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special featureCustomer Service in Banks -Banks as Customer Service ChampionsK. J. Paul *Customer Service in banks as an attitude is driven bya vision to be a solution provider with customercentricity rather than a product provider or sales outletand with a mission to earn customer loyalty. Thebusiness relationship should be focused on long termrelationship with a win- win strategy.The Why (Vision), the What (Mission) and the How(Strategy) should be the shared dream of theorganization rendering services and providing solutionswhile believing that customers are really everythingand ever remembering that if we do not take care ofour customers then someone else will.A bank should be able to go about it offering mostreliable and trustworthy services and solutions at thebeginning of the first encounter, and during everyinteraction and transaction on a continuous basis thatresults in transformation from customer contact tocustomer connect and customer loyalty.The journey from customer contact to customer connectsand customer loyalty moves from vendor to enabler topartner to consultant. While customer connect is moretransactional in nature, as we move up the value pyramidwe create customer loyalty that is transformational innature. This alone will go a long way in building long-termcustomer loyalty that is sine quo non for our survival,success and progress.The Customer Experience ChainLoyaltyDelightAssuranceFaithHopeStrive towards higher orders of evolutionProgressiveness& ProactivenessCourtesy,Promptness,Politeness,PatienceWhat Customers Want? The delightful dozen :The most critical needs are :1. They want to see efforts.2. They want to have options.3. They want to be understood.4. They expect speedy service, especially when they are in a hurry.5. They are sensitive to confidentiality.6. They want to be seen as important.7. They like positive surprises.8. They want their needs to be satisfied.9. They want value for money, not just a cheap service.10. They like simplicity and can’t be bothered to understand thecomplexity of our service or products.11. They want to be treated consistently and fairly, especially incomparison with other customers.12. They like reliable service in order to make better decisions.While the material needs need to be taken care of, payingattention to and taking care of the emotional needs likeprompt attention, respect, polite response, importance,fairness, gratitude, appreciation, proactive responsesand occasional concessions will reinforce and acceleratethe transformation to customer loyalty.As Gandhiji had said :Key Service Aspects in the ChainLoyaltyDelightAssuranceFaithHopePassionate,Personalized,PamperingProblem-solving,Understandingcustomer needsStrive towards higher orders of evolution“Consciously or unconsciously, every one of us doesrender some service or another. If we cultivate the habitof doing this service deliberately, our desire for service* Vice President and Head (Learning & Development), AXIS Bank Ltd., Central Office, Mumbai.34October - December 2011The Journal of Indian Institute of Banking & Finance