By The Respondents Reporter
Customer service should go beyond processing transactions to ensuring that customers receive timely solutions to the financial challenges they face, Absa Bank Tanzania Managing Director and CEO Obedi S. Laiser has said.
Mr Laiser said the need for institutions to put customers at the centre of their operations was particularly important as expectations for faster, simpler and more convenient services continued to rise.
Writing during Customer Service Week 2026, whose theme is “Going the Extra Mile,” he said good service was often demonstrated through everyday actions such as listening to customers, responding promptly, explaining clearly and taking responsibility for resolving complaints.
“Every customer has a story, and every interaction we have with that customer becomes part of that story,” he said.
He said customers approach banks with different financial needs, including small business owners seeking capital to expand their enterprises, parents saving for their children’s education, young professionals seeking financial independence and Tanzanians living abroad looking for opportunities to invest back home.
“Banking is therefore not only about products, processes or transactions. It is about people, their journeys and the role we can play in helping them move forward,” he said.
According to Mr Laiser, the quality of financial services can have an impact beyond individual customers, particularly when businesses depend on timely access to finance and efficient banking services.
“When a business receives the right financial support, it can grow, create jobs and contribute to the economy,” he said.
He said customer service should not be viewed as the responsibility of frontline employees alone, arguing that departments such as operations, technology, risk and other support functions also influence the experience customers receive.
“Customers may not always see all the people involved, but they experience the outcome. And those outcomes matter,” he said.
Mr Laiser said the bank was seeking to strengthen a culture in which employees focus not only on completing internal processes but also on ensuring that customers’ needs were resolved.
He said completing a task should not be considered sufficient if a customer’s underlying problem remained unresolved.
“Our customers experience one Absa. They do not see our departments, reporting lines or internal processes. They experience the collective outcome of how effectively we work together,” he said.
The comments come as businesses across the financial sector increasingly invest in digital platforms and other technologies aimed at improving access to banking services.
Mr Laiser said innovation should, however, complement rather than replace the human element of customer service.
“Today’s customers want banking that is fast, simple, convenient and increasingly digital. At the same time, they still expect empathy, trust and genuine human connection,” he said.
He said the challenge for financial institutions was to combine technology and human interaction while ensuring that digital transformation translated into tangible improvements for customers.
“Our responsibility is to bring these together — technology and human connection, efficiency and empathy, innovation and trust,” he said.
Mr Laiser said Customer Service Week should not be treated as a short annual campaign, but as an opportunity for institutions to examine how they serve customers throughout the year.
“The Extra Mile must increasingly become part of how we work every day — how we listen, how we respond, how we solve problems, how we take accountability and how we continuously improve,” he said.
He also thanked Absa customers for trusting the bank with their businesses, families and financial plans, while encouraging continued feedback on the quality of services provided.
He said customer feedback, including criticism when services fell short of expectations, was important in helping the bank identify areas for improvement.
“Your experiences help us learn, improve and continuously raise the standard of service we provide,” he said.
Mr Laiser also challenged Absa employees to make going the extra mile part of their daily responsibilities rather than simply a theme associated with Customer Service Week.
“Our commitment should be to make the Extra Mile more than a theme. It should become part of our everyday standard — how we listen, how we respond, how we take ownership, how we create value and how we pursue excellence,” he said.
He said the ultimate measure of customer service was whether every interaction left customers better placed to pursue their financial goals.
“Every customer has a story. Every interaction becomes part of that story. And every one of us has an opportunity to make that story better,” he said.