ECAB Acknowledges Poor Customer Service, Vows Improvement and Apologizes to Customers

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September 21, 2023

Dear Valued Customer,

We, at the Eastern Caribbean Amalgamated Bank Limited (ECAB), recognize that our service delivery has not always been in keeping with our high standards.

We have listened to your concerns and have been diligently working towards improving your experience.

Whilst the Bank successfully completed the migration of customer accounts during the integration phase, there were necessary changes to be made and unexpected challenges encountered as part of the process to integrate operations and systems.

We continue to impress on our vendors and other stakeholders the need to resolve all outstanding issues with urgency.

The Bank has also hired additional staff to meet the demands of its operation and enhance overall customer satisfaction.

We assure you that we are committed to delivering the value you deserve and expect from ECAB as we position your bank to better serve you.

As we continue with our previously planned upgrades and enhancements, these will be brought to you with thoughtful intent, care and understanding.

Furthermore, our communication, outreach, and responsiveness will be improved to add support to our ettorts to better serve you.

The Board of Directors, Management and Staff are committed to your satisfaction, and we sincerely appreciate the support and loyalty of all our customers

To everyone who has been affected, we deeply apologize for the inconvenience caused and thank you for your understanding and the opportunity to work through these challenges as your Bank of Choice and Financial Partner for Life.

Sincerely,

Board and Management- Eastern Caribbean Amalgamated Bank Limited (ECAB)

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15 COMMENTS

  1. Brix, can you see how our prime minister’s pressure on the board worked? It’s only an apology now, but certainly the management must do better, and the board will have to do their job of holding management accountable. This is not a sweetie shop that you can run as you want.
    It’s Shape up or Ship out. As simple as that. Antigua people need better service. It’s our money they are managing. They perhaps do not understand that.

    • @ Sideline: This has nothing to do with Gaston. This was letters from the general public making complaints in the media. Gaston merely jumped on the band wagon after the fact and at the same time tried to use the issue to throw more dirt on Craig Walter for not giving into Gaston’s attempt to take over the bank. Gaston has no real ideas of his own. Everything he does comes Ron Sanders or he copies UPP ideas after they have made them public. If you want to talk about “pressure”, look how Gaston responded to Shuggy’s pressure concerning the road in SMS. Shuggy’s one little video got Gaston to send out the whole of Public Works one time!

    • So Sidey, if you are saying that by Gaston Browne putting “pressure on the board worked?”

      Well using YOUR same type of LOGIC then; why is it that when the citizens of Antigua & Barbuda puts the same sort of “pressure” on the Prime Minister to act and respond to a raft of high profile problems in recent times, he didn’t come forward with the same type of speed and vigor as the Board and Management at the ECAB?

      Answer that one @ From The Sideline?

      Hopefully in the future, Prime Minister Gaston Browne will respond with the same kind of tempo and momentum when HIS next crisis arises – and no doubt it will. Guaranteed!

      • Brix, why you want to move away from the topic? is that your way of trying to change it. The majority of the people have elected the Labour Party led by Gaston Browne for the third time. If you do not like it, too bad for you. See you in 2028 at the poll.

        • I knew you couldn’t answer that one Sidey about the PM responding in kind to his own shortcomings. So predictable.

          I BET YOU’VE BUILT A SHRINE TO GASSSSTON IN YOUR HOME! HEHEHE …

  2. why on earth should a politician not speak up on such horrific treatment of customers?

    What economist would say that? The only thing I would say is that the statement open up a door for him, PM, to be criticized for any of his short comings but what he said was needed to be said.

    you know how incompetent that bank is, do you know how many complaints I had to submit to the ECCB with the ignorance that bank and others commit against me.

    it is time folks demand better, doesn’t matter what job you have as a cleaner or hotel worker or PM. ECAB should do better.

    demanding ECAB and ABLP to do better is not political when the demand is obviously in hood faith.

    low at how they, ABLP, have failed to facilitate my request to expedite approval of a license I need so that I can investigate crimes like murder, rape, robbery and other vicious crimes and submit the evidence to various Crime Victim Boards and programs to get crime victims benefits like funds and immigration benefits but they too, ABLP, is being incompetent and lying saying they government can not request in the interest of national security, national interest etcetera for my application to be expedited base on the merit, the national and international importance and substantial merit which is clearly built into the laws in every country. the refusal to do this is because they want to refuse to do it, and not because it is a violation of any ethics or laws. in fact the law encourages this kind of Lawful orders and request.

    anyone can call a wrong a wrong without it being political.

