ALL EARS: Banking Ombudsman of Andhra Pradesh Deepali Pant Joshi at the workshop in Kurnool on Wednesday. — Photo: U. Subramanyam

KURNOOL: Deepali Pant Joshi, Banking Ombudsman, Andhra Pradesh, called upon bankers to build an internal redressal mechanism to look into customer grievance much before the aggrieved persons knocked at the door of Ombudsman.

Addressing a workshop on "Effective Customer Service and Role of Banking Ombudsman", sponsored by State Bank of Hyderabad here on Wednesday, she asked the banks to designate the nodal officers at regional and zonal levels to look into customer grievances. Wide publicity should

be given to the nodal officers system to attract the notice of the customers.

She said the functioning of the banking industry hinged on credibility and reputation and the banks should not hesitate to take any amount of trouble to protect it. Bankers should understand that a satisfied customer is an effective brand ambassador of the bank.

Dr. Joshi said most of the complaints reaching the Ombudsman were relating to malfunctioning of the ATMs and unsolicited credit cards. According to her, the office received 1,438 complaints last year and 2,556 complaints so far this year. The rising number of complaints should serve as a wake -up call for bankers, said.

The region-wise flow of complaints was 699 from Andhra, 845 from Hyderabad, 281 from Telangana and 136 from Rayalaseema. The Ombudsman had jurisdiction over 6,090 branches of 73 banks across the State.

She told the bankers that any change in customer policy, be it revision of interest rates or enhancement of minimum balance limit, should be communicated to the customers in writing.

Rajeev Joshi, consultant, micro-finance said banks should take steps to retain their old customers, as securing a new customer would cost five times more. He called upon bankers to be prepared for a new role where traditional banking would be many of the services offered by future bankers.

Also, banks should shape their services keeping in view the emerging middle class, which had more disposable income. He said banks should keep the staff in good humour as they alone delivered the goods. Many branches were losing business in the absence of parking slots.

Narasimha Reddy, Deputy General Manager, SBH, welcoming the gathering said the banks should now aim to achieve customer delight from the point of customer satisfaction. K. Ahmed, retired director of RBI, T.G. Bharat, chairman of Rayalaseema Highstrength Hypo and others spoke.

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