Grievance Redressal Mechanism
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 the Bank 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 contains the under noted principles.
• Customers be treated fairly at all times
• Complaints raised by customers are dealt with courtesy and on time
• Customers are fully informed of avenues to escalate their
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 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. 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 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.
1.1 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 shall have full rights 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 operation of an
account on the death of a depositor, the product approval process
and the annual survey of depositor satisfaction and the tri-enniel
audit of such services. This Committee shall also be responsible for
examining loan policies and service issues for the individual as a
borrower also. 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/ Executive
Director 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 feedback 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.
• The Committee would be responsible to ensure
that the bank follows all regulatory instructions regarding customer
service. Towards this, the committee would obtain necessary feedback
from regional managers/ functional heads.
• The Committee will look into the complaints
received, regarding non-compliance with the code of Banking Codes
and Standards Board of India. • The committee
would consider unresolved complaints/grievances referred to it by
functional heads responsible for redressal and offer their advice.
• The committee would submit report on its performance to the
customer service committee of the board at quarterly intervals.
2.3 Nodal Officer and other designated
officials to handle complaints and grievances.
Bank would appoint a Nodal Officer of the rank of
General Manager (or its equivalent) who will be responsible for the
implementation of customer service and complaint handling for the
entire bank. The bank would also appoint Customer Relation Officer,
not below an Officer in Scale-III, at Regional offices, to handle
complaint grievances in respect of branches falling under their
control.
3. Mandatory display requirements
It is mandatory for the bank to provide;
• Appropriate arrangement for receiving complaints and suggestions.
• The name, address and contact number of Nodal
Officer(s) • Contact details of Banking Ombudsman
of the area • Code of bank's commitments to
customers/Fair Practice code 4. Resolution of
Grievances
Branch Manager is responsible for the resolution
of complaints/grievances in respect of customer's service by the
branch. He would be responsible for ensuring closure of all
complaints received at the branches. It is his foremost duty to see
that the complaint should be resolved completely to the customer's
satisfaction and if the customer is not satisfied, then he should be
provided with alternate avenues 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 case to 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 Head
Office. 4.1 Time frame
Complaint has to be seen in the right perspective
because they indirectly reveal a weak spot in the working of the
bank. Complaint received should be analyzed from all possible
angles. Branch level functionaries should endeavor to resolve the
issue within 7 days from the date of receipt of any complaint. The
Regional Office should endeavor to resolve the complaint received at
their end within 15 days from the date of receipt of the complaint.
Head Office shall dispose off the complaint received at their end
within 21 days from the date of receipt of the complaint. In case
the complaint is not resolved at the Bank level even after the lapse
of a month, aggrieved customers may approach the Banking Ombudsman
within whose jurisdiction the branch or office of the bank
complained against is located. Unresolved complaints are to be
referred from branch to Regional Office/ Regional Office to Head
Office immediately, so that all complaints are resolved within 21
days from the date of their receipt.
Communication of bank's stand on any issue to the
customer is a vital requirement. Complaints received, which would
require some time for examination of issues involved, should
invariably be acknowledged promptly.
Branch and Regional office must send action taken
report on complaints received to the head office at the end of every
month.
5. Interaction with customers
The bank recognizes that customer's
expectation/requirement/grievances can be better appreciated through
personal interaction with customers by bank's staff. Structured
customer meets, say once in a month will give a message to the
customers that the 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 for revising its product and
services to meet customer requirements.
6. Sensitizing operating staff on handling
complaints Staff should 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 should 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 should give feed
back on training needs of staff at various levels to the HR Dept.
Customer Complaint Form • PDF Form • HTML Forms
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