- …through enhanced customer relations
The Atwima Mponua Rural Bank is keen on using its exceptional customer services to strengthen the shareholdings of the bank, at the back of increasing competition within the rural banking sector, the Board Chairperson, Mrs. Constance Phyllis Puttick, has said.
Considering this, the bank which is headquartered at Toase, in the Atwima Nwabiagya Municipality of the Ashanti Region, has organised a two-day customer durbar for its prestige bankers while also creating avenues for further customer feedback.
The Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the bank, Mrs. Constance Phyllis Puttick, noted that banks are required to ensure that their customers are genuine, under the Know Your Customer (KYC) policy.
Mrs Puttick said Atwima Mponua Rural Bank has decided to revise their approach to KYC, this year, to further identify the needs of their customers. This according to her, will help the bank to be able to offer the right services and products
Additionally, the bank created the platform to have a personal engagement with its prestige customers and draw from the feedback gathered in their interactions to continue to develop tailormade products and services to meet their changing needs.
“We need to get these customers to come on board with us not only in saving with us or taking credit but we want them to also own the bank; we have encouraged them to buy shares to be part of the bank because when you are part of the bank you don’t see the need to go to sister banks but become committed to protecting your stake,” she emphasized.
Mrs. Puttick further disclosed that “things are looking good in terms,” while noting that the bank has almost exceeded its budget for credit line for the first quarter.
“This gives us the platform to get to talk to our customers more, to further appreciate their challenges, including the things they want us to improve as well as share with them the new things we have brought on board,” she added.
The Board Chairperson, who was speaking in an interview during a ‘Customer Durbar’ organised for prestige customers of Atwima Mponua Rural Bank PLC maintained that the bank is exceptional in the ‘rural banking space.’
She observed that they do not encourage ‘armchair banking’ but rather prioritise taking banking services to the doorstep of customers.
For the majority of the over 60,000 customers of the bank, who were not part of the ‘Customer Durbar,’ she said there is a ‘Board Sub-Committee’ in place that works with the management of the bank to visit and interact with them.
“We want these people to feel so much cherished by the bank” regardless of their contributions, and encouraged all the customers to continue to invest in the bank to enable the future generations to also benefit.
In her remarks during the interactions with the prestige customers, she also entreated them to freely approach the management and board of the bank whenever there is the need to better the operations of the bank.
The Chief Executive of Atwima Mponua Rural Bank, Mr. Felix Owusu Akyaw, addressing the gathering reiterated that the bank exists because of the customers.
He, therefore, appealed to them to continue to provide feedback to improve the services and products offered.
A representative of Siddique Transport Services, in Kumasi, one of the prestige customers of the bank, also speaking in an interview at the side-lines of the engagement said the opportunity provided would help customers to share their frustrations which can guide the bank to improve their services.
He said the nature of services offered by Atwima Mponua Rural Bank encouraged them to continue banking with them for the past six years.
Another customer, Mrs. Amankwah, who trades at the Bantama market and a customer of the bank, acknowledge the unique support she receives from the bank, particularly in times when business operations go down.
She was hopeful that the views shared at the engagement would be taken upon to further better the operations of the bank particularly teaching marketing women on booking keeping among others.
Mrs Constance Phyllis Puttick, Board Chair person (middle) in with the CEO, Felix Owusu Achiaw(extreme right) in a pose with some customers during the meeting
