Few things are as annoying as having a banking query and not knowing where to go, which department to contact and who to hold responsible.
Now, Nedbank has launched a new call centre service, Ask Once, which promises to do what you should not have to do: run around on your behalf and sort out any queries you may have, or put you in touch with the relevant person who can resolve your query or provide you with constant feedback on how the issue you have raised is being addressed.
The bank promises that you will have to ask only once to have your problem addressed. It pledges to donate R50 to a charity of its choice if it fails to meet its own service promise.
If your query isn't resolved the first time you ask, you can log the case with the Ask Once helpdesk.
Your initial request can be made either to any staff member at Nedbank, or directly to the Ask Once helpdesk.
Nedbank has committed itself, where feasible, to providing an on-the-spot response to your request. Where this is not possible, the staff member who you approach must take ownership of the job of getting your request resolved by the right person within Nedbank and of keeping you regularly informed concerning the progress of your query and how the matter you have raised is being resolved.
If your query is a complicated one, the bank says its staff will do all the running around to find the right people to deal with your query or to have it investigated.
You can reach the "Ask Once" help desk on 0860 ASK ONCE or 0860 275 662.
Nedbank chief executive officer Tom Boardman says the Ask Once initiative will improve service delivery by ensuring that your queries will be dealt with more effectively.
"Many organisations have generic service charters, but we are putting our money where our mouth is by providing a financial guarantee to support the Ask Once promise," Boardman says.
"This initiative demonstrates our commitment to world-class service and the value we place on building long-term client relationships.
"The Ask Once initiative was heavily informed and driven by client input - with most clients highlighting the need for friendly, knowledgeable, fast and personalised service where the bank does the running around and not the client," Boardman says.
If Nedbank fails to live up to its service promises, money will be donated to charities with a focus on Aids and other terminal illnesses, children, the aged, animals and the environment, among others.
For more information, visit the websites www.askonce.co.za; or