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Nedbank tops for handling customer complaints

29 October 2004 - Business Day

The fourth annual Ombudsman for Banking Services awards ceremony, saw Nedbank (NED) secure the Ombudsman for Banking Services Award for Excellence in Customer Complaint Handling - the top award on offer.

"The award marks the culmination of twelve months of intensive focus, hard work and a dedicated commitment to satisfying our clients," says Doug Hardie, the Nedbank Client Service general manager.

Instituted in 2001, the Ombudsman Awards encourage banks to take a proactive approach to resolving service issues and treat complaints in a transparent manner.

In total, Nedbank secured three accolades at the 2004 awards: The Code of Banking Practice Award for adherence to the code (second consecutive year), an individual excellence award to client service consultant Shaun Kearns and top honours for Excellence in Customer Complaint Handling.

Commenting on the significance of the awards, Clive van Horen, newly-appointed managing director of Nedbank Retail Banking, says: "This sends out a clear message to our clients that we are listening to them, gaining a deeper understanding of their problems and delivering remarkable solutions."

According to Hardie, there are no secrets to Nedbanks' success: "Significant effort was invested across the whole of Nedbank Retail to improve response times and to prevent the need for clients to escalate problems. The fact that our clients voted for us during the survey makes the award even more significant. When it comes to service excellence, the job is never completed and it is an ongoing effort, with the 'bar' being raised continuously."

"It truly was a team effort and our gratitude goes to Nedbank branch staff, personal and private bankers, and the dedicated team of individuals, headed by Sharon Schröder, who resolve complaints on a daily basis. To our clients, thank you for your continued support," said Hardie.