Prime Minister Gaston Browne, who is also the country’s Finance Minister, is again expressing his displeasure with the level of service that is offered to customers by many of the banks operating in the country.
Speaking at the hand-over ceremony for the chairmanship of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU), PM Browne noted that the level of service from some banks has been less than satisfactory and he calling them out for them to institute immediate corrective measures.
According to the prime minister service has been so bad routinely, that one bank had its customers standing in the sun for hours waiting to gain entry to conduct business. “Not even to organize a tent for the customers; this is unacceptable!” he declared.
The prime minister was especially critical of those officers in the banks who seem to enjoy their status in the banks rather than be concerned about providing good service.
“Having heard the concerns of our people about poor customer service and, sometimes, mistreatment by these financial institutions; work will be accelerated on the establishment of an Office of Financial Conduct and Inclusion (OFCI) to address financial market conduct supervision.
It’s unfortunate that in 2025; that our bankers have routinely failed to offer efficient and respectable service; but have opted instead for slow, crude and contemptuous service. I wish to make it abundantly that good service is good business and we expect to see urgent realignments in the service offered by our banks.
“All competition is global,” he noted.
According to the prime minister compliance officers and others in the banking sector, who have made it extremely slow and difficult to do business, need to urgently realign, recognizing that they are inadvertently undermining our region’s global competitiveness and development.
“Service is love; let’s show some love and serve our people graciously and efficiently at levels of our society,” he stated.
