Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Friday, May 04, 2007
ePaper
Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Friday, May 04, 2007 ePaper |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Home Page
-
Public Sector Banks Money & Banking - Customer Relationship Management
A.J.Vinayak
Mangalore/Chennai May 3 It boils down to a simple thing - providing the personal phone numbers of officials. That's what makes Mr A. John Paul a 28-year-old software engineer, a very satisfied customer of ITPL branch of State Bank of India in Bangalore. His testimonial runs - "The bank officials have given their personal phone numbers so that we can contact them at any point of time, in case of any problem. I am even suggesting the bank to many of my friends, and some of them have opened accounts with the bank," he said. Contrasting this with his bitter experience with a leading private sector bank, he said, "That bank gave me the phone number of their customer service call centre. (I couldn't get the message across.) You just end up fighting with the customer service people." Mr Paul's experience is not uncommon. Nor is his experience with SBI a happy and fortunate coincidence.
determined effort
Behind the pleasant experience that Mr Paul had, lay a determined effort by SBI to win back younger customers from its rampaging private sector counterparts. Ever since Mr O.P. Bhatt took over as Chairman last year, the focus has been on preventing the slide in market share, currently at about 20 per cent for the whole group. Slow to react initially to the technological edge that private banks had, the State Bank group has roused itself on this front. It has computerised and networked its branches to give the new banks a run for their money. But technology is not the only plank on which it is fighting.
BOUTIQUE BANKING
A strategy paper prepared by SBI's Karnataka Circle, says that technology, although an important weapon to fight competition, will also have to be aided by "boutique banking". Under a pilot project called the Customer Service Excellence Initiative, the bank is trying out some ideas in customer service in 12 branches in Bangalore city. The objective of the initiative that began in November 2006 was to transform these 12 branches - from ambience to the attitude, from the leadership to the men and women manning the counters, and leave such an impact on the customer that he or she would make favourable comparisons with the best in the private sector. That goal seems closer to fruition if initial reactions of some customers whom Business Line spoke to, are anything to go by.
Hospitality edge
In a benchmarking move aimed at improving customer service, SBI decided to borrow some tips from the hospitality industry. Ms Mahpara Ali, SBI's Chief General Manager, Karnataka Circle, said the bank had approached the Taj Group in Bangalore to conduct sessions on etiquette and communication, particularly for front line staff. About 500 of its staff, including top officials underwent this training. In due course, it intends to take this programme to 50 more branches. The next phase of implementation will be in tier-II cities such as Mangalore, Mysore and Hubli. This is in addition to the Connect to Customer programme of the bank, an internal training system of the bank for customer service that trains every one, including messengers and guards in branches. Around 4,000-5,000 staff members have been trained in customer service under this programme, she said. (To be continued)
Related Stories: More Stories on : Public Sector Banks | Customer Relationship Management | State Bank of India
Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page
|
Stories in this Section |
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | The Hindu ePaper | Business Line | Business Line ePaper | Sportstar | Frontline | The Hindu eBooks | The Hindu Images | Home |
Copyright © 2007, The
Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu Business Line
|
