National Investment Bank (NIB) - Please Wake Up! (Part 1)

In February 2018, I became a customer of the National Investment Bank (NIB) by virtue of my employment with the Municipal Assembly. Over the years, I have had serious concerns about some practices of the bank. Many times I have gone to a branch with my ATM card to withdraw, but had to resort to the use of counter-cheque because the ATM isn't working.

To add salt to injury, I get charged astronomically at Ghc 10 for a leaflet of counter-cheque whilst the entire cheque booklet cost Ghc 12. One fateful day early last year, I "lost my cool" as I found myself in the situation again. It happened at the Achimota branch, which happens to be my branch then.

Whilst waiting to be called to the counter for my cash, I got a text message alert. A charge of Ghc 10 for the counter-cheque. My adrenaline began rising. I immediately walked to the customer service. I demanded to see the branch manager. I told them to refund the Ghc 10 back to me immediately, fix the ATM for me to withdraw my money.

If I brought my ATM card to withdraw, and through no fault of mine the ATM isn't working, if I have to resort to counter-cheque as a result, the bank has no right to charge me for their inefficiency. In the full glare of everyone, the staff agreed I'm right, and started pleading with me for the inconvenience.

Effectively, it's fraudulent for the banks to be charging customers for the use of counter-cheque when their ATMs are faulty. From that day, I decided I won't ever fall victim to that fraud again. But I was wrong. It happened to me again at Adenta SDA branch. I had again gone to withdraw with my card. As usual, the ATM was faulty. So I went inside the branch.

That day, it was as if the customer service staff was informed ahead of my coming. That an "I know my right" would be coming to the branch. Indeed, I "met my meter" that day. This elderly woman had fully prepared herself to face me.

As I started to explain that it's wrong to charge customers for a counter-cheque if the ATM is faulty, the customer service staff got so angry. “It's an administrative charge,” she said. She insisted I would be charged, or I better go home and bring my own chequebook to withdraw.

I'm sure some would be asking why I don't carry my chequebook with me. Well, the answer is that, I don't see the need to be carrying around a chequebook for a salary that that can be withdrawn with the ATM card at one-go.

I stood there speechless, intently looking at the woman. Seeing that she is an elderly woman; and "me not wanting" to create a scene for all eyes to be on me, I allowed myself to be frauded again. In Life, it's ok to lose sometimes. You can't always be a winner.

One day, at a staff Dunbar at my Municipal Assembly, a branch manager of NIB was in attendance. I asked the manager the issue of the bank charging customers for the use of counter-cheque when the ATM is faulty.

I put it to the manager that, couldn't the banks sometimes deliberately turn off their ATMs in order to cash in on counter-cheques? If 50 customers are issued counter-cheques due to faulty ATM, the bank makes a cool Ghc 500 from a cheque booklet that cost Ghc 12. If a branch can sell at least one booklet a day, five days a week will be Ghc 2,500. That's Ghc 10,000 a month for a branch.

Is there not an incentive for the bank or banks to increase revenue by setting targets for counter-cheques?

One day, I again encountered a faulty ATM at Madina branch. Quickly, I geared myself up for a showdown. I walked to the team on the right as you enter the branch. I showed them my ATM card: “I've come to withdraw money but the ATM is faulty.” "Use the counter-cheque," a staff said.

I then asked: "Is it free?" "No, you'll be charged for it," she said. "You must be joking,” I angrily retorted.

Immediately I was directed to the customer service manager. As I began the "I know my right" story over faulty ATM and counter-cheque, the customer service manager agreed that I'm right. That I shouldn't pay for the counter-cheque as the ATM is faulty.

He immediately gave me a cash of Ghc 10 as refund. The charge would definitely go out of my account because it is automated. I told the officer that I have had enough of the unscrupulous and fraudulent practice. So I'll do a publication, especially owing to the fact that most times their ATMs are faulty.

The officer started pleading with me not to publish the story. The branch manager – an elderly woman - was quickly called. As if by some divine orchestration, the branch manager happens to be the very person who came to the staff durbar at my Municipal Assembly. The very manager I put my questions to that day, but didn't get a satisfactory answer.

I had a lot of discussions with the branch manager in her office. I insisted that I'll do the publication as enough is enough. The customer service and branch managers did all they could to plead with me not to do the publication. I was even asked:

"Don't you need a loan?"
The continuous plea by the managers, who are both advanced in age than I, got the human side of me. I told them I'll have a further think about it. I made my way home as I left the branch. About an hour later, I had a call from someone who identified herself as head of customer service at NIB. She was calling from the head office branch at airport.

Please lookout for part 2, and get know what has happened at Achimota and Abeka branches, that has forced me to eventually do this publication in spite of having forgiven them to publish over a year ago.

Maxwell Maundy,
Author/Writer/Columnist.