CUSTOMER GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL POLICY

 

Version : 10.0

Revision History

Approved by : The Board of the Company

Last Date of Approval :  

This document remains the property of Arohan Financial Services Limited. This policy is intended to guide the Customer Care Department within the Company and outside the Company. It is not to be used for any other purposes, copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or means or carried outside the Company premises without the prior written consent of the Company.

 

Abbreviations and meanings: -

 

1. Board shall mean the Board of Directors of Arohan Financial Services Limited.
2. Customers means all individuals, partnership firms, any individual companies etc who may avail financial and other facilities from Arohan, as per the extant policies of Arohan Financial Services Limited.
3. Product means the financial facilities provided by Arohan Financial Services Limited to its customers.
4. Working Day shall mean any day except the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month, all Sundays, a bank holiday, or a state public holiday. In case the 2nd Saturday is a holiday; prior intimation will be shared.
5. GRO shall mean Grievance Redressal Officer.
6. PNO shall mean Principal Nodal Officer.
7. PO shall mean Principal Officer.
8. COI shall mean Certificate of Insurance.
9. CGRM shall mean Customer Grievance Redressal Mechanism.

 

Contents

 

1. Introduction...5

2. Monitoring of Grievance Resolution Quality...5

3. Scope & responsibility...5

4. Process Flow...14

5. Credit Information Grievance Redressal...17

6. Data Reporting and Learning & Development Activities...18

 

Introduction

 

This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on Customer Grievance Redressal for Arohan Financial Services Limited (“Arohan” or “the Company”) establishes a formal mechanism within the organization that enables customers to lodge their queries, complaints, grievances, and/or provide feedback or suggestions concerning their interactions with Arohan, including any financial assistance being considered for them. The SOP ensures that such issues are addressed in a timely and efficient manner, in accordance with the guidelines outlined herein.

Furthermore, this policy has been developed in compliance with the following master directions and guidelines of Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

 

Monitoring of Grievance Resolution Quality

 

a. Effective Measures for Timely and Quality Disposal of Grievances

1. Turn Around Time (TAT) has been internally redesigned to accelerate grievance resolution. The details are appended below in QUERY/REQUEST/GRIEVANCE tagging grid.
2. Specific TATs are defined at each responsibility level, including Direct Responsible Individual (DRI), Level 1, and Level 2 responders, with clear designation assignments.
3. 100% of grievance-related calls are recorded to enable quality checks as needed.
4. Regular audits of calls are conducted to ensure all agents are covered comprehensively.
5. Any complaint that is partially or fully rejected is escalated to the Investigating Officer (IO) for further evaluation and insights.
6. If the IO overturns the initial resolution, the case is forwarded to the Customer Grievance Redressal Committee for final assessment.

b. Reporting Statement of Complaints to the Board: - The Reporting Statement should include:

1. Customer service areas with frequent complaints.
2. Identification of complaint sources.
3. Identification of system deficiencies.
4. Actions initiated to enhance the effectiveness of the Grievance Redressal Mechanism.
5. Number of grievances received and resolved over a defined period across all channels (e.g., CPGRAMS, internal portals, Complaint Management System).
6. Number of appeals filed.
7. Turn Around Time (TAT) statistics for grievance resolution.
8. Details of cases where regulatory or internal timelines were not adhered to.

c. Reporting Statement of Complaints to the Customer Grievance Redressal Mechanism (CGRM) Committee. The Reporting Statement to the CGRM Committee shall cover:

1. Customer service areas with frequent complaints.
2. Identification of complaint sources.
3. Identification of system deficiencies.
4. Actions initiated to improve the Grievance Redressal Mechanism.
5. Number of grievances received and resolved over a period from all channels including CPGRAMS and internal systems.
6. Number of appeal cases filed.
7. Turn Around Time (TAT) for grievance resolution.
8. Instances of non-compliance with regulatory or internal timelines.
9. Periodic Review by Top Management
10. Random Sample Checks by Senior Officials

 

Scope & responsibility: -

 

a) Customer connect process with organization for Enquiry/Request/Complaint: -

 

b) Procedure of raising queries, request & grievances: -

 

1. Query: -

Query categorization: -

 

1. Request/Grievances: -

c) Procedure for Registering Request/Grievances

 

Customers can lodge grievances related to deviations from standard norms, staff behavior, products, services, and non-adherence to the Fair Practices Code through the following channels:

i. Complaints in Person

1. Customers may visit any branch office and register their complaint in the complaint register available there.
2. They can also inform the Assistant Branch Head (ABH) or Branch Head (BH) during their visit.
3. The Customer Service Representative (CSR) number is available in the center register.
4. Complaints registered at the branch are submitted to the customer care team via the SAMADHAN portal and updated in ZOHO Desk. This system ensures full visibility and tracking of complaints from all channels along with their resolutions.
5. Customers may also visit regional, zonal, or head offices to raise complaints, which are similarly shared with the customer care team through SAMADHAN.

ii. Through Letter

Customers can send a written grievance addressed to the Grievance Redressal Officer (GRO) at the following address:

The Grievance Redressal Officer: Mr. Bikash Kumar Gupta
Arohan Financial Services Limited
PTI Building, 4th Floor, DP Block, DP-9, Sector-V,
Salt Lake, Kolkata – 700091, West Bengal

iii. Through E-mails

Customers may submit grievances via email at customercare@arohan.in.

