Gulf News would like to recognise the companies that respond to our reader complaints and addressed them, for the period from January to June 2013. Our criteria for the ranking is based on the speed of redressal, transparency of process, reader satisfaction with the solutions, cooperation on the complaints process and attitude towards consumers.
We interviewed the top three companies to know how they deal with reader queries.
Gulf News: How do you process complaints from our readers?
Ambar Brahmachary, Head of Marketing & Customer Experience, Mashreq:
As soon as a complaint is received, we immediately acknowledge it by contacting the customer and informing him/her that we are investigating the matter. All complaints are received by the Corporate Communications team and then shared with the dedicated team in the Customer Care Unit (CCU) to investigate and liaise with the concerned business to resolve the issue.
As a customer focussed business, providing the highest standard of service is very important to us. Customers are called within 24 hours of receiving the complaint, the micro details are understood and an estimated date of resolution is informed. Upon resolution, the customer is called back and updated with progress, followed by an email sent for the record. We follow the same process for all complaints received through Gulf News, with an additional step of informing the newspaper that the complaint stands resolved.
Kuldeep Chouhan, Head of Group Customer Experience, Emirates NBD:
At Emirates NBD, we welcome the opportunity to address all of our customers’ complaints with the intention of finding the best possible solution to resolving their issue. This process primarily includes acknowledging that we have heard their complaint and that we are taking serious measures to ensure that we will resolve the matter at the earliest.
As with some cases that require more than a day of investigating the root cause of the complaint or finding the best way to implement a solution, we endeavour to keep both our customer and our media partner informed throughout the process. Once an action has been taken and a matter is resolved, we relay the outcome to our customer through an official communication channel and we contact them to ensure that they are satisfied with our decision.
Graham Honeybill, Chief Executive Officer, RAKBANK:
All complaints are handled on priority by an independent unit within the Bank. Customer claims are evaluated, investigated in detail and a fair resolution provided to them.
GN: How long does it take for you to resolve a complaint in general?
Brahmachary, Mashreq:
Our objective is to always offer resolutions as quickly as possible. For instance, there are complaints that take just a few hours. We have a turnaround time (TAT) of 24 hours but some complaints require more time, where the customer is requested to provide supporting documents so we are able to offer assistance.
Our front end teams in branches and the call centre are empowered to resolve more than 80 per cent of the complaints in the first contact with the customer. Complaints that require a detailed investigation are forwarded to a team of specialists in the bank. More than 95 per cent of the complaints reaching this unit are resolved within 24 to 72 hours. Some disputes which may involve third parties such as another bank or service provider within or outside UAE take a little longer to resolve. The customer is kept posted on all the developments during this period.
Chouhan, Emirates NBD:
While we make every effort to contact our customer at the earliest with a mutually satisfactory resolution, we are usually successful at resolving a customer’s complaint in three days.
Honeybill, RAKBANK:
RAKBANK ensures that our customers are contacted within one working day in response to any issue raised. The time taken to resolve the issues would depend on the nature and gravity of the complaint and hence the Bank regularly updates them on the progress.
GN: What is your policy on transparency?
Brahmachary, Mashreq:
Transparency is of primary importance to us. We always ensure that our customers are knowledgeable about the products and services they opt for, hence every single offering from Mashreq clearly states the terms and conditions associated with it. Our staff are meticulously trained to share all information related to our products and services to customers at the time of the transaction. All our product features, terms and conditions and schedule of charges are clearly mentioned on our website, welcome packs for our products are also displayed prominently in all the branches. Any changes are communicated to our customers well in advance through emails, letters and SMS. Customers appreciate our sincere approach and this reflects our strong commitment to transparency, which is one of the core values of the Mashreq brand.
Chouhan, Emirates NBD:
Although our main priority is to identify and provide the customer with an amicable resolution, we always try our level best to present the customer with all the available options and solutions that will resolve the issue to his or her satisfaction.
After resolving a complaint, we clearly communicate the actions taken to solve the issue. We also take a moment to thank our media partners for all the opportunities that have allowed us to serve our valued customers further and situations that have helped us in identifying a service shortfall.
In some situations, where the outcome may not necessarily meet our customer’s expectations, we take the opportunity to educate our customers of their rights by clearly explaining the rationale behind our decision and how they can avoid similar situations in the future.
Honeybill, RAKBANK:
RAKBANK takes responsibility for all customer complaints, keeping them informed of the investigation progress and communicating the final outcome with available solutions.
Companies overall ranking:
1 Mashreq
2 Emirates NBD
3 RAKBANK
4 Standard Chartered
4 Najm JCB
4 Al Ansari Exchange
4 First Gulf Bank
5 HSBC
5 Samba Bank
5 Etihad Airways
5 Jet Airways
5 ADCB
6 Dubai Islamic Bank
6 Dunia
7 Etisalat
8 Du
9 Rak Airways
9 Axa Gulf
9 Air Arabia
10 Emirates Islamic Bank
10 National Bank of Abu Dhabi
10 Barclays
10 Union National Bank
10 Emirates airlines
