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`Customer satisfaction key to growth of bank'

Staff Reporter

Ombudsman's role is conciliatory, says Krishnamurthy

KOCHI: The biggest challenge to Indian banks comes not from trade unions or foreign banks but from customers who are demanding more, Banking Ombudsman for Kerala and Lakshwadeep V. Krishnamurthy has said.

Shopping for banks was a trend with which the banking industry had to cope with, he said inaugurating the 15th general body meeting of the Indian Bank Officers' Association (IBOA) Kerala here on Sunday.

Rising expectations from the customers and narrow margins of profit are challenges before the banking industry as a whole, he said. Mr. Krishnamurthy said the role of the Ombudsman was one of conciliation and not confrontation. It was a democratic and not an autocratic set up, he said.

He said that bank workers who had to cope with the increase in working hours had to make sure that they juggled their roles well so that their health, family life and work were taken care of.

According to the Ombudsman, a sense of belonging and stability needed to be created when postings are done. This was specially so at the senior level, he said.

P. Vijayakumar, chairman of the reception committee welcomed the gathering. C. V. Mohandas, President, IBOA Kerala, delivered the presidential address.

K. Rajan, Deputy General Manager and Circle Head of the Indian Bank, said that the bank management had always an open mind and congratulated the bank officers who were responsible for turning the bank around.

P. V. Mathew, vice-president of All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC), pointed out the new challenges facing the bank officers. He said that bank officers had to put up with up to 12 hours of work.

Even women officers were not spared, he said. He said the increased workload encroached on family life.

The speakers pointed out that while the customers could raise their grievances with the Banking Ombudsman, the bank officers had no forum to raise their problems. P.B. Thomas, president, AIBOC, Kerala, and V.K. Jagannathan, secretary, AIBOC, Kerala, were among those who spoke at the inaugural function.

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