GOT any bugbears about unpleasant bank services or poor rates?

Blog about it or air it in an online forum, and you just might get the bank's attention.

Ms Constance Chan, 39, a mother of two girls, was pleasantly surprised by OCBC Bank's response to her blog recounting a disappointing encounter at a branch.

She recently took her daughters Tan Rae Wen, seven, and Lea Wen, three, to open Mighty Savers kids' savings accounts at OCBC.

A bank teller, however, turned her away, telling her she needed to submit her children's passports, not their birth certificates, as an OCBC phone banking staff instructed her earlier.

'I looked at the kids, and they were so disappointed. I was disappointed, too. I really think that it is absurd to ask for their passports,' she wrote in her blog.

To her surprise, Ms Chan received a week later a hamper with Mighty Savers materials and toys, as well as a personal letter from Mr Nicholas Tan, OCBC head of group wealth management, group consumer financial services.

He came across her blog and hurried to make amends. He quickly arranged to get the hampers hand-delivered to Ms Chan's home.

This prompted her to post a blog bouquet to OCBC and Mr Tan for his gesture that, she said, 'showed that service boundary does not end once you step out of the bank's door'.

Mr Tan's swift response to Ms Chan's blog was not because of a random Internet search but a new procedure the bank implemented to monitor online feedback about its services.

'Blog monitoring has provided us...with feedback on the bank, especially when we launch new products or services or even premiums,' he said.

Bank staff regularly sift out online information 'critical for the bank to act upon immediately, as some posts might be an indication of a latent issue that is brewing', he added.

With the Internet becoming an increasingly influential feedback channel for customers, banks such as United Overseas Bank and DBS Bank say they are now monitoring online news forums more closely.

Standard Chartered Bank (Stanchart) makes an effort to respond promptly to complaints or feedback on online forums such as Singapore Press Holdings' Stomp portal.

Ms Ngo Min Ying, Stanchart's general manager of customer experience, said 'these cases are usually resolved within three working days'.

Banks say responding to customer online feedback is part of their efforts to emphasise better service.

They see this as a way to differentiate themselves in a keenly competitive market such as Singapore, where simply offering innovative products is not enough since rival banks can replicate the same products within hours.

Other efforts to improve service include serving gourmet coffee at bank branches, OCBC's tradition of a morning greeting by bank staff, including senior executives such as chief executive David Conner, and POSB's refurbishment of its branches.

This article was first published by The Straits Times on Feb 11, 2008.

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