Bank Windhoek promotes consumer rights

In a bid to encourage its clients to exercise their right to complain about services Bank Windhoek has embarked on a mission to promote consumer rights.
The Bank’s Executive Officer: Marketing and Corporate Communication Services, Marlize Horn said, “Feedback from our clients informs us of where we are lacking in terms of service delivery and how we can improve to provide the best possible service to our clients. We therefore invite our clients to provide us with feedback on our services and, if unsatisfactory, we promise to deal with the concern in an efficient and effective manner.”
Clients of financial institutions are empowered through the Code of Banking Practice of the Bankers Association of Namibia (BAN) and the Guidelines for Lodging Customer Complaints of the Bank of Namibia (BON) to lay a complaint if they do not receive the level of service that they deserve or expect from their respective banks.
The Code of Banking Practice is a voluntary code which sets standards of good banking practice for financial institutions to follow, when dealing with customers. BON’s Guidelines for Lodging Complaints, guides clients of commercial banks when wanting to lodge their complaints to the Bank of Namibia. The Guidelines further establish complaint handling procedures in the Bank of Namibia to ensure a consistent approach in complaints resolution.
Furthermore, Bank Windhoek staff members are guided by a Service Charter, which is the Bank’s own voluntary commitment towards service delivery. The Charter sets out the basic rights of Bank Windhoek clients and the principles governing the provision of services to clients, both internal and external.
With the proposed appointment of an independent Financial Service Ombudsman (FSO) clients will be empowered to exercise their consumer rights.
“The FSO will handle complaints of customers of financial service providers, including banks, medical aid funds, pension funds, insurance companies and other providers registered with the Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (Namfisa) and the Bank of Namibia,” she added.
Said Marlize, “Bank Windhoek’s Service Promise is to turn every client interaction into an amazing Bank Windhoek service experience. Clients can lodge their complaints using the appropriate channels as outlined in the Bank Windhoek Service Charter, which is available in all Bank Windhoek branches and agencies and also on the Bank Windhoek website.”