RBI asks banks to strenghten customer service committees

Mumbai, Sep 3 (UNI) The Reserve Bank wants all banks in the country to strengthen their branch level customer service committees -- a mechanism to ensure formal communication between banks and customers -- in which the involvement of customers should be ensured.

In a notification here today, the regulator has also asked banks to include their customers in these committees to enhance customer-friendly approach.

''It is desirable that branch level committees include their customers too. Further, as senior citizens usually form an important constituency in banks, a senior citizen may preferably be included therein,'' said the release.

Earlier, the Reserve Bank had issued guidelines considering the recommendation of different committees to press the constitution of customer service committees at branch levels.

The present directive is learned to have come out of the RBI's impression that most of the banks have failed to follow the direction.

''It is however understood that such Committees are either non-existent or in a dormant state,'' said the central bank.

The branch level committees have also been asked to submit quarterly reports giving their inputs and suggestions to the standing committee on customer service.

UNI