Pavel Zingan in an interview with Lilia Bondarenko, Head of Customer Care for legal entities 1314 Department at maib
Lilia, hello! You currently manage the Support Business Banking Department, which includes Customer Care. Is this your first experience working at a bank abroad?
It's my second. In my professional career, I managed banking risks for a bank in Vietnam, in Hanoi, for two years. I was invited there as a crisis manager, as the bank had a very weak loan portfolio, and within two years, we improved its quality threefold.
Working in Vietnam was a true challenge: it was a completely different culture and traditions. So, when I joined the maib team as a consultant in 2020 and settled in Moldova in 2022, it felt like I had never left home from Kiev.
Was the 1314 service already available at that time?
No, at that time, I had three teams under my supervision: lending process support, network support, and remote services, including telesales. Customer Care was established in 2023. The 1313 service was available then, but legal entities were placed in the same queue as individuals, which was inconvenient. Any request to the bank is essential and should be addressed as quickly as possible. Still, for legal entities, the speed of resolving issues is crucial, as there are times when obtaining information here and now is essential. Therefore, it was decided to create 1314, a separate line for legal entities.
What month did it happen?
It was April, 2023.
It's been over a year. What have you managed to accomplish in that time?
First of all, I managed to assemble a team of professionals because the competence of employees is the main guarantee of the efficiency of a specialized call center.
I cannot imagine how it is possible to train people who understand all aspects of servicing legal entities in such a short period of time, given the huge amount of information and nuances involved.
Then, I should explain in more detail how Contact Center 1314 is organized in maib. We have the first and second helplines. When a customer calls, the call is taken directly by an expert familiar with all areas of activity.
So, is it an expert who knows everything in the end?
Experts who know almost everything. Specialists working on the first line are experts with capital letters. And they navigate all possible customer situations. But if you need more in-depth technical assistance, for example, you need to remotely connect to the customer's computer and solve a problem, then the call is transferred to the second line.
Is this kind of service available? I remember I once allowed my programmers to access my computer remotely. Is it possible to work with the 1314 service as well?
Yes, the second 1314 line, specifically designed for Internet Banking, can assist you in setting up a payment, resolving technical issues, and handling other complex customer cases. If the issue cannot be resolved over the phone, the customer can provide remote access to their computer.
You said, "the second line which is responsible for Internet Banking". So, are there other 1314 secondary lines?
Another group answers questions related to payments. In certain cases, when a payment raises questions and some services may require additional information, a second line responsible for payments is activated.
In MDL and foreign currency?
First of all, in foreign currency. In the case of payments in MDL, additional questions rarely arise, except for substantial amounts and some details in the payment details.
Is it about situations related to outgoing payments?
No, there may also be questions about incoming payments. Money has been transferred to the customer, but they have not received it. At that point, we start investigating why the money is blocked.
We have conducted a series of interviews about the work of maib personal managers for companies. While every large corporate company has its manager, it's important to note that small and medium-sized companies with a turnover of more than 18 million lei per year also work with personal managers. Does it follow that 1314 is mostly used by companies that are classified as micro businesses?
We are always ready to answer any questions you may have. It's worth noting that micro-business clients are the ones who most frequently seek our assistance.
And I, as a business, am a maib customer. And I categorize myself in the micro business segment. But can I call the bank branch where I have my current account?
Of course. But what's the advantage of 1314 business? The bank branch primarily serves customers who have physically come to a bank for a service or consultation. If the manager you are calling is busy with another customer in the branch, they may wait to answer the call, so your request will be transferred to 1314, where we will do our best to help you.
Working with maib, you get accustomed to the fact that the bank's activities are constantly evolving. What are you currently working on?
We've recently implemented a business chat.
Is this a chatbot?
We never leave a customer with an unanswered question. We request permission to call and carry out the necessary identification procedures. Alternatively, we can respond to emails recorded in our database. Like other services, the 1314 service aims to prevent fraudulent behaviour. We care for our clients, their money, and their information, so we always ensure proper identification.
Our recent launch of a new service has been a significant milestone. We are focused on optimizing its performance, demonstrating our commitment to continuous improvement. One of the main challenges we are addressing involves difficulties with customer identification. While we can handle general inquiries through chat, we must ensure we speak with a verified customer representative when dealing with confidential information. We are refining our identification processes to serve our customers' needs better.
How do you handle this situation currently?
We never leave a customer with an unanswered question. We request permission to call and carry out the necessary identification procedures. Alternatively, we can respond to emails recorded in our database. Like other services, the 1314 service aims to prevent fraudulent behaviour. We care for our clients, their money, and their information, so we always ensure proper identification.
How do I access the 1314 business chat?
You can conveniently access the 1314 business chat through the bank's website, Telegram, and Viber.
We've discussed business chat, but don't we list all the "sidelines" in 1314 other than Internet Banking and Payments?
Indeed, the 1314 business chat is for more than just general queries. It also provides comprehensive support for salary projects and remote channels, ensuring you have the needed assistance.
For salary projects, everything is clear. What are the situations for remote channels?
Usually, the questions are about how to open an account and get a loan remotely, update your details, and sign loan contracts or additional agreements by electronic signature, which previously required you to go to the bank.
By the way, is there any difference in the speed of response in a chat or a regular 1314 call?
We aim to connect with the operator in both cases within 30 seconds. Of course, there are peak hours, and the waiting time may be longer.
Towards the end of the interview, I'd like to clarify if we need to include anything important.
I could speak for hours about my team, not only about Customer Care but also about Business Banking Support. However, today, it was crucial for me to highlight the 1314 service and the functionality of the chat feature, as the chat is available to all customers, including those abroad.
Then, let's end the interview with a link to the chat. Let's give maib business customers another degree of freedom.
Of course, here is the link: https://www.maib.md/en/persoane-juridice
