BBS this week sent warning bells to other banking institutions that it is able to attract the young and top end clients when it launched its Express Lounge in Gaborone.
The new facility is intended to be a one-stop-shop for all the banking services offered by the society to its high net worth customers and senior executives.
BBS Managing Director, Pius Molefe, said the society has a customer base that comprises of different types of customers all of whom are important and whose patronage is equally appreciated.
“Through a comprehensive study in order to ‘know you better’, we, however, discerned that we could better serve our customers and increase our competitive edge if we used different service channels and facilities to serve our different types of customers,” Molefe explained.
BBS Express Lounge is targeted towards captains of the industries, Members of Parliament, senior government officials and general members of the public with deposits and investments of at least P50, 000.
It also caters for all those who earn a monthly salary of at least P20, 000 and all mortgage customers.
Within the lounge, BBS mortgage customers with loans of P1.5 millions and ministers will be spoilt in a swankier Executive Lounge.
“The decision was also underpinned by benchmarking against current best practice within the industry we operate in,” he added.
This is the first Express Lounge that BBS has launched and there are calls to extend it to other areas including Francistown, where mining activity will be supportive of the banking industry.
The society currently has 9 branches around the country and it will soon open its multi million Pula double storey office building in Francistown.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Solomon Sekwakwa, praised BBS, which has also introduced ATMs around the country and is planning to improve electronic banking.
“The establishment of BBS Express Lounge marks yet another commitment of the society towards service delivery beyond its existing branch network,” said Sekwakwa.
“This is a strong gesture towards providing top class service,” he said, adding that the lounge will improve the society’s competitive edge in the local banking sector.
Government holds a substantial stake in the society through Botswana Privatisation Asset Holdings (Pty) Ltd.
Sekwakwa added that the decision by BBS to introduce the Express Lounge will help alleviate long queues, which has become a norm in the Botswana banking system.
Molefe pledged that the lounge will speed up service delivery, adding that the society takes customer service seriously.
