BY CHERYL LIM

BANKS have been badly affected by the current economic crisis. For one thing, customer confidence has taken a beating after investors suffered hefty losses over Lehman Brothers Minibond structured notes. These had been sold, among other products, by bank Relationship Managers (RM).

But, if banks shore up their services, they can win the confidence of their customers again. my paper asked three model bank employees in different roles for tips on how banks can boost their standing.

Mr Thomas Leong, 29, a DBS Bank RM, was lauded by a customer for his 'knowledge in currency-linked investments'. A customer wrote to his supervisor in October and said that this helped her portfolio to 'ride out the recent volatility in forex markets'.

The customer, a lecturer who wanted to be known only as Ms Wee, credited the gains she made to Mr Leong's knowledge and enthusiasm in keeping up-to-date with market changes.

Ms Wee added that she lost money in her investment with another bank, where she did not benefit from regular follow-ups from a RM.

Mr Leong told my paper that he reads The Business Times and Bloomberg.com daily to keep his finger on the pulse of latest market changes.

Get pally with your clients Mr Leong told my paper that some of his clients have become his close friends. They even meet for dinner and play mahjong regularly.

He said: 'Customers will stick with their RMs through thick and thin if trust is in place.'

He believes that the key to his success is the trust he has built with his customers, which 'can be built only through time'. Develop a 'sixth sense' at work

Initiative and a 'sixth sense' nurtured after 14 years with OCBC Bank enabled Ms Lee Lai Wan, a service ambassador at OCBC's AngMo Kio branch, to foil a kidnap scam in June.

Then, Ms Lee, 33, stopped a customer who had just remitted money to a con artist. She sensed the customer was panicking and asked her what was wrong.

With experience, she can 'sense her customers' feelings and better understand their needs, like a sixth sense', Ms Lee said.

She spent the subsequent five hours coordinating with various parties, including SingPost, to halt the transfer of funds. She said: 'The family visited me the next day with a cake and a letter of appreciation.'

Ms Lee bagged the Chairman's Gems Award awarded by her bank this year. Bend over backwards for your clients

In April last year, Ms Joyce Tang, 47, OCBC's vice-president of group transaction banking, caught an error while processing the payroll of a client.

The client's payroll system had unintentionally introduced additional numbers to the staff's bank-account numbers. Ms Tang told my paper: 'I immediately informed the customer.'

She worked till 4am that night troubleshooting and supporting the customer's payroll staff. Because of Ms Tang, staff of the company 'were able to receive their pay as originally scheduled', OCBC's spokesman said.

Ms Tang said: 'The company's HR director personally sent cakes the next day to thank me. The feeling I get from helping another person is priceless.'

She was presented with the Spring Excellent Service Award by Mr Lim Swee Say, Minister for Prime Minister's Office, last month.

For more my paper stories click here.