Policy for Grievance Redressal
Introduction:
In the present scenario of competetive banking, excellence in Customer Service is the more important tool for sustained business growth. Customer complaints are part of the business life of any corporate entity. This is more so for banks because banks are service organisations. As a service organisation customer service and customer satisfaction should be prime concern of bank. The bank believes that providing prompt and efficient service is essential not only to attract new customers but also to retain existing customers. This policy document aims at minimising instances of customer complaints and grievance through proper service delivery and review mechanism and to ensure prompt redressal of customer complaints and grievances. The review mechanism would help in identifying shortcomings in product features and service delivery. Customer dissatisfaction would spoil bank’s name and image. The bank`s endeavor would be to understand the nature of problem and probe the cause of customer dissatisfaction. A satisfied customer is an asset for the bank. The Banks policy on grievance redressal follows the under noted principles:-
· Customer be treated fairly and reasonably and their needs assessed at all times, as they can damage the Bank’s reputation and business, if handled otherwise.
· Complaints/grievances of customers are dealt with courtesy and promptly and to his satisfaction within given parameters.
· Customers are fully informed of avenues to escalate their complaints/ grievances within the organisation and their rights to alternate remedy, if they are not fully satisfied with the response of the Bank to their complaints.
· The bank employees must work in good faith and without prejudice to the interest of customers.
In order to make Bank’s redressal mechanism meaningful and effective a structured system needs to be built up. Such system would ensure that the redressal sought is just and fair and is permissible within the given frame work of rules and regulations. The policy document would be made available at all branches and over Bank’s website.
The customer complaint arises due to:-
(a) The attitudinal aspect in dealing with customers.
(b) Inadequacy of the functions/arrangements made available to the customers or gaps in standard of services and actual services rendered.
The customer is having full right to register his complaint, if he is not satisfied with the services provided by the Bank or due to attitudinal behavior of staff. He can give his complaint in writing, orally or even over phone/E mail. If customer complaint is not resolved to his satisfaction within reasonable time of 30 days he may approach Banking Ombudsman of the area with his complaint seeking relief/redressal: All the branches will display a board in the Banking hall at conspicuous place in this regard. The branches will keep sufficient number of printed application forms for making complaint to Banking Ombudsman and will make available to customers on demand.
The branches will maintain complaint book serially numbered and perforated, in 3 copies,one copy of which will be provided to the complainant duly acknowledged. A complaint cum suggestion box will be maintained at all branches duly locked and action will be taken on all complaints and suggestions received regularly.
The customers may lodge complaint directly to the Controlling Office or Central/Corporate Office if not satisfied with the response of branch. All complaints so received will be duly acknowledged and serially entered and will be redressed expeditiously and reasonably keeping in view extent guidelines of the Bank. The outcome/action taken will be informed to the customer. The customer may approach to higher authority or Banking Ombudsman, in case he is not satisfied with the redressal by the Bank.
Internal machinery to handle
customer complaints/grievances :-
1. Customer Service Committee at branch – customer service committees will be formed at all branches and will meet atleast once in a month to discuss and monitor the suggestions/complaints received from customers and improvement in customer service.
2.Customer Service Committees at Regional Offices – Customer Service Committees will be formed at all Regional Offices headed by the Regional Head and two other members, one preferably incharge of the department handling customer complaints/grievances. The Committee will meet atleast once in a month and will monitor/take action on suggestions/complaints received directly and through BORCD/Grievance Redressal Department at Central Office/ Banking Ombudsman . The Committee would also monitor status of customer service at branches and of complaints / suggestions received from branches/ Regional Offices.
3.Customer Service Committee of Executives at Central Office :-
A Customer Service Committees will be formed at Central Office, headed by the Executive Director. The other members of the Committee will be as under :-
(1) Vice President
(2) General Manager(P)
(3) Sr. A.V.P.,Accounts & Taxation
(4) Head of Inspection and Audit Department
(5) Head of P&D Department
(6) Head of BORC Deptt.
(7) Head of OP&BD Deptt.
(8) Regional Head, Jaipur Region.
The Committee will meet atleast once in a quarter. The Committee will review/monitor status of complaints received/pending and will give directions as necessary. The Committee will review subjectwise position of complaints, Regionwise position of complaints etc. and will also monitor compliance of directions of the Customer Service Committee of the Board and Standing Committee on Customer service. The Managing Director will be authorised to make change in above committee. The Committee may invite any other executive as Invitee to the meeting/s.
4Standing Committee on Customer Service:
The Standing Committee on Customer Service will be Headed by the Executive Director of the bank. The other members of the Committee would be as under:-
1. Vice President
2.General Manager(P)
3.Sr.Asstt.Vice President(A&T)
4. Head of Insp. &Audit deptt.
5. Head of BORC Deptt.
6. Head of P&D Deptt.
7. Head of OP&BD Deptt
Invitee customers.(The Committee would invite 4-5 customers on random basis from branches at Jaipur)
The committee would have the following functions.
