SBI Initiates Incognito Visits To Monitor Branch Customer Service

State Bank of India (SBI) is strategising to enlist an external agency for clandestine inspections at its branches to assess customer service standards, commencing this fiscal year.

The country's largest bank aims for these covert visits to occur annually across its extensive network of 22,405 domestic branches as of March-end 2023. Chairman Dinesh Kumar Khara emphasised the significance of customer-centric practices in banking operations, highlighting the need to continually adapt, enhance offerings and elevate customer experiences.

Traditionally, RBI officials have conducted such covert visits to assess customer service levels across banks.

In addition, SBI plans to introduce KYC as a Service (KaaS) to streamline customer KYC profiling, aligning with RBI's directives on KYC guidelines under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002. These guidelines encompass various aspects such as customer acceptance policies, risk management, identification procedures and transaction monitoring.

SBI's customer engagement initiatives also include the development of a centralised calling facility for dissatisfied branch channel customers, aiming to address their concerns effectively. Moreover, the bank intends to enhance its feedback mechanism by leveraging QR codes for collecting input from both customers and non-customers visiting branches.

To mitigate customer grievances related to deceased claim settlement processes, SBI is devising technology-driven, digitized workflows slated for imminent implementation.