FNB

As part of its ongoing support for the work of the Ombudsman for Banking Services (OBS), FNB welcomes the release of the Ombudsman’s 2021 Annual Report which includes disputes between customers and banks. According to the 2021 OBS Annual Report, FNB had a 34% decrease in complaints and/or disputes, making it the only major bank to record a decrease in formal complaints during the period.

Jacques Celliers, FNB CEO says the Ombud plays a critical role in assisting customers and banks with resolving complaints and disputes. "While the number of complaints that are referred to the OBS accounts for a small fraction of our overall customer interactions, we take the feedback received from the OBS very seriously. This is part of our commitment to putting customers' needs first as we continue building a trusted platform business," he says. 

"Feedback from our customers and the OBS has allowed us to calibrate our processes to improve our turnaround times on complaints and provide meaningful responses to all customer enquiries. Furthermore, we have regular engagements with the office of the Ombud regarding any complaints that have been escalated to the OBS, and we are pleased to see positive results from our collective efforts to ensure service excellence in our industry," explains Celliers.

In keeping with its platform strategy, FNB provides customers with multiple channels for communicating with its representatives, including the industry-leading Secure Chat feature on the zero-rated FNB App. Customers can also contact FNB's contact centre, nearest branch, or relationship banking channels for service-related inquiries.

"As a testament to our brand promise of 'how can we help you’, we value our role in helping customers manage their money. We also understand the emotions that come with financial responsibilities and the level of care that is expected of us. As a result, we are always willing to listen and assist customers in any way we can, with Ombud serving as the last resort in dispute resolution," concludes Celliers.