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Every branch of state-run banks in the country will have to entertain at least three requests for offering doorstep banking services per month until March 2023, according to a target set by PSB Alliance, a company setup by all public-sector banks (PSBs), jointly offering key customer-oriented services announced by the government.
The target has been fixed to nudge PSBs to aggressively implement the doorstep banking service initiative, amid constant prodding by the finance ministry. The initiative was launched by the ministry in September 2020, as part of the so-called EASE (enhanced access and service excellence) reforms programme.
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In recent months, the ministry has renewed focus on the “good old ‘customer-first’” approach, as it feels state-run banks’ understanding of the changing needs of customers and appropriate responses will help them withstand fierce competition from their private peers, who have been steadily wooing customers away from the PSBs due to what many perceive as their “better customer services”.
However, banks have purportedly remained lax in extending the doorstep banking programme, prompting both the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) and PSB Alliance to persuade them to improve their performance on this count. The target will be scaled up subsequently, a top banker told FE.
The move was aimed at providing convenience of banking services to customers at their doorstep upon getting requests from them through call centres, web portals or mobile apps. The services can be availed of by customers of PSBs at nominal charges and will particularly benefit senior citizens and differently-abled persons. Customers can also track the status of their requests through these channels.
Prior to September 2020, only non-financial services, including pick-up of negotiable instruments (cheque, demand draft, pay order, etc.), request for account statement, delivery of non-personalised cheque book, demand draft, pay order and delivery of term deposit receipt, were available to customers. However, with the introduction of the doorstep banking initiative, financial services, including limited withdrawal of money, have also been made available.
Initially, the doorstep services were targeted to be rendered by doorstep banking agents deployed by select service providers at 100 centres across the country, which was to be scaled up subsequently.
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