Boubyan the 'Best in Customer Service Atop all Kuwait Institutions

KUWAIT: Boubyan Bank continued being on top of the pyramid of customer service in Kuwait, supported by earning two awards from Service Hero, the international consumer-driven customer satisfaction index. The bank received the First Place Award in Customer Service as a Country Winner, for the fourth time in addition to being named the 2017 Best Islamic Bank in Customer Service for the ninth year in a row since 2010.

Abdulla Al-Tuwaijri, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, commented on the bank's continued receipt of such awards by stating: "The assessment of local and international companies and our continued receipt of such awards shows that reaching the top is easy, however, maintaining this position is much harder."

"The confidence of our customers was well-placed, and this was fruitful as it contributed to earning these two special awards in Kuwait. The bank would continue at that remarkable level of customer service.", he added.

Al-Tuwaijri went on to explain: "Customer service is part of the bank's culture. It is no secret that almost all competitors offer similar products and services, however, the excellence and outperformance come through service and the way of dealing with customers, especially in Kuwait where customers have high expectations."

He went on to add: "Upon reviewing our products and services, one can see that aside from contributing, logically, to our profitability, they - most importantly - constitute a part of our social responsibility. This is because we contribute to emphasize the concepts of innovation and creativity in the first place besides minimizing the effort and time dedicated to obtaining the service or the product, thus, saving our customers the time which they may spend in doing more valuable activities such as family activities."

He elaborated: "Customer service necessitates that the bank staff continue providing the highest levels of service, while enhancing the same constantly in a manner that maintains the confidence of customers and gives them the edge compared with other financial institutions. Customer service challenges are increasing day-after-day, and this brings more responsibilities to the doors of various departments of the bank."

Al-Tuwaijri received the awards alongside Adel Al-Hammad, the General Manager of the Human Resources Group at Boubyan Bank, and Neven Raic, GM - Consumer Banking Group, Wadie Haider, AGM - Customer Experience Management, Bashar Al-Doub, AGM - Retail Sales & Distribution Channels, and Firas Mahasen, Senior Manager - Customer Experience Management.

Selection criteria
Boubyan's choice by Service Hero relied on a group of criteria they followed during the survey, which extended over one year among consumers who evaluated companies on a scale of 10 against their service-level expectations, their experience and their satisfaction following the customer-service experience.

The evaluation relied on many elements such as staff's attitude, location of the bank, speed of service, confidence in the product, quality of service or product, value for money, the contact center, and the website of the bank. Service Hero survey implements a strict protocol to confirm the identity of consumers who take part in the survey.

The survey was taken by around 23,000 nationals and residents in Kuwait of various segments, ages, and consumption trends for the results to be true and indicative of the Kuwaiti market.

Al-Tuwaijri added: "One of Boubyan Values which we seek to instill in our staff is (Customer Focus). Also, since 2010, the bank has been focusing on customer service as the basis of success side by side with excellence of services, products as well as the banking and financing solutions offered by the bank in compliance with the principles of Islamic Sharia."

"Perfection of work and service is the main pillar of customer service, especially when we observe the accomplishments of the bank over the past years which witnessed the increase of its market shares, coupled with the bank's ambitions towards more achievements in the future. We stress that customers are among our priorities, so, we listen to them and conduct surveys to hear their voice; this is the most significant factor for our assessment since customers' feedback is the main driver of any improvement sought by any organization," Al-Tuwaijri elaborated.

Al-Tuwaijri concluded by adding that one of the remarkable things about Service Hero's awards was that they come from an institution which is renowned for its efficiency, expertise, and fairness, especially that the awards were based on studies and consumer surveys which covered a large number of customers representing various segments in Kuwait in addition to the competition with well-established players in the Kuwaiti markets who enjoy vast experience."