To help customers enhance their banking experience, Banking Codes and Standards Board of India (BCSBI) organised a customer awareness meet in Samanway Bhawan Bhopal in association with Trans Union CIBIl today. The aim of the meet was to empower customers with awareness of their banking rights and also the banks’ commitment towards its customers.
Presided over by AC Mahajan, Chairman BCSBI, Anand Aras, Chief Executive Officer, BCSBI, VK Nayak, Banking Ombudsman, Bhopal, Ajay Vyas, Circle Head, Central Bank of India and Yogesh Tarate, Manager, Trans Union CIBIl, the meet focused on the importance of BCSBI codes and its role in protecting customer rights. It also stressed on banks’ adherence to the Codes to enhance banking experience, the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, grievance redressal and ways of having a healthy credit score.
At his key note address, AC Mahajan, Chairman BCSBI spoke about the Codes, that seta benchmark to ensure a prescribed quality of banking services. He further said, “The purpose of Customer Awareness Meets is to ensure that no customer is in any disadvantageous position while receiving service from banks. Understanding the Codes and their rights empowers customers to get the best from their banks.”
Anand Aras, Chief Executive Officer, BCSBI said, “We are in the process of revision of the existing Code of Commitment to Customers. We have included new topics like Digital Banking, and a whole lot of additional provisions to factor in the many changes that have happened over the last three years in banking in the digital front as well as new payment initiatives. We are hopeful of releasing the new version of the Code by the end of the year.”
He also shared some recent instances of misspelling and other lapses in customer service resulting the complaints against Banks.
VK Nayak, Banking Ombudsman, Bhopal shared some live cases of complaint dealt with at his office. “While interacting with the participants we realize that most of the complaints that emerge are mainly due to lack of awareness about the provisions of Codes among customers as well as banking-staff. As a result, 34% of the complaints addressed to the Banking Ombudsman 2015-16 are related to non-adherence of Fair Practice and BCSBI Codes,” said Nayak.