During the first week of October, many companies, and organizations in Uganda, joined their counterparts across the world, to celebrate the importance of customer service, to appreciate those who serve and support customers on a regular basis. It was also a good time to reflect on the general level of satisfaction amongst customers, because of the services they receive daily, across multiple industries and sectors.
Whereas customer satisfaction is key to driving business success globally, it is even more crucial in the banking sector because of the sensitive nature of the business. Customer satisfaction can either build or break a bank brand.
Some people shy away from banks just because they are wary of all the paperwork needed for transactions, the mechanical nature of the bank staff, among other issues.
Money has been a sensitive topic for as old as man has used it as a currency. Like the cliché goes, money makes the world go around. It therefore takes much more than trust for one-person, later hundreds, thousands or millions to entrust the safekeeping of their money with anyone or any institution – even banks. The need to humanize the banking industry has never been more important than today. It is vital in creating and maintaining trust across all networks of people. With trust comes loyalty and strong relationship bonds between the bank and its customers.
As one of the most sensitive industries, investing in customer relations and by extension satisfaction should be treated as a must within any banking institution. It takes more than the casual acknowledgement of bank customers through the daily banking interactions to build and maintain such relations.
It is up to the bank to make the customer valued by going over and beyond to use the customer’s expectations to create memorable experiences for them. It is much easier for an average person to entrust a bank with their money if the bank goes out of its way to make them valued and a part of the process.
Understanding customer needs guarantees tailored solutions, better customer needs’ solutions and ultimately excellent customer satisfaction. A client understood means unwavering loyalty earned.
It should be the culture of bank employees not just put up a show of doing the work, but rather to put themselves in the customer’s shoes. Customers have a way of telling the difference between genuine interest in their needs from a feigned professional interest.
It is, however, important to understand that providing an exceptional customer experience is not a feat achieved overnight.
KCB Bank’s is intentional about the Customer Obsession Agenda. We leverage on technology to automate routine tasks, provide self-service options to simplify the customer journey while minimizing bottlenecks.
Additionally, gathering and acting on customer feedback obtained from surveys has been critical in improving the bank’s products, services, and processes in a bid to enhance the overall customer experience. So please keep giving us that feedback.
We commit to remain at the forefront of technological advancements and innovative solutions that simplify banking processes for our customers. We are intentional about developments that offer user-friendly digital platforms and seamless mobile banking experiences as well as, being transparent about our products, services, and fees to ensure our customers have all the information they need to make informed decisions.
We shall do our very best to address customer concerns efficiently and effectively, to ensure they feel heard and supported. KCB the bank that is For People, For Better.
The Writer, Patience Byamukama Rwantale is the Customer Experience Manager at KCB Bank Uganda.
