Improve ATM service quality

(Baonghean.vn) - With the goal of not letting ATMs get congested, have network errors, or stop working due to running out of money, during the recent Lunar New Year, very few customers complained about the service quality of the ATM system in the province. This is a recognized result of the banking industry in improving the quality of customer service, especially during the peak period of the New Year.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Quy in Tan Tien block - Le Mao ward - Vinh city said: "Because of my business, I use 2 types of ATM cards from BIDV and Vietcombank to make transactions and pay for goods. Previously, on the occasion of Tet, ATM transactions were often very difficult because there were few ATMs and many people transacting, so I always had to wait a long time, sometimes when it was my turn, the machine ran out of money, or reported a system error... But this Tet, the above situation no longer happened". Ms. Nguyet, a teacher in Vinh city, also admitted that this Tet, when withdrawing money, I did not have to jostle and endure machine errors. Through contact and discussion with a number of customers using ATM services, they all highly appreciated the convenience of ATM services recently.

Currently, in our province, there are 31 banks installing 217 ATMs to serve customers and in the near future, ATMs will be installed at many locations throughout the province. It can be seen that ATM service is now a modern banking service product, familiar to the majority of people, especially for officials, employees, retirees, students, foreigners... Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Thu - Director of the State Bank of Vietnam - Nghe An Branch said: "To further improve the quality of ATM service during the Lunar New Year, the State Bank of Nghe An has issued an official dispatch requesting commercial banks in the area to have a plan for human resources, prepare enough money, machinery and equipment to ensure the smooth operation of the ATM system in the area. Along with that, at the Head Office of the Commercial Banks, there are also specific instructions for ATM services of the Bank Branches, so the ATM system in Nghe An is operating quite stably, meeting the maximum transaction needs of local people and local children returning home for Tet".

Customers transact at Vietcombank Vinh ATM

One of the pioneering banks in developing ATM services in Nghe An is the Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam - Vinh Branch (Vietcombank Vinh). Currently, Vietcombank Vinh has 25 ATMs (ranked 2nd in the number of ATMs in Nghe An, the bank with the largest number of ATMs in Vinh City). Vietcombank Vinh is currently providing salary payment services to 223 agencies and enterprises and paying social insurance to 25 wards and communes in Vinh City. To ensure smooth communication between the bank and customers, and to do a good job of customer care, Vietcombank Vinh has added 3 hotlines, bringing the number of hotlines to reflect service quality to 4 hotlines. There is one direct line to the Deputy Director directly in charge of card work, and one direct line to the head of the card department, so during the recent Lunar New Year, there was no information congestion and incidents were promptly handled and service usage advice was provided to each customer.

In addition, Vietcombank Vinh also improved the quality of other support services such as POS system (card payment by EDC card swiping machine), Internet banking, Mobi banking, and strengthened the system of tellers at individual customer transaction counters... which significantly reduced the pressure on the ATM system. With the POS system, by December 23, Vietcombank Vinh had installed over 150 establishments selling goods and services accepting card payments, with over 195 EDC machines (electronic card payment machines). Thanks to the above careful preparation, during the Lunar New Year 2014, 25 ATMs of Vietcombank Vinh served well 250,000 cardholders who came to make payment transactions via ATM during the peak period from December 23 to January 6 of the year of the Horse with a total amount of 140.83 billion VND.

At the Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, Nghe An Branch has also boldly invested in rapidly developing ATM services. Currently, Agribank Nghe An has 29 ATMs spread from Vinh City to districts and towns in the province and has issued more than 250,000 cards, responsible for paying 477 agencies, units and organizations paying salaries through Agribank Nghe An. To serve the needs of ATM transactions during the Lunar New Year 2014, Agribank Nghe An has sent an official dispatch to the district and town branches to ensure ATM safety, serve customers well, and absolutely not let ATMs stop operating due to not receiving funds in time, or when members of the ATM Management Board receive a message reporting an error at the ATM or reporting a low fund level, they must take the initiative to promptly fix it. In case the ATMs are too crowded or the network is congested, the Branch assigns people to guide and ensure order at the ATMs while creating conditions for customers to withdraw directly at the transaction counter...

Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu - Head of Service and Marketing Department of Agribank Nghe An said: "Agribank Nghe An has a very large number of customers, so during Tet, the demand for transactions via ATM increases and to promptly meet this demand, Agribank Nghe An has proactively checked, reviewed, maintained and repaired the ATM system, and has a plan to maintain enough funds for the structure of currencies according to regulations to proactively replenish ATM funds during Tet holiday and until the 29th of Tet, Agribank Nghe An is still serving, highly appreciated by customers". In the coming time, Agribank Nghe An will continue to invest in installing ATM systems in Ky Son and Quy Chau districts.

Currently, the banking sector in the province has issued 680,000 cards and 1,077 agencies and units have paid salaries through the ATM system. Through ATM transactions, the banking sector not only actively contributes to reducing the amount of cash payments, but also contributes to innovating customer service methods...

Hoang Vinh