1.Introduction :

In the present scenario of competitive banking, excellence in customer service is the most 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 organizations. As a service organization, customer service and customer satisfaction should be the prime concern of any bank. The bank believes that providing prompt and efficient service is essential not only to attract new customers, but also to retain existing ones. This policy document aims at minimizing instances of customer complaints and grievances through proper service delivery and review mechanism and to ensure prompt redressal of customer complaints and grievances. The review mechanism should help in identifying shortcomings in product features and service delivery. Customer dissatisfaction would spoil bank’s name and image. The bank’s policy on grievance redressal follows the under noted principles.

a) Customers be treated fairly at all times.

b) Complaints raised by customers are dealt with courtesy and on time.

Customers are fully informed of avenues to escalate their c) complaints/grievances within the organization and their rights to alternative remedy, if they are not fully satisfied with the response of the bank to their complaints.

Bank will treat all complaints efficiently and fairly as d) they can damage the bank’s reputation and business if handled otherwise.

The bank employees must work in good faith and without prejudice to the interests of the customer. e)

In order to make bank’s redressal mechanism more meaningful and effective, a structured system needs to be built up towards such end. Such system would ensure that the redressal sought is just and fair and is permissible within the given frame-work of rules and regulation. The policy document would be made available at all branches. The concerned employees should be made aware about the Complaint handling process.

The customer complaint arises due to;

a) The attitudinal aspects in dealing with customers

b) Inadequacy of the functions/arrangements made available to the customers or gaps in standards of services expected 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. He can give his complaint in writing, orally or over telephone. If customer’s complaint is not resolved within given time or if he is not satisfied with the solution provided by the bank, he can approach Banking Ombudsman with his complaint or other legal avenues available for grievance redressal.

2.Internal Machinery to handle Customer complaints/grievances:

2.1) Customer Service Committee of the Board:

This sub-committee of the Board would be responsible for formulation of a Comprehensive Deposit Policy incorporating the issues such as the treatment of death of a depositor for operations of his account, the product approval process and the annual survey of depositor satisfaction and the tri-enniel audit of such services. The Committee would also examine any other issues having a bearing on the quality of customer service rendered. This Committee would also review the functioning of Standing Committee on Customer Service.

2.2) Standing Committee on Customer Service:

The Standing Committee on Customer Service will be chaired by the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of the bank. Besides two to three senior executives of the bank, the committee would also have two to three eminent non-executives drawn from the public as members. The committee would have the following functions.

Evaluate feed-back on quality of customer service

a) 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.

b) 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 functional heads.

The committee would also consider unresolved c) complaints/grievances referred to it by functional heads responsible for redressal and offer their advice.

The committee would submit report on its performance to d) the Customer Service Committee of the Board at quarterly intervals.

2.3) Nodal Officer and other designated officials to handle complaints and grievances :

The Bank would appoint a Nodal Officer not below the rank of a Deputy General Manager who will be responsible for the implementation of customer service and complaint handling for the entire bank. The name and contact details of nodal officer will be displayed on branch notice boards.