Banking system is one of
commercial hubs in nation economy that gives citizen opportunity to keep their
money as individuals, corporate, business and for other commercial reasons. It
is important because it provide basis for security for citizen’s financial
asset and other related forms being as one of the important sector that drives
the economy in focus, more management attention usually put in place to ensure
efficiency in the system. Although, several management and ethical practice has
being put in place courtesy of central bank of Nigeria to upgrade the sector to
global acceptable standard.
“Banking system is a very sensitive sector as it holds the fate of
any country economy”.
This is because a common man on
the street relied on his money in the bank”. This is not for individuals alone
but also activities of government also depend on smooth running of the banking
system. “Relative to
importance of banking system in any developing economy, any form of
inefficiency must not be allowed to thrive as this will be inimical to prompt
developing of the economy”. As a result of this, most banks in
Nigeria are perpetrator of one or two of this inefficiency which has been
identify overtime in their operation and however seek the way forward
1. flaw at customers care services point
Majority of banks in Nigeria
are guilty of this, this is as result of inadequate staff to attend to long
awaited customers in the bank. My observation of this in most Nigeria banks
constitutes major problems in our banking system. “It is good for our banking
industry to know that customers care service point is one of the most important
services point in the banking system”. Therefore, in most Nigeria
banks, two staffs are usually left to manage the customer care service point
for God, people and Nigeria sake, this is not sufficient to attend to tenth of long
awaited customers for enquiries, complaints and responses.
“At least six out of ten people entering a bank need customer
service attention and this are the reason why six out of ten persons spent more
than thirty minute before getting attention”. I remember, I have spent
three hours before at this point depending on area, time of the day and days of
the week. Also, only versatile, accommodating and customer friendly person
should be allowed at this point so as to keep the customers in focus. Oftentimes, banks usually allow persons of limited
knowledge about their operation to manage this point, this should be corrected
because information gotten at this point tell so much about the bank, in case
whereby customer services representative cannot confidentially guided customers
on their operation then it tell so much about the bank incompetence.
2. Illegal deduction of transaction cost
Transaction cost is a compulsory
charge levy against customers by service provider. This charge as good as it is
must be deducted by banks with fairness. Of recent, a friend close her account with one of the new generation
bank as a result of what she describe as illegal charges on her account in
recent time. Any transaction cost which must be deducted in customer account must
be known to him for trusting purpose.
“However, it is better if all banks concerned
can organize public enlighten and awareness programme on transaction cost for
their customers”. Adequate management security measure is also
needed by banks to prevent this act from any quarters whether from management
lapses or from any banking internal sources
3. Customers waiting too long before serving
Majority of banks in Nigeria are
guilty of this. “This is one of the most important
inefficiency in Nigeria banking system”. The time waiting for customers
to be served is alarming. “However must bank keeps their customers on a long queue for hour
in hot weather is not a welcome development”. The bank should be
able to predict ahead the arrival rate in relation to serving rate of their
customers instead of allowing long frustrating queue in banking hall. People
suppose to get to bank and be served immediately without too much of delay. The
number of people waiting at the counter should be equivalent to number staffs
ready to serve customers
4.
Allow long queue of customers in banking
hall
Have you ever walked to a banking
hall before and you could not manage to walk freely as a result of human
traffic. Customers should be able to walk freely within a banking hall. Hence,
the banking industry should have a conducive waiting area to accommodate waiting
customers and service rate should also be improve upon so that customers can be
served in a short time as expected
5.
Staff incompetence
Have you ever been to customer
care service point before for enquires and response you get from customer
service point representative is “I will find out later”. This is
not good for our banking system. Competent staff should be allow to man and
managed some key service point in the bank, places such as: customer care,
counter, western union, fund transfer etc
6.
Slow or lack of response to customers grief
and complains
A times, customers are dissatisfied
with a particular term of service and demand explanation. In this situation,
explanation must not be denied or handle with levity. Customers are the
backbone of banking system, however, adequate provision must be made to help
the customers to sort out their complains to enhance further trust. Oftentimes,
customers are dissatisfied for a particular term of service yet there is no
timely responses to relieve their grief thus downturn the right of the customer
7.
Inadequate service provision to meet
customer satisfaction
It is quite unfortunate that some
banks do not have basic provisions for some services such as ATM terminals, payment
of western union in naira equivalent rather than foreign currency, customer
searching for bureau de exchange foreign agent to get foreign currency to carry
out foreign transaction. This is not good for customer security and privacy.
All transaction should be carry out within the same bank building instead of
taking financial security risk to
patronize non professional that can expose bank users to danger
8.
Unpredicted and unreliability of service
Have you ever get to bank on Monday
morning to get set for business of the week and you are told that there is no
network or server is down? Those are some of the problems that customers face
atimes. Therefore, bank should find alternative means of service for their
customers in case this happen and always develop a management foresight to
minimize the incidence of unreliable service to their customers
9.
Wrong use of phone and other electrical
gadgets within the banking hall
I remember that, the use of phone
was suspended within the baking environment some years back, which is good for
security of both the bank and the customers. Hence, I noticed these days that,
the use of phone within the banking hall is alarming. Improper use of phone by
some customers within the banking hall is not a welcome development as this is
dangerous to security and safety of bank users. If a customer can sit
conveniently in banking hall playing distracting games on ipad causing
distraction to bank users then this must be quickly address and check
10.
Staff inadequate
Banking operation is a technical
operation which needs a lot of management caution and competence. When I studied
the management operation in banking system, bank staff are usually overwork and
overstress relative to customer satisfaction and impatient. “Keeping just two
staff in customer care service point, three on counter service point etc is not
good for staff efficiency at work” no doubt most banks are all guilty of this
problems I guess they do that to minimize cost of operation!!.
However, I will advice that,
allocation of staffs to service point, must be done relative to location, and
prospect of market in the area. Prior to this, banks should increase their
staff strength by getting more hands to do more jobs so that all staff assign
to any service point can work at his/ her best
Good luck to Banks in Nigeria
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