Doha, Qatar: Commercial Bank, Qatar's first private bank, is proud to announce it has won the "Best Contact Centre" award at the Gulf Customer Experience Awards 2015.
The Gulf Customer Experience Awards celebrate best practice in delivering outstanding customer experience across a broad range of industries and categories in the Gulf. As well as providing companies with recognition for their hard work, the awards aim to support organisations by promoting continuous improvement and learning.
Competing against the region's most prominent companies, Commercial Bank was chosen as the winner at the Gulf Customer Experience Awards 2015 in the Contact Centre category during a ceremony held in January in Dubai. Commercial Bank's Contact Centre has been on a two year programme of improvement to deliver an enhanced service experience to all customers. Call recognition through customers' registered mobile numbers means the Bank's automated telephone system can direct customer calls swiftly to the correct team or a helpful self-service option. With many customers travelling frequently, overseas calls to the Contact Centre are fast-tracked to an agent, as the Bank recognises these calls are often urgent. A new and dedicated Customer Care Unit has also been established within the Contact Centre to give customers an end-to-end resolution of any query that previously required customers' time in a branch.
Commercial Bank CEO Abdulla Saleh Al Raisi said: "Understanding of our customer demands and expectations to deliver outstanding customer service is a core objective for Commercial Bank and I'm delighted our efforts have been recognised through this regional award. We are proud of the significant improvements to Commercial Bank's Contact Centre that deliver an enhanced customer experience. This award reinforces how important this journey has been for us and how proud we are to provide our customers with the best experience possible."
**Ends**
For more information, please contact:
Qatari media
Ibrahim Al-Emadi
Head of Corporate Communications
Commercial Bank
Tel: +974 4475 4748
Email: ibrahim.alemadi@cbq.qa
About Commercial Bank
Commercial Bank has total assets of QAR 123.5 billion as at 31 December 2015. As a full service commercial bank, the Bank offers a full range of corporate, retail and investment banking services as well as owning and operating exclusive Diners Club franchises in Qatar and Oman. The Bank's countrywide network includes 30 full service branches and 154 ATMs.
Profitable every year since incorporation in 1974, continual investment in technology and human capital, together with a strong capital base, provides a solid foundation for continued growth. A successful diversification strategy has expanded Commercial Bank's GCC footprint through strategic partnerships with associated banks, the National Bank of Oman (NBO) in Oman and United Arab Bank (UAB) in the UAE. NBO, the second largest bank in Oman with total assets of OMR 3.3 billion as at 31 December 2015, has 61 conventional branches and 6 Islamic branches in Oman and 1 branch each in Egypt, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. UAB is headquartered in Sharjah, with total assets of AED 23.7 billion as at 31 December 2015, and operates 30 branches and 69 ATMs across the emirates in the UAE. Building on the successful execution of the Bank's expansion strategy to date, Commercial Bank completed the acquisition of a majority stake in Alternatifbank in Turkey in July 2013.
Commercial Bank was awarded "Best retail bank in Qatar" for 2015 by The Asian Banker based on its wide-ranging achievements over the past three years and ambitious future plans. In recognition of the Bank's innovative customer focused products and services provided to SMEs, Commercial Bank also won the prestigious "Best Commercial (SME) Bank of the Year, Qatar" award from The International Banker for the year 2015. In recognition of its CSR activities benefitting the Qatari community, Commercial Bank was awarded the "Best CSR Report", at the Corporate Social Responsibility awards ceremony for organisations in Qatar.
Commercial Bank enjoys strong credit ratings of (A+) from Fitch, (A1) from Moody's and (A-) from Standard & Poor's. The Bank is listed on the Qatar Exchange and was the first Qatari bank to list its Global Depository Receipts (GDRs) as well as bonds on the London Stock Exchange. Commercial Bank's Swiss Franc bond issuance in December 2010, was the first public bond issuance by a Qatari bank in Switzerland. Commercial Bank's latest bond issuance in June 2014 is listed on the Irish stock exchange.
The Bank is dedicated to supporting Qatar's community and social infrastructure through Corporate Social Responsibility programmes and sponsorship of various events. Title sponsorship of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters and the Grand Prix of Qatar Moto GP reflects the Bank's promotion of excellence in sports and its keen interest in enhancing Qatar's international sporting reputation. To reinforce Qatar's flourishing cultural environment, Commercial Bank is the strategic partner of the Katara Cultural Village. This collaboration symbolises the Bank's commitment to supporting cultural activities in Qatar and making the country a regional arts and cultural hub.
About Alternatifbank (ABank)
ABank was established in 1991 and has been listed on the Istanbul Stock Exchange since 1995. Commercial Bank became the majority shareholder in ABank in 2013 holding a 74.24% stake, following the acquisition of ABank shares of 70.84% from the Anadolu Group and 3.40% through a public tender offer. Anadolu Group remains a significant shareholder retaining 25% of shares in ABank. The bank completed a squeeze out process and its current shareholding in ABank is 75%.
ABank is a mid-size Turkish bank that predominately serves medium-sized companies through a country-wide network of 59 branches in 27 cities. ABank provides commercial/corporate banking services and products, with a special focus on the growing segment of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. The Bank's main product ranges cover trade finance instruments, working capital finance, cash management, and portfolio management. The Bank has also recently made a strategic decision to re-enter Retail Banking, targeting the "mass affluent segment" in terms of customer profile with tailor made products.
At 31 December 2015, ABank had total assets of TL 13.9 billion, total loans stood at TL 10 billion, customer deposits of TL 5.6 billion and shareholders' equity of TL 1 billion.
wwweng.abank.com.tr
© Press Release 2016
