Name: Mercy Luwa

Department: Agribusiness

Topic: To achieve excellence in Customer Experience, the Bank culture must

change. Discuss.

Excellent customer experience is a key factor in driving business success of an organization.

It is also a feedback mechanism to measure the level of satisfaction of the customers. When
customers are satisfied they will come back to do more business.

Excellence in Customer Experience (CX) can be defined as “the quality of interactions

that occurs between a customer and an organization throughout their business relationship”.
This experience is what determines the continuous patronage by such customer.

Organizational Culture on the other hand, is a key factor in driving an excellent customer
experience. It is defined as “a set of shared values, goals, customs and practices that
characterizes the attitude of an institution, organization or society”. It drives the behavioral
pattern of everyone in the organization.

Additionally, it can be said to be “the mechanism that delivers the values and behaviors that
shape conduct and contribute to creating trust and a positive reputation for an organization
among key stakeholders, both internal and external”.

Organizational culture is an outline of behavioral impetus that drives employees` interaction

and communication within the organization and with customers. It is a shared value
which governs service delivery. It also shapes the employees` behavior intuitively without
coercion.

Good organizational culture brings about excellence in Customer Experience while bad
culture connotes organizational failure as customers will react negatively by withdrawing
their patronage.

To achieve excellence in Customer Experience in Bank the under listed negative cultural
behavior among Bank`s employees need to be changed.

1. Culture of Slow and Unimpressive Services Delivery.

Punctuality they say, is the soul of business; it has been noted overtime that Bank Customers
have been complaining of slow speed at which services are rendered in the bank. E.g. Cash,
fund transfer transactions, account openings, even issuance of ATM cards for new accounts
take longer time than necessary to consummate in some of Bank branches. Bank therefore
needs to up its game in delivering quick and efficient services to its customers lest we
continue to lose them to the competitors. Present day customers want fast and quick
services; the era of arm-chair banking is long gone.

2. Culture of non-functionality of Automated Teller Machines.

Cursory visit to Bank`s ATMs installations in Lagos, especially on weekends show that about
60% of the bank`s ATMs are not dispensing cash, this as a result of ATM Custodians not
taking ownership and making the ATMs to work 24/7 as seen in other banks. This has
resulted in people not patronizing Bank ATMs as they believe they don’t always work.

3. Non-giving Customers warm reception within the bank`s premises.

Customers need to be warmly appreciated and treated as kings; but honestly this is lacking
in present day Bank. This does not delight customers. The culture of treating Customers as
if Bank is doing them favor for banking with us should be changed. We should imbibe the
culture of giving customers warm reception right from the security point to the banking halls
and offices thereby endearing them to us. Some banks as you are stepping into their gates
the security guards greet you warmly by saying “welcome to our bank”.

4. Imperfect Knowledge of the Bank`s Product/Giving Accurate

Information of the Bank`s Product.

The culture of “I am not a marketer; I don’t need to know much about the bank`s products”
should be changed. Every staff must be able to give accurate and current
answers/information to customers on the bank`s products and services. This gives
customers confidence and delight in dealing with the banks.

5. Culture of non-follow up on customers in establishing business

relationship.

Lay back culture is prevalent among some Bank staff. The of goal- getting spirit (lay back
culture) is seriously lacking. This culture needs to be changed.

6. Unfriendly branch ambience.

High number of Bank premises ambience are not customer friendly; conveniences (toilets)
are not neat, customers have to fetch water to use toilets. All these need to be improved on to
be able to delight customer.

7. Internal processes are not automated.

When branches relate to head office, papers are still circulated among department for
approval of which must of our competitors in the sector have automated such processes.

8. Management approval is required for almost everything.

Devolution of approving power and responsibilities should be channel down ward for Zonal
managers, regional managers and Branch managers to take critical decision concerning
service delivery. This will yield timely and positive result for the customers in branch level.

Source: www.superoffice.com.

Thank you.