By Akande Segun

Okay, I hold up my hands and openly confess – I’ve tried and tried so very hard to understand why Nigerian customer service personnel are so incapable of smiling when customers approach them.

Is it something to do with our genes /DNA? Or did God forget to give us that extra ‘smile’ muscle which empowers us to not only smile when with friends and loved ones or whilst watching something funny on TV but also whilst serving Nigerian customers (I say Nigerian because I’ve noticed they somehow always remember to smile when serving Caucasians). For that is after-all what customer service is all about is it not? SERVICE – from the word SERVE. Permit me to repeat that word one more time – SERVE!!!

God must have forgotten to give Nigerians that extra smile muscle. In the first quarter of 2016 I visited over forty bank branches – Skye Bank, UBA, First Bank, Access Bank, Sterling Bank, Ecobank, Heritage Bank, Zenith Bank, FCMB, Union Bank, Fidelity Bank, GT Bank, Stanbic, Wema, and Diamond Bank; and I was greeted with a smile by a teller / customer service person only once. In-fact so shocked was I by that unexpected warm smile that I almost ran away in fear I may have done something wrong. To say I was overjoyed is a major understatement. And which bank did this hallowed lady with the unexpected smiled work for? Heritage Bank! So big congrats to Heritage bank for possessing a customer facing personnel that smiles.

Not only did she smile but she very kindly took me to the person that could attend to my inquiry. Unfortunately no sooner had I been introduced to this person – the customer service assistant none the less, and normal service was resumed. The customer service assistant didn’t so much as glance in my general direction. Rather, she fired some words resembling ‘fill this form’ at me with such disdain that the joy I had felt a few moments earlier dissipated without trace. I tried so hard to ignore her poor behaviour but alas, I just couldn’t. After-all to say nothing wouldn’t be helping her in anyway. So I told her off – telling her she should always look at customers when speaking with them or answering their questions; and that she should properly explain things with a genuine care and concern for the customer’s welfare.

The one thing we customers need to start recognising is that contrary to the manner in which many customer service personnel and tellers of various banks behave, they are NOT doing us a favour. We the customers are the ones doing them a favour – by banking with them. We are the ones paying their salaries. Without customers a bank is nothing.

I shall be visiting (often incognito) bank branches across Lagos throughout this year, and at the end of every month I shall give my report using the following categories;

Top Three Branches For Customer Service

Worst Three Branches For Customer Service

Best Branch For Customer Service

Worst Branch For Customer Service

Yes, I know KPMG already does an annual report, but my monthly reports will not only be a damn better read, but also easy to understand and far easier to relate with. My aim is not to ridicule or target banks or individuals, but to radically improve customer service in our nation’s banks.

My criteria will always remain the same;

*Branch Convenience

*Queue Management

*Customer Service Effectiveness

*Smile – Friendliness

*Staff Product Knowledge

*Staff Appearance

*Service Mentality

Best Branch On The Island

This month’s Winner is Ecobank – Adeola Odeku branch. I must confess that I was quite shocked by how patient and detailed the customer service personnel were. Although they never smiled once, they really paid attention to my questions, and saw to it that I was more than satisfied. One gentleman was so good that I actually almost opened a bank account with Ecobank right there and then. In-fact I’m pretty sure if he’d smiled I may well have done. In order to assess whether or not the rest of the customer facing staff were as patient with customers I pretended to carefully go through the form for about ten minutes as I sneakily assessed the other staff. Every single one of them was treating customers with genuine care and patience. But not one of them was smiling!! Nevertheless, well done Ecobank. Now all you have to do is invest in some much needed smiling tutorials, and I’m sure myself and many others will be opening accounts with you soon.

Unfortunately there were more horror stories during my visits than there were fairy tales.

Diamond Bank – Marina

I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing whilst at this branch. Not only was the lighting horrible, making the whole place resemble more of a police station as against a banking hall, but the queues were long and so slow that by the time I got to the front I was so incensed by their lackadaisical manner that I’d completely forgotten what I was there for.

Dimaond Bank – Adeola Odeku

The only words I can use for this horror-story of a banking hall and customer service personnel are – chaos, rude, and ‘please get me out of here now’!!

Heritage Bank – Marina

The customer service personnel not only didn’t smile but barely recognised my existence. I sat back for a few minutes to assess whether or not it was just me that was being treated in such a terrible manner. Nope – it wasn’t just me. They were even worse with other customers; again, as though doing customers a favour.