1. 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.
2. 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 Regional Managers/functional heads.
3. The committee also would consider unresolved complaints/grievances referred to it by functional heads responsible for redressal and offer their advice.
4. The committee would submit report on its performance to the customer service committee of the board at half yearly intervals.
Nodal Officers:
(1) Nodal Officers will be appointed at all Regional Offices and at Central Office. The Head of BORC Department will be the nodal officer for Central Office and second man at Regional Offices. The name, address and contact number of Nodal Officers will be displayed on the website of the Bank and will be communicated to the Banking Ombudsmen and Reserve Bank of India and other institutions, so that they may refer matters of customer service directly to them. The Nodal Officers would be responsible for redressal of complaints/grievances and implementation of Customer Service in the Regions/Bank. The names of Nodal Officers with address, contact numbers of Controlling Office and Central Office will be displayed in the Banking Hall at conspicuous place at all branches.
Customer Relation Officer - At every semi urban/urban and metro branches “May I help Counters” will be provided and an Officer will be designatedas Quality assurance and Customer Relation Officer to assist the customers in getting their work done and inform them about Bank’s services/charges/schemes etc. The BORC Department is working on “Grahak Mitra” Scheme and same will be circulated if found suitable after getting proper approval. The “May I help” counters will also be provided at all Regional Offices.
Resolution of Grievances/Complaints – Branch Manager will be responsible for resolution of complaints/grievance in respect of customer’s service by the branch. He would be responsible for expeditious and timely redressal of complaints received at the branch. It is his foremost duty to see that the complaint should be resolved to the customer satisfaction , within the given instructions of the Bank, and if the customer is not satisfied then he should provide him/guide him for the alternate avenue 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 matter to his Controlling Office/Regional Office for guidance. Similarly, if Regional Office finds that they are not able to solve the problem, such cases may be referred to the Nodal Officer at Central Office under copy to the concerned department, who has to take action/provide guidance.
The Nodal Officer, at Central Office will receive all complaints directly from Customer/Regional offices or through Banking Ombudsman and will register the same properly under serial number. The complaints received will be got redressed satisfactorily and final outcome will be informed to the customer under copy to the Controlling Office and concerned branch. All complaints received directly will be acknowleded to the customer.
Time frame –
Complaints have to be seen in right perspective, as they indirectly reveal a week spot of the working of the Bank and give us opportunity to provide better services to our valued customers. This not only provides satisfied customers to the Bank but also helps in bringing new business to the Bank. Complaints received should be analysed from all possible angles.
The complaints received should be redressed immediately but within a maximum period as under:-
(1) Complaints received at Branches, which can be disposed within 24 hours
at branch level.
(2) Complaints received at Branch requiring/guidance within 15 days
at Regional Office level.
(3) Complaints received at Branch requiring action at within 30 days
Central Office level.
(4) Complaints received at Regional Office requiring within 15days
action at their level or Branch level.
(5) Complaints received at Regional Office requiring within 30 days
action at Central/Corporate Office level.
(6) Complaints received at Central Office level within 30 days
directly/through Regional Office/Banking Ombudsman.
It will be ensured that complaints are redressed positively within the given time frame. However, all complaints received at Branch/Regional Office/Central Office directly from the customer be acknowledged promptly but within 3 days positively, in case of complaints which would require some time for examination of issues involved and action to be taken. All branches will submit a monthly report of complaints received at the Branch and disposed off and pending stating status of the complaint to their Controlling Office.
The Regional Offices will submit a monthly report of complaints received directly at his Office to BORC Department, Central Office, Jaipur informing status of complaints.
The BORC Department will place status of complaints received before the Customer Service Committee of Executives on quarterly basis and before the customer service committee of Board on half yearly basis.
Interaction with Customers –
The Bank recognises that customers expectations/requirements/grievances can be better appreciated through personal interaction with customers by Bank’s staff. Structured customer meets will give a message to the customers that 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 customers appreciate banking services better. As for the Bank the feed back from customers would be valuable input in revising its input and services to meet customers requirements. Sufficient number of customers therefore, should be invited in customer service meetings at all level say branch, Regional Office and Central Office. The staff involvement would also be ensured in improving customer services through “Staff suggestion Scheme” of the Bank.The Branches would use services of “Quality Assurance Officers” appointed at branches, in true spirit to improve services and provide quality service to the customers.
Sensitizing operating staff on handling complaints
Staff would 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 would be able to win the customer’s 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 would give feed back on training needs of staff at various levels to the HR Department.
BORC Department will analyse the cause of complaints and nature of complaints and will place a note before Managing Director alongwith their suggestions for improvement in the area of deficiency and will inform to the concerned departments in summary with the request to take suitable remedial steps, on half yearly basis.