ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIP BANKING

The news, that ICICI bank will block all cards issued by it to a customer if he/she defaults on any one of them appears to be very harsh and un-relationship banking. (TOI 29-09-09) The bank official has quoted the practice in the west, particularly in United States. The procedures followed in US for issuing credit cards are different from what the card issuers follow here. What is good for US is not necessarily good for India. There fore ICICI BANK should go to the root of the problem. Credit card defaults are directly proportionate to the misplaced aggressiveness the issuers adopt while issuing cards to its customers. Card defaults are more with banks like ICICI and other foreign banks that are aggressive and interested in growth percentage of card business. These banks issues cards through third party arrangements, the so called DSAs. The DSAs are interested in generating revenue for themselves. To shore up the numbers they some time suppress the vital credit information/ submit fudged documents to the card issuing banks. The end result is undeserving getting the card and misusing the same. In a country like ours there are occasions even the highest rated customer of the bank may defer/delay/default payment for reasons beyond his control. Generalising the rules for one and all will affect the credibility and reliability of the bank. ICICI bank, in spite of in the business for very long time has not learnt that banking is not only about money but it is also on how you manage the relationship with the customers. It is too not late to withdraw the draconian guidelines.