Humanistic aspect of personal banking services

Enny Hardjanto, Banking observer, Jakarta

The customer service division of a bank plays a very crucial role. The image of the bank is determined by the performance of the people manning this division. Therefore, customer service staff training must always be taken seriously, unless you want to disappoint your customers.

This is especially true when a bank deals with its VIP customers, who may be few in number but whose funds can form the bigger portion of the total funds of a bank.

Service for VIP customers puts at stake not only the image of a bank, but also the nominal amount of the bank's financial assets.

Therefore, the services provided to these premium customers must be distinguished from those extended to regular customers. It is not surprising, therefore, that banks generally provide a special room for VIP customers so that they truly experience special service.

The room is usually luxuriously furnished. The floor is carpeted while expensive wallpaper covers the walls. Sometimes tea or coffer plus snacks are offered.

The name given to such service differs from bank to bank. Some banks use the word "priority" or "personal", while others choose names that are not only attractive but also suggest a special quality. Most banks prefer English names for their special services.

In short, the services provided to VIP customers are indeed different. A staffer or a special team will handle their transactions or consult with them on their financial management.

How does one bank differ from another in terms of these special services? Generally, the difference lies only in the names of the services or in the design of the special rooms provided for these special customers.

If there is another difference, then it is the way these services are given by bank employees. It is this that will determine whether a bank will be able to attract more or fewer VIP customers than other banks.

Why? Because these services are usually not effective if they are marketed through conventional promotions (through advertisements in the print and electronic media). Generally, the quality of these prime services is spread by word of mouth.

It must be borne in mind that VIP customers are small in number in Indonesia. So a special medium that is appropriate for the promotion of these priority or personal banking services is needed. Otherwise, these services only will be heard about through chats in a cafe or at friendly gatherings.

The people talking in cafes or at friendly gatherings generally know one another very well. So a new product or a new service from a particular company or a bank will be spread by word of mouth.

Special services may be more useful to those VIP customers who are older. In terms of time, they usually have more free time.

This means a trip to a bank, which can take quite a lot of time because of traffic, may not be as much of a problem for these people. They usually have their own cars and drivers. Therefore, the services given to these people in the special room must really reflect what is promised in promotional brochures or posters.

Bank Niaga can be a good example of providing priority banking services to customers who are in the older age brackets. Meanwhile, those who are younger usually choose Bank Mandiri or Bank Danamon because they want everything done fast. Information technology is a good means for them to speed up their bank transactions.

As for business consultations, they prefer flexible locations, for example in a hotel cafe, but not at the bank office.

Proactive

A proactive attitude is very helpful in dealing with these "celebrity-class" customers. Stephen Covey, the author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, says that assuming a proactive attitude is more than just taking the initiative.

A proactive attitude is the product of a conscious choice based on values, and not of their own condition or based on feelings.

It may happen that in dealing with special customers, who obviously demand services of a special quality, a bank employee is not in the best emotional state. If he or she knows how to take a proactive attitude, he or she will be able to do the job well.

A proactive attitude cannot emerge automatically and neither can it be created or fostered through short-term training. This attitude must be something that a person sincerely reflects in his or her personality.

Insincerity will bring about a "masked" attitude in dealing with customers. Top-class customers are not new to business. They can easily find the mask. As has been touched upon earlier, news, especially when it is unfavorable, spreads fast among VIP customers. Insincerity in services will spread fast among these VIP customers.

Therefore, a proactive attitude must be adopted 24 hours a day and must not be shown only when you deal with your premium customers. Once you have it in your blood, this proactive attitude will reflect itself whether you are dealing with a customer or a noncustomer.

Innovative

A proactive attitude will also make you more innovative in facing various problems. In an era laden with competition like now, innovation is undeniably a necessity.

Indeed, banks managing funds deposited by VIP customers must be innovative. They must know where to invest these funds: in the stock market, in mutual funds, in the foreign exchange market or somewhere else. Unless they are highly innovative, banks will not be able to manage their VIP customers' money to generate the greatest income possible.

Knowledge management has become the talk of the day. The essence of knowledge management is that every action in knowledge-based management will crystallize into innovation. Innovation will enable business players to make daring, well- calculated and accountable business breakthroughs.

Innovative action is of course different from speculation. When you speculate, you cannot account for what you do and the risk of failure is very high.

So, a staffer in a priority or personal banking room will be very useful to his or her bank if he or she has a proactive attitude and masters knowledge management, aside from having a thorough knowledge of financial management, of course.

VIP customers will then find the services truly worthy. Most importantly, their money can grow and they will not lose the human touch of these special services. They are concerned not only about their money, but also with how they are treated.

Amid the competition of special services in the banking industry, whoever offers the best services (in terms of services) and the maximum output (in terms of finance) will win the competition. (The writer is a partner at Dunamis Organization Services.)