The company and its focus on innovation and service excellence

Founded in the 1990s, this Mozambican bank quickly became a leader in the country’s financial sector. With a commitment to innovation and service excellence, it has grown to become one of the largest and most respected banks in Mozambique. Its strong market presence and customer-centric approach have positioned it as a leader in financial solutions, recognized for its focus on quality service and its ability to adapt to the evolving demands of the financial sector.

The challenge of resolving complaints

Efficient and timely complaint resolution is a key indicator of customer service quality, directly reflecting team performance and service effectiveness. Facing a 500% increase in complaints compared to the same period the previous year, the banking institution recognized an opportunity to turn these complaints into drivers of continuous improvement.

The project focused on addressing root causes, improving information management, and empowering teams through training to help prevent future complaints.

Approach to improving customer service

The improvement strategy was developed with a holistic approach, aligning internal departments and network channels to enhance customer service. It focused on resolving complaints quickly and addressing the root causes of issues to prevent them from recurring. The implementation approach was structured in three phases:

1. Immediate response:

• Development of new processes, scripts, and tools, with specific training for the front office (FO), empowering teams to resolve issues directly at branches and call centers, minimizing the need for formalized complaints, or enabling immediate resolution.

• Implementation of status updates for open complaints to reduce follow-up inquiries, along with a portal for internal and customer inquiries.

• Integration of new tools and improvements to the complaint’s workflow, optimizing work queue management and reducing manual tasks.

2. Service improvement:

• Creation of tools to support team coordination routines and revision of the content of these practices.

• Development of a load/capacity planning tool to manage complaint handling in critical areas.

• Implementation of digital channels for resolving inquiries and submitting complaints, reducing demand at the front office.

• Increasing transparency by setting service level standards for all involved areas and communicating progress in appropriate forums.

3. Root cause focus:

• Launching pilot initiatives to balance demand and address transactional errors, thereby reducing major complaints.

• Automating workflow processes to proactively identify transactional errors and propose preventive corrections.

Results achieved and impact on service quality

The combination of reduced complaint volume and improved response times generated estimated annual benefits of around €8.5 million through resource optimization, increased profitability, and higher transaction volumes. The results were remarkable in operational terms: a service level improvement of 84% in just two months, rising from 50% to 92%.

This case illustrates how Kaizen methodologies can transform challenges into opportunities for improvement, delivering sustainable value to both the organization and its customers.

We are committed to respecting our clients’ confidentiality. While we have altered or omitted their names, the results are genuine.