An Analysis of General Banking Operations and Card Division of UCB Bank – A Study of Customer Service Efficiency

Abstract

This is an internship report of the general banking activities and card division of United Commercial Bank PLC (UCB) in its Uttara branch more specifically to examine the efficiency of customer services in the Uttara branch of United Commercial Bank PLC. The report is prepared as part of the Bachelor of Business Administration program of United International University and is based on the observation of the internship, analysis of the service, data of complaints, mystery shopping, and evaluation of the customer service. With its extensive branch presence, comprehensive financial services, and ongoing efforts in digital transformation and monitoring customer service, UCB has secured a solid reputation in the private commercial banking sector in Bangladesh. Operational efficiency, customer experience, complaint resolution and service quality measurement are all areas in which the bank is committed to enhancing its operations and is continually working on, as evidenced by the various reporting tools including mystery shopping and Net Promoter Score (NPS) which are highlighted in the annual report. These projects are part of the bank's strategy to compete effectively in today's tech-savvy, customer-centric banking landscape. During the internship, hands-on experience was obtained in various general banking functions like account opening, handling enquiries, cheque handling, deposits, complaints and card related issues. This helped to connect theory with practice in banking and to gain insight into the practicality of service delivery at the branch level. The report also uses the SERVQUAL model to evaluate the quality of service in the parameters of reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibility(“(PDF) SERVQUAL,” 1988) The results indicate that UCB gets better results in terms of core banking accuracy, professionalism of staff and resolution of complaints. The bank also has high credibility in providing services as it obtains the proper transaction and handles the customers in a safe manner. The results of the study, however, reveal some areas that need to be improved. These include slower response times in peak hours, waiting times for service at service counters, service variability between service branches, and some technical issues with the digital and card services. The complaint data further indicates that card and ATM-related issues account for a significant portion of service concerns, showing the importance of maintaining strong digital and operational support systems. The overall conclusion is that UCB has a strong base in customer service and operational performance, having potential to further strengthen through increased responsiveness, decreasing service delays and further improving service execution in branches. The internship also proved to be a significant learning opportunity, providing hands-on experience of banking operations, customer behavior, and service quality management. In the end, it piqued my interest in a career in banking and finance.