 |
Kathmandu Wednesday September 27, 2000 Aswin 11, 2057.
|
Private banks' customer
service degrading
By Ram Sharan Sedhai
KATHMANDU, Sept 26 - Despite soaring
profits of the private banks, they have failed to upgrade their customer service
proportionately causing inconvenience to growing number of clients.
Due to lack of continuous upgradation of
infrastructure, even leading commercial banks have failed to offer quality service to
their clients during pick hours. Crowds that can be seen in most of the commercial banks
these days, waiting to withdraw their accounts for Dashain testify against the banks'
efforts to improve customer services.
Though private commercial banks generate
considerable profit, accompanied by high investors' confidence, their services have
deteriorated for the past few years, say customers. They argue that those banks focus on
profitability at the cost of customer service.
"All banks are profit-oriented but
they should also care their customers. If you ask me, I have found no fundamental
difference between the state-run banks and the private banks so far their service is
concerned. Their services are deteriorating over the years," says Narayan Prasad
Poudel of Anamnagar, who holds accounts at the Himalayan Bank, Thamel and Nepal SBI Bank.
However, these banks refute the claims.
"We are fully committed to customer service. Satisfying customers is our prime
concern. We have been upgrading our services. The introduction of Automatic Teller
Machines (ATMs) is an evidence of our commitment. ATM has reduced the crowd at our
banks," says Amrit C Shrestha, Branch Manager at Nepal Arab Bank Limited at
Kantipath.
However, customers say that the bank has
not issued ATM cards to small account holders causing them inconvenience. "I have
been in the queue for nearly an hour and still I will have to wait for few minutes. The
bank should make temporary arrangements during festivals at least," says Pradeep
Pandey of Dhumbarahi, an account holder of Nabil Bank Kantipath branch.
Bhuvan Thapa of Minbhavan speaking from a
line at the Himalayan Bank Thamel says, "I have been waiting for more than one hour.
And waiting for an hour either to withdraw or deposit money at this bank has become a
tradition."
Rebati Nepal of Koteshwor says either
depositing or withdrawal has to be and can be done within five minutes but you can guess
looking at the crowd how long does it take. The service of these commercial banks are
worse than the state-run banks these days, he further said.
So is the problem with the New Road branch
of the Himalayan Bank.
A senior manager with the Himalayan Bank
Thamel, admitted that there is problem in collecting deposits and encashing cheques during
peak hours. Customers have to wait for some time due to inadequate staff and upcoming
festival. We are thinking seriously to solve this problem, he added.
Though the customers of Jawalakhel branch
of Nepal Grindlays Bank have no such problem in depositing at and withdrawing from the
bank, its head office often faces a long queue of exasperated clients.
However, Beena Rana, Manager Marketing of
Nepal Grindlays Bank argues such rush of customers to withdraw deposit is only
during Dashain. At other times there is no such crowd. We can't open more branches just
because account holders have increased. In order to resolve the problem of delay in
servicing the clients, we have introduced ATMs. We will issue ATM cards to our all account
holders in near future. And this will end the problem, she further said.
Other Story
|
