Starting this month and ending in December, BCR (The Romanian Commercial Bank) will take nine large steps as part of an Integration and Development Plan, which should trigger the first noticeable changes for the clientele, after the bank's takeover by the Austrians at Erste.
The new client service model and the model for separate retail/corporate distribution, which entails training personnel and testing IT support is currently in the process of being implemented, whilst intensive training for personnel who come into direct contact with the clientele is scheduled to start in August.
"BCR is still below Erste standards, as well as below the average of the other banks in the group in terms of the quality of service to clients, as well as in terms of the employees' product knowledge and manner of which it is presented. We are not far behind, though," Martin Skopek, vice-president of BCR in charge of retail, explained yesterday, in his first public appearance since taking the job at the end of 2006. This is the conclusion of a "mystery shopping" type of survey, conducted recently within the 90-branch Bucharest network and which will be extended throughout the entire country. The survey gave rise to a manual being compiled on the standards of client service for front office employees.
BCR's head of retail highlighted the effort the bank needs to make in order to adapt to the clients' preferences. "The customer is king. This is our new slogan," said Skopek.
He says the verification of the personnel's conduct and of the clients' degree of satisfaction will continue into 2008 and 2009, involving both talks and direct interviews with real clients.
The retail division of BCR employs around 6,000 people.
"Starting in 2008, the personnel motivation schemes will also include a client satisfaction index, because we have to become more aware of how important the client's voice is", added Skopek.
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