SBI chairman wants a reply to all email complaints within 48 hours

The new set of instructions from the bank authorities will lead to a big improvement in the way SBI handles its customers

State Bank of India's (SBI) chairman OP Bhatt is seeking fast and prompt action—at least a reply—to email complaints filed by the Bank’s customers. According to an email reply(copied to Moneylife), a deputy general manager (DGM) of SBI has said: “Please note that our Chairman desires that all the email complaints, forwarded from the Corporate Centre have to be replied to the Department within 48 hrs.”

In the past, when Moneylife has forwarded complaints to the SBI chairman's office, we were pleased to receive an immediate reply from the chairman's secretariat to the effect that the complaint would be looked into.

However, there has been complete silence thereafter. These complaints simply went into limbo and nothing was heard from SBI again. Hopefully, these new set of instructions from the top will lead to a big improvement in the way the bank treats its customers.

The DGM was replying to a complaint filed by Moneylife's Veeresh Malik regarding the garbage created by SBI's Defence Colony branch in New Delhi. Earlier, the branch manager told Mr Malik that the Bank only maintains the area in front of the branch and had given a contract to collect the waste from the bank on a daily basis.

Mr Malik replied saying that there is no difference between the front and side of the branch since customers have to walk through the side area to reach the front area. Also, the main signage for the bank branch overlooks the evolved garbage dump, he added.

The branch manager had also said, “We have requested the RWA, Defence Colony to make necessary arrangements so that this area will be well maintained and clean."

Mr Malik again wrote to the Bank authorities. He said, "SBI Defence Colony Branch is located within the DDA Moolchand Shopping Complex. To write to the Defence Colony RWA is like asking the neighbours to clean (up the mess due to) the result of your lack of attention to hygiene. The generator is on public land, with the exhaust pointing straight towards our home. Handing over garbage collection to a sub-contractor does not eliminate the responsibility of the SBI Defence Colony Branch. These issues are not addressed. Instead, an attempt to pass the buck seems to have been made, by stating that 'a letter has been written to the RWA'."

To this, a reply came from the DGM asking the SBI officials to reply in detail and instruct the branch manager to initiate immediate measures to rectify the position.