Chief Dignitaries

Sh. L.Mansingh (Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India)
Smt. D. Srivastava (Regional Director, RBI, Delhi)
Mr. Kaza Sudhakar (Chief General Manager, Customer Service Department, RBI) Mr. Simen Munter (Deputy Chief Executive, India, HSBC)
Ms. Sucheta Dalal (Consumer Activist and Columnist)
Justice D.P.Wadhwa (Judge, Supreme Court of India (Retd.))
Mr. Bejon Misra (CEO, VOICE)
Prof. Sri Ram Khanna (Dept. of Commerce, Delhi School of Economics)

Inaugural Session

Sh. Paramjeet Singh , (Research Manager, VOICE) welcomed all the dignitaries and participants of the workshop. He outlined the steps taken in conducting the study on “Assessment of Quality of Indian Banking Services in India” with the support of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and the methodology used.

Sh. L. Mansingh (Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India) made the Inaugural Address declaring that consumer protection was an important topical issue more so, after liberalization and aggressive marketing by banks which had created problems for consumers. Outsourcing in banking had also resulted in a lack of control to protect consumers. It was important for RBI, banks and consumer organizations to work together with a constructive approach rather than confrontation. Adoption of a positive attitude by banks would work to improve the system and lead to better building of consumer relationships. While the RBI guidelines laying the standard code are welcomed but the implementation must be insured and the system requires to be improved continuously. Lastly he stressed on the need to keep pace with consumer expectations.

Smt. D. Srivastava (Regional Director, RBI, Delhi) Presidential Address began by quoting “Athithi Devo Bhav” – customer service is at the core of RBI and she expressed a desire that satisfaction of all stakeholders should be paramount for banks. RBI as a regulator had conceived a new department exclusively for customer service and named it the Customer Service Department in RBI along with introducing the banking service code. Coupled with the revised Banking Ombudsman Scheme RBI was trying to meet the challenge of meeting customer expectations. It was a necessary that regulations were followed by all banks and the internal redressal mechanisms made stronger.

Sh. Simen Munter (Deputy Chief Executive, India, HSBC) elucidated on how prompt and polite customer service helped in retaining customers. Customers valued transactions which were fair, timely and uncomplicated. The cost of getting new customers was many times higher than retaining the old ones on the strength of good customer service. The Ombudsman Scheme was a step towards making solutions simpler for customers while court cases proved to be expensive, complicated and long. He was also hopeful that the spirit of free competitions among banks would go long way in benefiting consumers.

Sh. Kaza Sudhakar's (Chief General Manager, Customer Service Department, RBI, CO, Mumbai) Keynote Address began with stressing on the unequal relationship between the customers and banks. RBI had stepped in to balance the equation by revising the Banking Ombudsman Scheme and by the new department at central office named the Customer Service Department. He stressed on the need of attitudinal change of the bank's staff and of the need for more transparency in all customers related issues (Service Charges, Fees etc.). The complaint form should be easily available on all branches and the fees structure displayed on branch notice boards and websites. By viewing customer service issues as Business Issues banks would be able to retain the customers.

Ms. Sucheta Dalal's (Consumer Activist and Columnist) viewpoint on banks cheating customers was elaborated with examples. She desired implementation of RBI guidelines and adequate training to call center employees reinforcing of systems and people in handling customer complaints/issues. The attitude of banks needed to be injected with transparency and accountability which would stem the tied of untold, unexplained and unwarranted deductions from customer accounts.