An Evaluation of CRM Practices in Public, Private and Co-Operative Banking Sectors

CRM is a companywide business strategy designed to reduce costs and increase profitability by solidifying customer loyalty. India being the second largest country in the world in terms of population density, the banking sector also finds its customer base not only spread across the lengths and breadths of the country geographically but also with diversities in terms of economic strata as well as requirements. However, with increased globalization and customer awareness the need for quickly graduating to a customer segmented approach was felt and realized by most leading players in the banking sector. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the existing CRM practices in selected Public sector, Private sector and Co-Operative sector banks. Implications of this study focus on CRM practices for banking such as, customer retention strategy, fulfillment of commitments, TQM practices, call centers, simplification of marketing and sales processes, training program to customers, cross selling, transparency in dealings, feedback from customers etc. The study concludes that price war alone is not a long term sustainable strategy. Instead, a focus on enhancing customer relationship would lead to a more robust and profitable customer base leading to a sustainable growth and increasing market share. CRM is not a luxury but a necessity for any organization to ensure long term survival, stability & growth.