It is better for the bank to improve its services first to domestic customers before it attempts to introduce/improve its services to customers outside the country. Charity begins at home is what the bank should understand at this stage. The bank's service record cannot be said to be that good seeing the number of complaints received by the Banking Ombudsman. The bank has a set up to receive complaints and feed back and the complaints can be registered at various levels, but the fact remains that the replies are standardised from all levels and the complainants receive the same stereotyped replies mostly regretting their inability to provide the service the customers require. It is always the turn of the Customer to provide the service to banks ie avoid as far as possible to make any demands. Manage with what they have to offer. Knowledge of banking is alien to operational level staff and human touch and interaction are not expected of them and they were all virtues of banking in the 1990s and earlier periods. The present set of staff are expected to know and refer only to some standard checklist fed in the computer. Common sense and application of mind are limited to the capability of the Computers and human beings are not expected to depend or use them in the discharge of their day to day duties. It is for the Customers to appreciate all these and adjust themselves for what they get. KYC and Technology also become more of a handicap than a help for customers to switch banks. Old generation banks under certain compulsions do care old generation people where as new generation banks have been enjoying the unwritten freedom to ignore old generation people. When the domestic customers undergo harassing and harrowing experiences without any way of getting relief, one cannot imagine what sort of suffering the NRI Customers would undergo. The very top management's intentions are good and laudable, but the fact remains that they seldom percolate down and the ground realities are something different and unpleasant.
Dr.T.V.Gopalakrishnan
Dr.T.V.Gopalakrishnan
(A modified version of this comment has been published in Business Standard in Response to a report ICICI Bank introduces convenient banking service for Indians migrating to Canada appeared on the 16th July 2014.)
3 comments:
I had bitter experience with ICICI Bank, Lokhandwala Complex branch. About 2 years back, I wanted to close my account in view of my relocation. I visited the branch on few occasions for the purpose. They wanted me to go to their various subsidiary offices located elsewhere to produce 'No Objection Certificates' from each of them. Such requests were not even made in one go. Even to this day, my request to sever relations with this unfriendly bank remains pending.
When the account was opened by visiting my residence in one go, why the bank cannot close the same that way by obtaining required information internally?
Service can improve only if top management once in a while attempt to understand what is happening at ground level. They think that with advertisments and providing facilities to provide feedback and complaints, the matter is over. They have to vist branches in cognitio to assess the understanding of their staff at counters about the basic knowledge of banking, their attitude and response to customers requirements etc , interrview some customers at random over phone and also study in detail about the customers grievances and see that they are in a position to solve the grievances if necessary by avoiding uncalled for procedures. Umpteen things can be done to improve the services. The mindset should be there that is all.
Restore the status of Branch Manager of the Bank and make him accountable to rendering service to the customers after giving him the freedom and resources. Educate, enable and empower the groundlevel staff not just how to click the mouse but how to treat human being as human being and you have done it all. Customer meets are a rarity. I have not seen any invite for a customer-meet during the last twenty years either from my branch or the Regional Office or Head Office of the SBI and the records hold out that the customer meets are held. Orchestered customer meets routinely held have no purpose to serve.
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