Maybank is taking customer complaints seriously

As a follow-up to my earlier posting on 'A bit of rude awakening...', I received a surprise telephone call from the Assistant Manager, Miss Leong, asking me for further information. She said the Bank is taking customer complaints seriously and I believe so, with the unexpected call. She confirmed that I am entitled to make payments to LHDN using the local branch, even though my account is with an Ipoh branch.

I did not complain using email, just my blog posting. The internet search system would have enabled the name 'Maybank' to be picked up by its own website for their attention. This is my layman's explanation.

In case anyone thinks it is incredible that since I am not a customer with the BG branch, how could she get my telephone number, it has to do with a small town's 'someone in the bank is likely to know the person, and he or she is likely to know someone who knows him'! The fact that she took the trouble, to me, is really taking the initiative to improving service.

Using feedback from friends who complained about Maybank, I have the following suggestions:

1. Customers share information about banks' service. They can be incredibly sensitive and would change bank over a minor incident or small amount . For example, my wife has been complaining about the Rm5 monthly charge and I had on more than one occasion, reminded her about the convenience to me that I could deposit her cheques and pay to LHDN without having to drive to Public Bank in Pusing (the bank she has in mind for closing her Maybank account in Ipoh).

2. Counter staff must ensure there is no real or perceived favouritism. For example, the counter to collect queue number is also next to customer service staff who provide services like filling in forms and updating Savings book, etc. which take time. There are complaints that sometimes it is possible to jump the queue to just get the queue number, sometimes not. So the system must be strictly followed ie. either one can jump the queue to get queue number or cannot. To prevent this, it might be better to separate queue number collection from Customer Service depending on the situation.

Similarly, there are some complaints about seeing someone who knows the staff, jumping queue (just arrived and can get immediate service, without using the queue system). Admittedly, this could be real or perceived to be, but this is just to show how people can be put off by very small incidents. In other words, staff can be friendly but not too friendly to give the impression of favouritism!

By the way, the reason why I felt the way I feel about not being welcome using another branch's service was because I was once told by a staff in Maybank, Jalan Ipoh, K.L. that they would prefer that I change my branch to Petaling Jaya, noting my forwarding address a few years ago. That was relating to a family company! Can you imagine the hassle to change account? When told this (I did not mention it was a company), Miss Leong said it was not true and she is unaware of such a policy of suggesting customers switch their accounts to one nearer their homes. But then again, it shows how a small comment like that had affected my perception of Maybank till now!

It should be noted that I happened to be a customer because Phileo Bank was taken over by Maybank. So it was not a bank of my choice because of its impersonal image.

It will take time to undo the seemingly 'take it or leave it' image of the largest bank in Malaysia, and the only way is through genuine good customer service because we are only human.

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