Nagad is a mobile fintech service in Bangladesh that took steps to make safer customer service for women. The company is led by Sadaf Roksana, the executive director and co-founder of Nagad.
Roksana was the youngest female fintech founder in Bangladesh. She started the initiative in 2019, when the mobile fintech competition was limited to two or three companies. But, the companies had complained about women’s harassment in some areas.
Therefore, Roksana was passionate about creating a safe and inclusive environment for all women customers of Nagad. In this blog, we will go through some of her actions that created a revolutionary customer service for women.
What Was Needed to Make a Safe Women Customer Experience for Nagad?
As a certified financial expert in Bangladesh, Roksana figured out some critical aspects of customer service. Later, she implemented several initiatives to make Nagad customer service safer for women.
She hired more female customers, provided training to existing agents, and created a virtual card numbering system to protect the cell numbers of women. Here are the facts in detail:
Hiring Female Customer Service Representatives
Nagad now has a team of over 2,200 customer service representatives, and over half are women. This means that women are likelier to speak to a female customer service representative when they call Nagad for help.
Gender Sensitivity Training to Customer Service
All Nagad customer service representatives are trained on gender sensitivity and dealing with customers respectfully and professionally. Nagad has a zero-tolerance policy for harassment of any kind.
Any customer service representative found to have harassed a customer will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
Nagad now offers a dedicated customer service line for women. Women can also request to speak to a female customer service representative when they call the general customer service line.
Virtual Card Number
Sadaf Roksna has introduced an in-built virtual card number as the executive director of Nagad. This number allows its users to enjoy all services even after hiding their mobile numbers. So, no one can get women’s numbers and stalk for any harmful intention.
How Did Nagad’s Initiatives Make a Difference in The Lives of Women Customers?
One woman said a customer service representative harassed her when she called Nagad for help. She said the customer service representative made inappropriate jokes, making her very uncomfortable.
But when she complained to Nagad management, the customer service representative was immediately fired. Another woman said she was afraid to call Nagad to be harassed. But she decided to call anyway, and a female customer service representative spoke to her politely.
The customer service representative was very helpful and professional. And later, she found that male representatives are also very respectful to customers.
Nagad’s efforts for a safer space for women are important to creating a more inclusive and equitable financial system for all of Bangladesh.
Why is It Important to Make Customer Service Safe for Women?
Women are often more vulnerable to harassment and abuse than men, especially in male-dominated environments. This is also true in the customer service industry.
When a woman calls customer service for help, she will seek information. In this situation, she is more likely to be trusting and open. Unfortunately, some customer service representatives may take advantage of this vulnerability.
They may make inappropriate comments or jokes or even try to extort money or favors from the woman. This is why making customer service safe for women is so important.
How can Other Companies Make Their Customer Service Safer for Women?
Other companies can follow Nagad’s lead and implement similar initiatives to make their customer service safer for women. They can hire women customer agents, train males against them, and even imply a zero-tolerance policy.
- Hire More Female Agents: Hiring more female representatives will give women relief to speak to a female customer service representative.
- Training Male Agents: Giving male representatives a sensitive program will help them understand how to deal with customers respectfully and professionally.
- Implement a Zero-Tolerance Policy: Implementing the zero-tolerance policy will send a clear message that harassment will result in instant workplace termination.
- Offering a Dedicated Helpline: This will give women a safe and confidential way to get help. Women could request to speak to a female customer service representative.
Conclusion
Nagad is truly making its customer service a safer space for women. Roksana Sadaf especially understood the complications as a female entrepreneur. So, her optimistic initiatives helped create a more inclusive and equitable financial system for all Bangladeshis.