Despite the changing banking and economic environment across the world, one thing is certain – the customer is still the most important element in any business or activity.
As able marketing practitioners like Peter Drucker have said long ago – the fundamental task of any business is to create and keep the customer. No matter what the offering is, how a business engages its targeted customers and gives them convenience, is the difference between survival and extinction.
Customers in the banking industry are becoming increasingly dynamic and sophisticated. They are dictating the way banks must relate with them. They are leading the charge in redefining the modern workplace and how to access financial products and services. The recent pandemic has also contributed to a transformation of the banking model and how service is rendered. Customers are asking for new things such as a shift to branchless banking and virtual transactions.
Banks, therefore, have a lot on their hands in order to harness the requisite skills necessary to keep their customers satisfied.
A recently published KPMG Banking Industry Customer Experience Survey 2022 ranked Absa Bank amongst the top 3 in customer service in Ghana. Absa has consistently moved up in the KPMG rankings, starting in 10th position in the first roll out of the survey in 2016 and maintaining a top 3 position since 2020.
The survey highlighted several key areas of strength for Absa, including empathy, personalization, time and effort, exceeding expectations, integrity, and resolution. The bank was also highly rated for the ease of transferring money between accounts and mobile wallets, with special mention given to its ATM QR code functionality for withdrawing money.
“We are thrilled to see that our efforts to become the most customer-obsessed bank in Ghana are paying off,” said Evelyn Acquah, Chief Customer Officer at the bank. “Our colleagues have worked hard to provide excellent customer service and we are proud to see that reflected in this survey. Our target is to be a consistent number one in the industry.”
Absa plans to roll out new and innovative ways to take its customer commitment to the next level this year.
“We are constantly asking the most critical questions about our operating model and how we can increasingly stand beside our customers and offer them ease and convenience. It is an ethos and approach to work that define the Absa way of doing things, Evelyn said.
The bank has been an ever-present financial institution in Ghana’s banking industry over the last century, playing a crucial role in the country’s socio-economic growth and transformation. The bank aims to continue improving the experience of its customers through the provision of innovative products, digital channels and excellent service delivery.