Seylan Bank is first in customer service excellence

Seylan Bank PLC, the bank with a heart, has been named the most popular banking service provider in Sri Lanka in the exclusive customer experience ranking announced by LMD, for the second consecutive year. 

The ranking is based on a survey of Sri Lankan consumers on their most preferred brands across 18 sectors in terms of customer satisfaction and their perception of service quality, in a year full of challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.

The customer excellence rankings published in the most recent edition of the LMD magazine, were the result of an extensive online survey undertaken in the third quarter of 2020, in which participants voted for their most preferred service brands in the country. Most notably, Seylan Bank was ranked number one by customers in customer service excellence, from among 19 State and private sector banks.

“Customer service is a vital necessity in any industry be it banking or otherwise, something that is expected as a given by customers, and rightly so. The pandemic induced stress in customers made this even more clear, and Seylan Bank took extra care to offer an enhanced level of service to customers who were anxious for uninterrupted banking services, ensuring that they were served above and beyond their expectations at every touch point, both physical and digital. This recognition by customers themselves, amply demonstrates our commitment to customer service, which is part of the DNA of the Bank with a Heart. We are absolutely grateful to our customers for the trust and faith they have placed on us, and for lauding our efforts,” said Seylan Bank Assistant General Manager, Marketing and Sales Gamika De Silva, commenting on the 

recognition.

At the very outset of the pandemic, Seylan Bank anticipated the changing needs of customers and proactively committed itself to serving them. The bank opened doors of its branches whenever allowed by the authorities, in addition to enhancing its digitisation efforts to ensure customers could handle all their banking needs through internet banking and online channels, from the safety of their home. Seylan launched doorstep services with the mobile ATM service for areas in isolation and where customers could not even reach an ATM. 

The youngest customers of the bank, the Seylan Tikiri account holders, were kept in high morale through digital competitions and gift packs; while the bank organised webinars for the SME sector on doing business in the new normal under very different economic circumstances. The bank also provided relief to customers in the form of debt moratoriums on loans and leases, while Seylan cardholders benefited from lower transaction charges and minimum monthly payments and enjoyed extended offers on purchases from Seylan merchant partners.

“Customer retention is the most important element of good customer service. A customer will not remain with a brand that is unsatisfying, especially in an environment where they have a multitude of choices. At Seylan Bank, we ask ourselves how we can become the ‘Primary Bank’ of a customer, and streamline all our customer touchpoints to reflect the value we place in them, by listening to their concerns and attending to their needs. Every single employee of the bank carry this mantra in their work, and such an achievement will not be possible without their commitment. In our 33 of years in serving Sri Lankans, we have always placed the customer at the centre of all our decision making, and this recognition is proof we are doing it right,” De Silva added.

Seylan Bank, the Bank with a Heart, operates with a vision to offer the ultimate banking experience to its valued customers through cutting-edge technology, innovative products, and best-in-class services. The Bank has a growing clientele of SMEs, Retail and Corporate Customers, and has expanded its footprint with 173 branches, 70 Cash Deposit Machines, 66 Cheque Deposit Machines, and an ATM network of 216 units across the country. 

Seylan Bank has been endorsed as a financially stable organisation with performance excellence across the board by Fitch Ratings, with the bank’s national long-term rating revised to ‘A’ (lka). The bank was ranked second among public listed companies for transparency in corporate reporting by Transparency Global and is now part of the S&P Dow Jones SL 20 Index. These achievements are a testament to Seylan Bank’s financial stability and unwavering dedication to ensuring excellence across all aspects.