I had a chance to witness an interesting episode today at one of branches of a leading private Indian bank in Mumbai, India.
There was a bank customer at the bank's help desk who requested for additional cheque books. The bank officer on the other side said that she could request for one thro' the ATM( read channel migration!). The customer replied( slightly agitated) that she had already applied for one online but was in urgent need of some cheque leaves. The bank officer said that she can't help her very much but checked the status on the system and replied that the customer's new cheque book will reach them by courier in 3-4 days. The customer told the officer since they were a working couple, the cheque book would be returned undelivered as there will be nobody at home when the courier arrived. The bank officer immediately replied that in that case the cheque book would be sent back to the processing centre and it will then reach the branch in 10 days after which they could come and collect the cheque book!! The bank officer told them that there was no other alternative but to wait without understanding the customer's urgent need.
The customer left the branch bewildered! Welcome to the world of 24x 7 customer service. Is there only one way of delivering a cheque book for everybody? Can't the bank find a new of way of helping working couples with similar banking problems? It pays to remember - Not all customers are created equal.
Here's a rating of 33 banks by J.D Power and Associates. It provides some great insights for improving customer relationships...Read more