The Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited yesterday launched its Customer Care Initiative at its Promenade Court head office, New Market Street.

The launch of the new initiative, which coincided with the Bank’s Customer Appreciation Day, promises to customers that optimal satisfaction will be provided at every interaction. The initiative is also part of the Bank’s vision to be the financial institution of choice in the Caribbean and it believes that Customer Care provides the thrust for this to happen.

The Managing Director of the Republic Bank, Edwin Gooding, explained that the programme was introduced in Trinidad and Tobago in the early 1990s with tremendous benefits and is now being launched in here. Customer Care, Gooding said, allows the voice of the customer to be heard and provides the Bank with a better insight into the needs, opinions, desires and perceptions of its customers. With Customer Care, customers will be able to voice their comments or complaints through customer cards as well as on the bank’s website. Gooding added that any complaint will be looked at and if possible will be resolved within 24 hours.

Also to be introduced with this initiative is random after sales telephone interviews to measure service execution. And a customer panel, which Gooding says will offer deeper insight into customers’ views and perceptions of products and services, is also part of this new initiative.

The panel will meet once a quarter and willing customers will be selected by the various branches. Also part of the new initiative is the use of a mystery shopper who will assess the service offered by the Bank’s branches.

Meanwhile Gooding noted that Bank staffs have been trained to anticipate the needs and wants of the customer and they too will be part of a staff panel where they can make recommendations on how the bank can better serve customers.