An Encounter With An Aggressive And Unfriendly Bank Staff -By Sandra Ijeoma Okoye

If there is any expectation which the leadership of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has always been looking forward to for commercial banks and other financial institutions to meet up with, it is unarguably that of meeting consumers’ needs, particularly as the sector has been experiencing a rapidly changing market with new and modern technologies, economic uncertainties, changing and more demanding customer services and above all fierce competition, that has presented an unpredictable set of challenges for them.

Unfortunately, the expectation, which is unarguably a collective one among all the 24 operating commercial banks in Nigeria is not been met by most of the banks.  In as much as it is an open secret that most of the banks are far from meeting the expectations of their diverse customers, permit me to say that the reality dawned on me when I recently lost my ATM card that was issued to me by ECOBANK by virtue of being its customer.

My predicament started recently on a Saturday when in my attempt to withdraw money from the bank’s ATM Machine, my ATM Card got stuck. In the bid to retrieve the card, I approached one of the bank’s staff who was on ground but in an aggressive and unfriendly manner asked me to come back on the next working day; which was on Monday. However, given the urgency with which the money was needed on that particular weekend, I pleaded that he should assist me in retrieving the card to enable me go to another bank’s ATM Machine; even if it involves paying extra charges for its usage, he blatantly refused. I know he is not restricted by any law by the CBN or rule within his bank to assist me in retrieving the card as I noticed that skeletal service was ongoing but he just chose to make me suffer on that particular weekend.

As an enlightened Nigerian, I am not unaware that a similar case had been under litigation when in May 2021, Olutayo Oyeleke, a Zenith Bank customer, lost more than a million naira after a series of unauthorized banking transactions.

In the case, Oyeleke told Journalists that he had gone to an Access Bank ATM in Lagere, Ile-Ife, Osun State, on May 4, 2021, to withdraw some money, but as he inserted his card into the machine, it got trapped.

He said he spoke to the security officials at the bank to help him get his card out, but they refused. He said they told him to return the following day as nothing could be done on a public holiday.

“When I got home, I discovered that my SIM card was blocked. I suspected it had something to do with my card. I then checked my account to be sure all was well,” he told Journalists.

To prove that the unfriendly customer trend is pervasive, it is expedient to say that my sister that banks with Fidelity bank also experienced the same treatment I got from Ecobank’ staff.

Against the foregoing backdrop, it is expedient to say that CBN’s leader has over the years, and for the umpteenth time urged staff of commercial banks; whether charged with the responsibilities of performing mainstream banking duties or not, to be transparent in their dealings in order to build customers’ confidence.

Specifically of mention in this context was the charge given by Kofo Salam-Alada, the Director, and Consumer Protection Department of CBN, who in 2019 advised staff of commercial banks in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja to be customer-friendly.

Mr. Salam-Alada said Nigerian banks and other financial institutions rendering financial services must be transparent and ensure fair treatment of customers.

“For banks to keep their customers and ensure they remain in business, there is the need to build the confidence of customers and ensure that they are happy with the services provided by the banks.

“What we are doing here is to help the business of the banks and our expectation is that at a certain stage, the regulators will have less to do in terms of market conduct.

“A satisfied customer goes out to advertise the bank because to me, good treatment of customers should be the best advertisement for banking business, capital market, and Insurance among others.

At this juncture, it is not unexpected for some readers of this piece to fault my opinion by saying that the staff I met on ground on that day, and who was rude is not a core banking staff. Agreed, but it is expedient that a bank, being a customer-oriented business entity must ensure that all its staff, starting from the gateman, and even the cleaner that intermittently sweeps the banking hall, should be orientated towards the culture of satisfactory customer service.  What is customer orientation? You may have asked. It simply refers to the act of aligning your business towards helping your customers reach success with your product or service. It means that all teams, especially sales and customer staff, and even staff in other departments will adjust their focus to the needs of the customers, and predict the moments when they’ll need them, and be present when the time comes. This includes providing customers with various resources, additional value, and helping them whenever required.

To this end, it is expedient to say that even if there is a rule in the bank that restricts the retrieval of stuck ATM cards, it should not be explained to the customer by insulting him or her or out rightly calling the bluff of customers.

At this juncture, it is expedient to advise training departments of commercial banks to identify employees who regularly deal with or meet customers, and assign them to trainings that fit their customer interactions and job function. And in training such staff, it should be done in such a way that they are trained on a timely manner, and strive to offer training programs as a regular course of business operations.

In a similar vein, feedback on the training classes should be obtained from attendees. The reason for this suggestion cannot be farfetched as they are the people who are regularly “in the trenches”, and can offer valuable insight to make future trainings more insightful and useful.

Again, there is need to inform employees that the information contained in the training is now considered policy, or at the very least “best practices.” There will be some latitude, as every customer situation is different, but employees must be “on board” with the concepts and procedures presented.