Absa Bank prioritising customer uniqueness with ‘Your Story Matters’ initiative

Absa Bank Ghana is embarking on a new chapter in its customer service approach, prioritising empathy and individual needs under the tagline ‘Your Story Matters.’

The move follows previous ‘chapters’, beginning with the evolution of the bank from Barclays to Absa; which was finalised in 2020, as it sought “to become a banking group which Africa can be proud of – rooted in Africa and its heritage”.

This was followed by other successful initiatives in 2023, like the industry-first 10 percent small and medium-scale enterprises (SME) loan programme, which provides loans at less than a third of the prevailing lending rates.

Already, some GH¢100 million has been disbursed under the initiative to women and youthowned ventures, further demonstrating the bank’s dedication to empowering businesses.

During an interaction at the soft launch of the new direction in Accra, Nana Essilfuah Tamakloe, Marketing and Corporate Relations Director at Absa Bank said: “We have always been a human-centered bank that drives empathy and offers seamless and agile solutions. But we want to be even more intentional about it moving forward”.

The move marks a growing shift from viewing customers primarily through the lens of statistics and creditworthiness.

Mrs. Tamakloe further elaborated on this shift, stating: “Throughout the process of engagement, customers felt banks looked at them as statistics as risks and not as individuals with unique stories”.

Absa aims to bridge this gap by implementing several key strategies.

One crucial aspect of the ‘Your Story Matters’ chapter involves providing tailored solutions. She said the bank acknowledges that each customer has unique financial needs and goals and that by actively listening to their customers and understanding their individual circumstances, Absa aims to offer personalised financial products and services that cater to their specific requirements.