For this Working Lives, we spoke to customer service staff (a mix of those working in call centres and in branches) in three different banks about their jobs. We got to learn the technical names for some of the issues we face as bank customers e.g. “dispense errors” and we also got a peep into how prevalent fraud seems to be in the sector, at least the variety perpetrated by family and friends trying to get their hands on other peoples’ cash. Nothing on the level of Hushpuppi.
Working Lives: The Banker Who Encountered a Chinese Man with Ekiti Accent
“I once had a caller requesting that his daily transaction limit be increased to N3 million. He had the correct answers to all the authentication questions but at the point of granting the request I noticed that the account carries a Chinese name while the caller had an unmistakable Ekiti accent. We called the domicile bank and truly the account belonged to a Chinese man who we are told had not stayed long enough in Lagos to acquire an Ekiti accent”.
When did you starting working in the bank?
I started my job August 2018
How did you get the job?
I got qualified for the job through an outsourcing firm (Work Force Group) after series of tests and interviews.
What did you study?
I studied International Relations.
What was the training for the job like?
The training took two months. I was trained to multitask. Customers call and may not be too clear about what the complaint or request is. You have to listen patiently while your brains are working like a clock sorting out the best unit to escalate the issue to. You are trained to balance speed with accuracy.
Before a call ends, you have to finish logging the request or complaint and dispatch to the appropriate unit. It is not a job for slow coaches. The system “wraps up” every contact exactly one minute after the call ends i.e. another customer call is routed to you.
So you have to quickly log in details of the complaint or request. Then a very important part of our training is learning to keep your cool. You have to be always calm and polite even when you are dealing with a customer who is determined to shout at and curse you.
So how many customers do you attend to in a day?
On a daily basis, I attend to 80-115 customers.
What are their most common problems or demands ?
When the IT system is down and people cannot complete transactions or one of the E-channel platforms e.g. USSD code is acting up, then everyone in the world calls to complain about the same thing. Otherwise, my working life is filled with a lot of different banking problems- people who cannot complete transactions on local and international e-commerce sites, people whose funds have been stolen, people who are alarmed they have more money in the bank than the balance the bank is showing to them, people expecting N2,000 or N20 million inflow that they are yet to get alert for, failed POS transaction etc.
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An idea of how many of these people you make happier after the call?
About 70-80% of customers are happier. Especially the optimistic people who call to get more information about an ongoing promo.
How do you deal with the ones you have not made happier?
The level of alarm or outrage declines progressively if you keep your calm and keep explaining things to people sincerely. And it helps to apologise for not being able to help even with the most impossible or ridiculous demands.
What are the most tricky issues to deal with?
This is an easy one! Requests which require authentication before being granted e.g. a customer who calls for ONB unlock (online banking unlock). You have to first go through the authentication process to make sure that is really the person that owns the account.
The rule says to grant access when a customer provides the right answers to all questions. This is where you separate the real pros from the gbatueyos in this work. You must have sharp instincts. You don’t ok a request when the date of birth shows the account owner is 60 and the caller sounds like a 20-year-old.
I once had a caller requesting that his daily transaction limit be increased to N3 million. He had the correct answers to all the authentication questions but at the point of granting the request I noticed that the account carries a Chinese name while the caller had an unmistakable Ekiti accent. We called the domicile bank and truly the account belonged to a Chinese man who we are told had not stayed long enough in Lagos to acquire an Ekiti accent.
Which customers are easiest to deal with?
I think Yoruba people. The older ones o. They tend not to over-react whenever they experience failed transaction or when you inform them they have to visit the branch for final resolution.
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And the most difficult ones? You are not allowed to mention an ethnic group this time.
Happily, I don’t need to! Someone who is in Kaduna or Owerri and needs to withdraw money to get a bus or plane back to Lagos and is experiencing a dispense error can be very difficult to deal with. Some feel you have a responsibility to run and bring the money to them if you have to so they can travel back home. People who have been debited for money they have not gotten at ATMs and have to wait 5-15 days to have this verified and their money returned. For some people it is the last N3,000 in their account. You appreciate the frustration?
Best days on the job?
The official fun days like CAD (Customers Appreciation Day) and Fun Friday. We dress up a bit, decorate the office, eat cakes etc. I am also chuffed when a caller thinks I have done something extraordinary to help them.
And the bad days?
These are the days when telecommunications companies don’t do their own work very well, when we have downtime in our network. It could be terrifying. Every customer is calling and each one is very angry. You have 30 calls waiting on the queue. This also fans the tension. People who have spent 26 minutes and a lot of airtime waiting to talk to you are angry even before you tell them good morning. Then it takes forever to pull out their details from the system. Those are the days you wish you were in bed at home watching Taaoma clips.
Seems You Now Feel Like Profiling the Most Difficult Customers?
Actually, it’s not people from anywhere in Nigeria. It’s the so-called diaspora customers. These are customers who live abroad but still have direct access to operating their account here in Nigeria. More than 50% of diaspora customers are irascible and quite difficult to deal with.
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It’s nothing to do with the weather where they are. I think it’s because their calls are charged at a higher rate being international calls. They hence want to resolve all the complaints, demands, requirements etc. they may have in the next 12 months during a single call. But some things take time. For instance, to reactivate a diaspora account, the owner has to fill a form and send supporting documents, then we verify at the branch where the account was opened. But many people want you to reactivate their accounts in 55 seconds. Some of them seem to have free credit in America as they are prepared to spend 50 minutes persuading you to do something that could make you lose your job.
Surprisingly, people who used to work in banks are also very difficult to deal with. It’s always like they want to impress you with how they know everything and why you are wrong that their requests could not have been handled yesterday.
The customers who are not literate. You have to explain everything to them and explain again, then answer questions that explain again everything you have just explained. Tiring.
How the pandemic has changed your job ?
Social distancing means less people at the call centre. So one person now handles the workload of two people. Plus, more people now prefer to call rather than go into a branch. So it’s a little more stress for us.
What are most important skills or qualities in dealing with customers?
The most important skill is attentiveness. You need to pick up and register a lot of details quickly. You have to then process quickly and offer effective solutions or explanations. So many things could be confused, either by you or the customer. Precise comprehension and clear communication are important.
Empathy is also important and you cannot fake it. You need it to genuinely track and pursue the right solution for many cases. Some things need consistent follow up. This is where empathy comes in.
Then you cannot do this job with a big ego. Always endeavor to apologise to customers no matter what. It makes them happy. After all, customers are always right.
How much do you earn? And do you consider it fair?
I earn N100,000 monthly. Not fair enough
What’s the career path for your job?
The job has no career path. It is stagnant. There can only be a career path if one is converted to a core staff. However, conversion does not happen for most people. You have the opportunity to be considered after working 4-5 years. By then, most people are too old as there is an age bar. I am looking for another job where I can gain experience, develop myself and build a great career.
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