    • Of course the Prime Minister can and should comment @ my way of thinking, but please remember it is a TWO-WAY street.

      If Browne can speak on behalf of the country regarding POOR banking procedures, then surely we can DEMAND the same of the Prime Minister when running the country?

      He was returned to office by the electorate, was he not?

      USE SOME LOGIC NAH!

      • And Brix by the same logic you want us to use the majority of us are very please of how he manage the country. Don’t forget the economic growth we are achieving year after year. Only covid year we had negative growth. So, you and your UUPiets may not be satisfied of how he runs the country, try to remove him from office at the next election.

        • … your thoughts again on the lack of transparency regarding NAMCO, CIP and the two recent airline fiascos @ From The Sideline?

          Again, if ECAB management and board of directors can respond to the country and their customers so soon, why cannot Gaston Browne do likewise on the above concerns as well?

          Brixtonian exposing Sidey’s blind faith in Gassssston time and time once more …😁

  4. I have been a banker and specialized in Banking and insurance when in Canada for most of the first 30 years of my working life, On Jene 1st 1953, At age 15, with O levels from Antigua Grammar School, I joined Barclays Bank DCO on High at Market Street. My move to Canada saw me join the Imperial Bank of Canada. I attended a special IBM Banking Semester at Yale University.

    Antiguans depend on banks, so most of us become knowledgeable. It was a shock hearing the Scotiabank was closing because their systems, service and attitude were exemplary. Personal Banking, with most banks, is virtually nonexistent. However, I miss the reception always afforded me at Scotiabank, Woods Center by Manager of Service and Support Mr. Earl Richards at Scotiabank.

    Changing the Chair, as suggested by the PM, may well lead to asking the PM to step down. The overall Governance in Antigua Barbuda leaves a lot to be desired.

    We have had problems with ECAB since the word go. We became customers when ABIB was saved by ECAB.

    1. The problems with ECAB systems and services were noticeable way back then.
    2. Several ECAB ATM’s at ECAB are programed to us the Debit card at the beginning of the transaction waiting and waiting. Visitors, and even I as a repeat user, will wait and wait. ECAB’s unique IT programming expects you to remove the card immediately. At the end they even want you to remove a card that is no longer in the ATM.
    3. Personal Banking, while generally deteriorating, seems almost non-existent at ECAB. At Scotiabank they had dedicated staff to help.
    4. When the ATMs are not functioning, a frequent occurrence, one is forced to line up for cash withdrawal. If you are without a checkbook, the process can take upwards of 30 minutes requiring cash payment for a blank check. You do not need to waste that time. The teller needs access by the client debit card A no brainer.
    5. It could be my advancing age. We did experience some online reconciliation of accounts and statements and inter-account transfers seemed somewhat unnecessarily cumbersome. This has been fixed or us.
    6. The Central bank is calling for simplified and easier opening of accounts. How much of this is due to money laundering and the restrictions placed by ONDCP, that also affects money coming in from out of country. Not as well handled as with Scotiabank. Banks will need to work closely with the ONDCP so the PM must also be involved in this simplification program since the ONDCP is the problem.
    7. The Scotiabank merger was an unmitigated disaster. I closed my Credit and Debit Cards near the beginning. I waited for the merging procedure to be complete. Long lineups at High Street on the days selected for my Letter “P”. Eventually, I came to my senses and just closed my Scotiabank accounts.

    The PM supported ECAB absorbing Scotiabank. He was my banker when I returned to Antigua Barbuda, 40 years ago. His action has seen the public with fewer banking options. Republic Bank would have been a better choice.

    One cannot ask our PM to resign. That remains the people’s responsibility. Fixing the problems is operational responsibility. Please Mr. PM set your own house in order. The worst case was identified in other ANR posts. Start with the family Court administration which I accidentally found myself visiting when assisting a friend.

  5. For info:

    Republic Bank own 11% of East Caribbean Financial Holding Company (ECFH).
    East Caribbean Financial Holding Company own 20% of the common shares of ECAB .

    ACB own 15.5% of the Common Shares of ECAB .

    Antigua and Barbuda Government own 25% of the common shares of ECAB and 100% of the preference shares which carry no voting rights. The preference shares are convertible to commons shares and this is what some of the current volume is about.

    Conversion of all the preference shares would give the Antigua and Barbuda Government almost 75% (74.95%) ownership of ECAB based on the current value of the preference shares.

  6. What I should have said is 75% ownership of the voting shares .
    The percentage ownership is already there but with only 25% of the voting shares .

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