Winning trio provide excellent service for their customers
Facing fierce competition in a city with ever changing needs, the banking industry's service quality has gone through many changes.
Bank managers nowadays are not only required to fulfil their daily responsibilities, but must also be actively involved in cross-selling various products and maintaining client relationships.
Three Distinguished Sales Awardees from the Bank of Communications stood out from their colleagues by providing excellent customer service and attentive listening skills, and by actively learning.
One of the winners, assistant customer services manager Elvis Yeung Kwok-wing, has five years of experience in the banking industry. He joined the Bank of Communications five months ago. He described himself as passionate and as someone with integrity and persistence, who is attentive to the needs of his clients by listening to them.
'We must get a full portfolio of the customers before recommending any products to them. We need to understand their preferences and how they take risks,' Mr Yeung said.
He cited an example of a client who was looking for an additional home mortgage to achieve extra savings through a flexible repayment plan. The customer was so satisfied with Mr Yeung's attitude that he consolidated his other accounts with the bank.
Listening is also a skill which winner Ivy Lau Yee-king has harnessed during her 18 months as a customer services manager at the bank. 'I think having the patience to listen to others is crucial. We need to understand and respect our customers and be ready to respond to special concerns,' she said.
Ms Lau said when one of her customers intended to transfer to another bank to gain more interest she offered another, more attractive product. She said her soft selling skills, professional knowledge and sincerity won her more business when that customer introduced the new plan to a friend.
Seasoned customer relationship manager Alex Leung Chi-lung has been with the Bank of Communications for eight years. As a senior staff member, he also believes in the power of listening and an analytical mind.
'When a customer comes into our bank, I try to think of one-stop solutions for him. Being analytical helps me to see how to cater to his concerns effectively and creatively,' he said.
Having served in the bank industry for 14 years, Mr Leung continues to enrich his industry knowledge through learning from the resources available around him and from his colleagues. He believes that a distinguished salesperson should be a lifelong learner.
