As part of the global Customer Service Week celebration, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Sierra Leone hosted a special event on Wednesday, 9th October 2024, to honor and appreciate its customers.

The week-long celebration, which runs from Monday, 7th October to Friday, 11th October, is dedicated to fostering deeper customer engagement and recognizing the pivotal role clients play in the success of financial institutions.

The event, held at UBA’s headquarters, provided an opportunity for customers to interact with the bank’s leadership and share feedback on their experiences.

Sallieu Sesay, Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications, welcomed attendees and emphasized that the bank continuously values and celebrates its customers.

He noted that this initiative is part of UBA’s longstanding tradition of engaging customers to ensure they receive the best service.

“Today’s celebration is not a one-off event. UBA is known for always appreciating our customers and listening to their input for continuous improvement,” Sesay said.

Managing Director of UBA Sierra Leone, Mohamed Alhajie Samoura, highlighted the importance of customer satisfaction, describing UBA’s commitment to customer service as “non-negotiable.” He shared examples of how the bank prioritizes customer needs, stating, “At UBA, we treat our customers like royalty, and we have even dismissed staff members for disregarding our high standards of customer service.”

Samoura further noted that while UBA has made significant strides, the bank continues to seek ways to improve. He emphasized that the institution has introduced various digital banking platforms, such as online transactions, mobile apps, and internet banking, allowing customers to conduct business from the comfort of their homes.

We are not where we want to be yet, but we are making progress,” Samoura stated. “Our goal is to make banking seamless for our customers, and we have increased our ATM limits, introduced our ‘Leo’ chat banker on WhatsApp, and provided easy loan facilities like the ‘No Wahala Loan,’ which offers up to 500,000 New Leones to workers.”

Kumba Foday-Ngongou, Acting Head of Customer Experience, explained that UBA celebrated Customer Service Week across all its branches, with a special grand event held at the headquarters to further engage customers.

“We are here because of our customers, and celebrating with them is just one way of showing our appreciation,” she said. Foday-Ngongou also announced that 35 lucky customers would win various prizes, including essential items like milk, oil, and juice, through a raffle.

Several customers took the opportunity to provide feedback, with some requesting improvements in turnover time, while others praised UBA’s excellent customer service. One longtime client expressed his gratitude, recalling how UBA’s services had made his college days easier by allowing him to withdraw small amounts for daily expenses.

The celebration culminated in the cutting of a cake by the Managing Director alongside customers and staff, followed by the awarding of prizes to the lucky dip winners and refreshments served to all attendees.