Heritage Bank – Adeola Odeku

Five adjectives aptly describe the customer service personnel at this branch– ‘rude’, ‘insulting’, ‘disdainful’ and incredibly ‘disrespectful’.

Zenith Bank – Adeola Odeku

I often wonder why Zenith has so many customers. Is it a myth or ludicrous hype that entices people to open an account with Zenith Bank? Whenever I enter a Zenith Bank branch I feel as though I’ve entered an old government parastatal – fully equipped with high counters that ensure customers have to stand on tip-toe in order to get a glimpse of the teller, who by the way is reveling so much in his privacy and distance from customers that he doesn’t even look up to acknowledge your existence. Next time you visit a Zenith branch take a look at the height of the teller counters and ask yourself this very simple question; ‘Is it customer friendly?’

First Bank – Adeola Odeku

There’s a young customer service lady in this branch who’s frown and disdain for customers is so blatant for all to see that very few even dare approach her for fear of been shouted at. I sat down for several minutes at this branch and assessed her behaviour towards customers. I found myself getting more and more agitated by the second. After a while I decided it was far better for my health to simply score the bank zero in customer service and get the hell out of there as quickly as possible.

Pleasant Surprises

Union Bank – Adeola Odeku

What on earth is going on with Union Bank Visiting this branch gave me such a pleasant surprise. Before entering I had told myself I would only put up with this impending experience of life in a chaotic dungeon for two minutes. I had even set my timer. But alas, I entered into a peaceful, well lit banking hall with great use of space and very good ambiance. The customer service lady didn’t smile but she was extremely helpful. Furthermore she followed up with me twice with regards to opening an account. I had informed eight other banks that I wanted to open an account that day, and so far only this Union Bank lady has followed up. Well Done Union Bank. Whatever you’re doing seems to be working. I no longer see you in your old dark light.

GT Bank – Adeola Odeku

For ambiance alone this branch of GT Bank is head and shoulders above everybody else. Amazing space, superb lighting, – simply incredible!! In-fact my mouth was wide open in admiration when I walked into the banking hall.

But unfortunately I came back to reality when I asked one of the customer service ladies where I could get an account opening form. Not only did she not have a clue as to where I could get it (she sent me to the wrong place) but the manner in which she spoke to me was incredibly rude and dismissive. It was left to one of those chaps in the white uniform to help me get a form. GT Bank always looks great but seems to care very little about the welfare of its’ customers. Their staff are generally rude and arrogant.

Worst Branch On The Island

This month’s worst bank branch on the Island goes to – Zenith Bank, Admiralty Way (by the first gate)

I walked into this branch at about 10.30am on a Monday morning. As soon as I walked in I wanted to run straight out again. The lighting was horrible. The queues were long and chaotic, and even the seating areas looked as though their designated names are ‘chaos’ and ‘nightmare’. After hovering around the customer service area for a few minutes a young lady walked up to me in typical frown and ‘I’m doing you a favour mode’ and asked me what I wanted. After telling her she then pointed to a shelf of forms and said ‘’ fill that form’’. I asked her which form exactly and she just pointed again in a general direction. That was the last straw. I sparked – letting her know her job is to help customers, and that contrary to what she may think she is not doing us a favour, but we are doing her a favour because we are the ones paying her salary.

The nightmare didn’t end there. When I queued in order to deposit some cash, I noticed how rude the tellers are to the customers. These guys really believe they’re doing customers a favour!!! In my view the height of Zenith’s teller counters further exacerbates the bad attitude towards customers. What I’m about to tell you is no exaggeration. Once he had stamped my deposit receipt, the teller literally flung the teller paper at me – without so much as a glance. I was so shocked that I asked ‘oga, is that how you treat your customers? You throw the teller paper at them??’’ On hearing this the rest of the customers on the queue laughed. Yes, what I said may have been funny, but I strongly suspect their laughter was more of a ‘that’s how it is at zenith-o. That’s what we have to go through every day’ kind of laugh.

Whoever is in charge of this branch should be seriously reprimanded for overseeing a staff so rich in contempt and disdain for customers it beggars belief.

That’s it for this month. Future reports will include score cards for each bank.

So this is a message to all Bank branches in Lagos – Be Very Warned – I’m most definitely on the prowl.

Source: www.iamsegunakande.com/2017/01/19/customer-service-best-and-worst-bank-branches-on-the-island/