Banks’ Services Deteriorate

Banks have ignored the service quality and professionalism they give to customers and now pay more attention to business environment, a latest survey has found

A survey conducted by the Customer Service Academy, a subsidiary of Nest Of Ideas Consulting Limited, revealed that service quality delivery and professionalism of banks reduced by 1.1 percent from 61.4 percent in 2014 to 60.3 percent in 2015.

Meanwhile, the business environment -- the survey dubbed 'Customer First' found -- has increased from 87.8 percent last year to 92.2 percent this year, representing a 4.4 percent increase according to respondents.

According to the findings, banks are focusing more on the beauty of the business environment and their sales figures, and do not pay attention to the services they provide to customers.

It was found that some customers complain that their banks are not doing well in providing efficient customer service, which forced many to move from one bank to another.

The survey sampled the views of over 2,000 customers in Accra, where predominantly most of the banks and savings and loans companies licenced by the Bank of Ghana have their headquarters.

It considered various customers of 27 registered class-1 banking businesses, and 22 of the savings and loans.

From the survey, three key things were identified to be of essence to customers whenever they walk into a banking hall: firstly, how customer-focused the bank was -- that is, whether or not they are treated well with all the niceties required of a world-class bank.

Secondly, timeliness of service or transaction: customer wait-times in the banking halls; and thirdly, whether employees were smart, courteous and knowledgeable -- smartness focused on the appearance of employees, and being knowledgeable was based on their knowledge of the bank's products and services.

According to the Bank of Ghana figures, total assets of the banks have gone down from GH¢58.3billion in June to GH¢53.8billion in July this year; and at the same time deposits have declined from GH¢37.1billion to GH¢34.1billion.

Banks have also cut their loans and advances, from GH¢29.8billion in June to GH¢27.4billion at the end of July this year.

Meanwhile, the non-performing loans of banks have increased from 11.2 percent in June to 13.1 percent at the end of July, as a difficult business operating environment forces consumers to default on their credit facilities.

Source: B&FT