Tan Kin Lian's Blog: Improvement in service

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Improvement in service

I wrote to my bank to suggest that they should allow the customer to enter a reference number for an ATM funds transfer. This will allow the recipient of the funds to know the party who has made the transfer.

The bank acknowledged my suggestion but did not give me any reply for several weeks. This type of poor communication is quite common in Singapore.

I sent a reminder to the service quality manager. She replied that the bank is now studying the technical feasibility of providing a virtual keyboard on the touchscreen of the ATM.

I suggested that they should just implement the numeric input, which just involves a simple change to the software and is quite easy and inexpensive to implement. There is no need to make any hardware modification to the ATM machine and can be done with ATM machines that do not have a touch screen. It will probably meet the needs of most people involved in the funds transfer.

It is better to look for simple and inexpensive ways to implement improvements. There is no need to spend a lot of money or time to make comprehensive and complex changes. They should also learn to call and talk to the customer, rather than work independently to find their own solutions.

Tan Kin Lian

10 comments:

Anonymous said...: Dear Mr Tan
Your suggestion typifies the distinct characteristics of your generation that made Singapore so successful in the past.

Simple, practical, creative, easy-to-implement and very effective in getting the job done fast. The true spirit of "cheaper, better, faster" ... simplicity and creativity.

This is a good example of the "classic" Singaporean approach.

The response you received about a "virtual keyboard" represents the "new" Singapore.

It represents;
- how to make things complicated
- how to use too much technology
- how to spend a lot of money to do simple things

Your simple suggestion would still need a lot of layers of management review ... including security issues.

Now imagine you overlay a 'virtual keyboard" with software that is
- probably outsourcred
- the vendor probably uses programmers from Philippines and India (as if these folks are familiar with Singaporean banking habits)
... and you are looking at a software project that will take years to implement and will likely hit cost over-runs.

It's unbelievable.
- our leaders want to cut cost and manpower
- and they want to use complicated technology
- supplied by other countries

Good Luck.

I've been increasing my business transactions with Maybank over the last 2 years. More and more, I find that Maybank is doing what Singaporean banks used to do very well in the past.
- Focus on doing basic banking services well
- And very little on "big bang", visionary game changing type projects.; June 02, 2010 3:52 PM
Anonymous said...: REX comments as follows,

Mr Tan, I think the bank's reply to provide a virtual keyboard is to address the requirement for alpha-characters. Most ATM machine can't input alpha (letters), and the bank officer presumed that you asked for the reference code means you want to input alpha (eg. "TKL to ABC")via ATMs which can't be done.. nothing to do with touchscreen or numeric keypad.

In my opinion, the software aspect of the request is also not necessarily that simple. Whilst the input subroutine for the character entry is not difficult, there is however a change in database because every transaction now has to be mapped to additional user defined alphanumeric reference data (it does not matter if it is optional, the software will have to assume that every transaction will have one additional field for this reference). This requires redefining fields and expansion of the database dimensioning and associated linkages logic for tracking via other software modules, if the reference input is to be of any use at all.

Technically the request is not necessarily simple since it is database enhancement with new field. It is not a cosmetic change as is commonly seen in websites which are frequently updated to make it more user friendly.

Of course on the positive side, the requirement can definitely be achieved, but whether bank management would take kindly to absorbing costs is another story.

rex; June 02, 2010 4:39 PM
Anonymous said...: Good idea a simple numeric code will do the magic. So that that code could be transmitted to recipient for at least the recipient will know who that is.; June 02, 2010 8:25 PM
Tan Kin Lian said...: Reply to Rex:

When I wrote to the bank, I specifically suggested that a numeric input was sufficient. When I contacted them subsequently, this point was re-emphasised.

I am familiar with database and programming. While the change to the database structure requires some work, it is not that difficult. For example, internet banking has the extra field for the reference of the sender or receiver.

I suspect that the key difficulty is the numeric input at the ATM machine and not the database structure.

Anyway, we are just speculating as this bank wants to solve the problem their way, instead of engaging with the customer.; June 02, 2010 9:24 PM
Anonymous said...: Rex comments,

Well now i am a bit lost. How would a numeric input help the recipient of funds know who sent it? It is hard for the reciepent to figure out which number stands for which friend who send it...i think letter code of 3 letters minimum is indispensible.

Now regarding the database thingy, i had a rethink and maybe you are right that it may not be difficult. The get around solution is to KEEP existing fields, not create new one. Create new one involve a lot of work, that is what i meant in my earlier post. In the get around solution, we keep and reuse the same fields currentl already available for payment descriptions. For example now if i am debited for TV licence the passbook prints out a code MDA $110. IF power supply deduction it is "PS". So all they have to do is if you get money from someone, we can re-use the same field reserved for these abbreviations (today the code is ATR for posb, means ATM transfer). In this way, by reusing the existing 3-digit field already defined in their systems, i think it can't be that difficult - because the system already exists in the ATM database as proven.

Anyway, i do agree that the bank could have done better in their response to this customer query.

rex; June 02, 2010 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...: Mr Tan and Rex,
I seldom leave comment but when I see the reply and comment by you all, I feel like leaving a comment so you all can avoid taking the unnecessary 'route'.
from what i understand you can even pay your local university registration fees through the ATM, so do you think that they don't already have the service or system that you all are mentioning about?; June 02, 2010 11:12 PM
Anonymous said...: I suspect it is more of cost issue, since the bank doesn't really own the ATMs -- it leases them from vendors such as NCR and IBM. Each ATM costs tens of thousands each month in "rental", maintenance contract, network fees, scheduled updates & upgrades, backups, security etc etc. Any adhoc changes or upgrades requires the bank to pay helluva lot money to these vendors.

They are just exploring the software approach (i.e. virtual keyboard) as it will be much cheaper than physically upgrading all the existing ATMs with alphanumeric keyboards. And since software programming is involved, might as well go with alphanumeric rather than just numeric, since the cost difference will be minimal.; June 03, 2010 1:52 AM
Tan Kin Lian said...: Reply to Rex 10:53 PM

Usually, ATM transfer is for making a payment. The sender of the funds can be identified by an order number (which is usually numeric) or a mobile phone number/ The recipient of the funds can use the numeric number to match the order or to identify the customer.

Reply to 11:12 PM
I have tried to transfer funds through DBS ATM machine. They do NOT allow the entry of a numeric input.; June 03, 2010 7:28 AM
Anonymous said...: if a big corporate ask the bank for a solution to let their client pay for their order through ATM identifying the payment through the number that is generated to them when they order, do you think they will get a prompt and good solution delivered to them if they are willing to pay?; June 03, 2010 8:39 AM
Anonymous said...: I used DBS ebanking and their listing of the credit card charges is not sorted according to dates, or merchant name. This makes tracking difficult. I asked them to simply sort the charges according to date which I think should be an easy change. They replied that they are unable to do so... :PPP; June 04, 2010 1:34 PM