How can a Customer Raise a Complaint Against their Bank?

Every bank, whether from the public sector or the private sector, is essentially a business that provides financial services. So, just like most businesses, customers’ complaints are common in this sector too. But what’s the process for filing a complaint?

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A customer can raise a complaint by taking the following steps:

1. Taking it up With the Bank

Almost every major bank in India has its own grievance cell. So, the first thing that a displeased customer can do is meet with the bank’s officials in that department and share the details of the issue.

If that’s not an option, they can also file a complaint by calling a toll-free customer care number (most banks have a provision for this) or even lodge a complaint through the bank’s website. Either way, they should be able to get a complaint ID which can be used for tracking the status of the complaint.

The response time varies from one bank to another but the standard period is 30 days.

2. Approaching the Banking Ombudsman

If a customer doesn’t get a response from the bank even after 30 days or is not happy with the response given, he/she can then approach the banking ombudsman. The provision for this was introduced by the central bank RBI in 1995.

Under this, all regional rural banks, scheduled commercial banks, and cooperative banks are covered. As of today, there are a total of 15 ombudsmen whose offices are located in various state capitals. Their contact details are also available on the website of the RBI.

3. Taking the Legal Approach

Even if the ombudsmen are not able to, or are simply unwilling to resolve a customer’s complaint, the customer can take the case up with the appellate authority, i.e. the deputy governor of the RBI within 30 days. They can also approach the consumer redressal forums or the consumer court.