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2.4 Standing Committee on Customer Service
The Standing Committee on Customer Service will be chaired by the Managing Director /Executive Director of the Bank. Besides two or three senior executives of the bank, the committee would also have two to three eminent non executives drawn from the Public as members. The committee would have the following function:
Evaluate feed-back on quality of customer service received from various quarters. The committee would also review comments/feed-back on customer service and implementation of commitments in the Code of Bank’s Commitments to Customers received from BCSBI.
The Committee would be responsible to ensure that all regulatory instructions regarding customer service are followed by the Bank. Towards this, the Committee would obtain necessary feed-back from the Zonal /functional heads.
The committee also would consider unresolved complaints/grievances referred to it by functional heads responsible for redressal and offer their advice.
The Committee shall review the compensation paid by bank to complainants for errors.
The committee would submit report on its performance to the customer service committee of the board at quarterly intervals.
3 Mandatory display requirements
It is mandatory for the branches to provide;
Appropriate arrangement for receiving complaints and suggestions
The name, address and contact number of Nodal Officer
Contact details of Banking Ombudsman of the area
Code of Bank’s commitments to customers/Fair Practice Code
Head Office shall supply posters for display in branches so that all necessary information is presented in a standardized manner.
4 Resolution of Grievances
Branch Manager is responsible for the resolution of complaints/grievances in respect of customer’s service by the Branch. He would be responsible for ensuring closure of all complaints received at the branch. It is his foremost duty to see that the complaint should be resolved completely to the customer’s satisfaction and if the customer is not satisfied, then he should be provided with alternate avenues to escalate the issue. If the branch manager feels that it is not possible at his level to solve the problem he can refer the case to Zonal Office, for guidance. Similarly, if
Zonal Office finds that they are not able to solve the problem, such cases may be referred to the Nodal Officer at Head Office. Such references to higher authorities would be made reckoned from the date of lodgement/receipt of the complainant at the Branch level. Complaints lodged directly with RBI / Government departments would be promptly sent to the concerned branch /office of the Bank for resolution and followed up to ensure speedy resolution.
All complaints will be entered in a register, numbered, acknowledged and diary notes taken for follow up and resolution. Reminders, e-mails, faxes, phone-calls will be used for prompt resolution of complaints. The resolution will be conveyed to the complainants. The process shall be common for Branch/Zonal Office/Head Office.
4.1 Time Frame
The complaints are seen in the right perspective because they indirectly reveal a weak spot in the working of the bank. Complaints received are analyzed from all possible angles. Specific time schedule are set up for handling complaints and disposing them at all levels including Branch, Zonal and Head office. Branch manager should try to resolve the complaint within the specified time frames.
Communication of bank’s stand on any issue to the customer is a vital requirement. Complaints received which would require some time for examination of issues involved are acknowledged promptly.
The Branch and Zonal Office will send action taken report on complaints received to the Head Office at the end of every month.
We have instructed our Branches /Zonal Offices to make all out efforts to resolve grievances of complainants promptly. However, where procedural issues are involved, resolution may take a longer time. All efforts will be taken to ensure resolution of such complaints also within 3 to 4 weeks.
Proper functioning of the grievance redressal mechanism shall be inspected by auditors.
The customer service satisfaction survey would be conducted by Bank normally once in 3 years, covering all aspects of bank services. However, upon directions of the Customer Service Committee of the Board, it may be conducted at shorter intervals or for any specific service / group of services. The same shall be initiated/monitored/followed up and action taken on the survey report by General Operations Department, Grievances Redressal Cell at Head Office.
5 Interaction with customers
The bank recognizes that customer’s expectation/requirement/grievances can be better appreciated through personal interaction with customers by bank’s staff. Structured customer meets, say once in a month will be organised to give a message to the customers that the bank cares for them and values their feed back/suggestions for improvement in customer service. Many of the complaints arise on account of lack of awareness among customers about bank services and such interactions will help the customer appreciate banking services better. As for the bank the feed back from customers would be valuable input for revising its product and services to meet customer requirements.
6 Sensitizing operating staff on handling complaints
The staff will be properly trained for handling complaints. We are dealing with people and hence difference of opinion and areas of friction can arise. With an open mind and a smile on the face we will be able to win the customers confidence. It would be the responsibility of the Nodal Officer to ensure that internal machinery for handling complaints/grievances operates smoothly and efficiently at all levels. He will be giving feed back on training needs of staff at various levels to the HR deptt.
The Nodal Officer would develop training programmes on customer friendly behavior and resolution of complaint would get it administered through the training system. He would monitor the delivery of training and report to Customer Service Committee. It will be his responsibility to get all staff trained in this respect.
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