bentley Bistro & Bar, Café Bateel, Biryani Pot, Nolu’s Downtown, Lemongrass, Carluccio’s,  Burger Fuel and Taqado.

Developed by Gulf Related and Mubadala Real Estate & Infrastructure (MREI), The Galleria on Al Maryah Island is a 33,000 square meter (355,000sq. ft) GLA luxury shopping and dining development with a stunning waterfront promenade….. looks like we have to keep an eye on the waistline with all the delights coming our way this year.