The email should include full disclosure of loan account details, complainant information, and specific details of the complaint.

Complaints received by email will be acknowledged through email.

iv. Complaints through Call Centre

Customers can register complaints by calling the toll-free number 1800-103-2375, available Monday to Friday, 10 am to 6 pm.

The call center offers multilingual support through a dedicated customer insights team.

A cloud-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is utilized to improve customer experience and provide timely resolutions.

The customer insight team handles queries and complaints and provides solutions as per the established procedures.

v. Complaints through WhatsApp

Customers can register complaints via WhatsApp at 7605027711, available Monday to Friday, 10 am to 6 pm.

Complaint resolution will be carried out according to the Customer Grievance Mechanism.

Back end Process (Complaint & Enquiry): -

 

Request categorization: -

 

Complaint categorization: -

 

Process Document Outbound: Arohan’s Customer Care Cell conducts outbound calls according to a pre-fixed schedule with the following objectives:

Policy and Process Adherence Checks: Perform sample checks to verify compliance with policies and processes, particularly customer protection for credit and non-credit products.

Address specific issues such as complaints about rude staff behaviour by making random calls to customers to verify the validity of such reports. Calls also include generic inquiries related to customer satisfaction and staff behaviour.

 

Surveys:

Surveys include brief questionnaires on feedback regarding products, processes, service quality, and staff behaviour.

 

Process Flow:

 

a) Internal & External Escalation Mechanism

Through Helpline Number & Email to Grievance Redressal Officer (GRO):

If a complaint lodged at the branch or customer care is not resolved within the specified Turn Around Time (TAT), or if the customer is dissatisfied with the resolution, they may escalate the complaint to the GRO.

Contact details of the GRO will be prominently displayed on the website, branches, and offices.

The GRO will respond within 10 working days.

Grievance Redressal Officer (GRO) Contact Details:

Name: Mr. Bikash Kumar Gupta
Address: PTI Building, 4th Floor, DP Block, DP-9, Sector-V, Salt Lake, Kolkata – 700091, West Bengal
Phone: 033-40427726, 9903019085 (Monday to Friday, 10 am to 6 pm)
Email: gro@arohan.in

Through Helpline Number & Email to Principal Nodal Officer (PNO):

If a complaint escalated to the GRO remains unresolved beyond the TAT or the customer is still dissatisfied, the complaint may be escalated to the PNO.

The PNO's contact details will also be prominently displayed for customer ease.

The PNO will respond within 5 working days.

Principal Nodal Officer (PNO) Contact Details:

Name: Mr. Anup Kumar Gupta
Address: PTI Building, 4th Floor, DP Block, DP-9, Salt Lake City, Kolkata – 700091
Phone: 033-40156040 (Monday to Friday, 10 am to 6 pm)
Email: anup.gupta@arohan.in
Complaints Through RBI/NBFC Ombudsman:

If the complaint is not resolved within 30 days of lodging with the Company or the customer is unsatisfied with the resolution, they may approach the RBI Ombudsman through designated touchpoints.

1. Online Compliant Management System at https://cms.rbi.org.in
2. Post to Centralized Receipt & Processing Centre (CRPC), Reserve Bank of India, 4th Floor, Sector 17, Chandigarh – 160017
3. Call CRPC toll-free helpline 14448 to know how to file a complaint and the status of a filed compliant.

Alternatively, customer may appeal to the Officer-in-charge, Department of Supervision, Reserve Bank of India, 5th floor 15, Netaji Subhas Road, Kolkata – 700001, Tel.: 033-22312892

Any customer who has a grievance against the Company on any one or more of the grounds mentioned in Clause 9 of the Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2021 for NBFCs issued by RBI on November 12, 2021 for details visit (https://rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/content/pdfs /RBIOS2021_amendments05082022.pdf), may himself/herself or through their authorized representative, make a complaint to the Ombudsman as specified in Clause 11 of the Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2021.The details Salient Features of The RBI Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2021.

Complaints received through MFIN (Micro Finance Institution Network)

Customer may register his/her complaint on toll free number -1800 102 1080 with MFIN.

In addition to the above, for specifically Insurance related query or grievances, a customer can either contact the Insurance Company’s Customer Care by referring to his/her details given in his/her Certificate of Insurance (COI) or can register his/her complaint in the following manner:

Principal Officer

If the resolution provided by the Customer Care Help Desk does not meet the expectation of the Customer or the customer has not received any response, the Customer may write to:

Principal officer
Arohan Financial Services Limited,
PTI Building, 4th Floor, DP Block, DP-9, Sector-V, Salt Lake, Kolkata – 700091, West Bengal
Email Id: po_insurance@arohan.in

The Principal Officer / customer care department shall also follow up with the Insurance company for providing speedy resolution.

Insurance company

The Customer may write to the concerned Insurance company by obtaining their contact details from their website or from the Certificate of Insurance shared with the Customer by the Insurance Company in hard / soft copy form.

The Insurance Company and Arohan will mutually co-ordinate for end-to-end fair resolution of the complaint within 14 days of receiving all required information and documents.

Integrated Grievance Management System (IGMS)

In-case the complaint remains unresolved by the Insurance Company / Arohan at any point of time, then the Customer can:

1. Directly register complaint in the Bima Bharosa Portal - https://bimabharosa.irdai.gov.in/
2. Use the complaint online through IRDAI’s Integrated Grievance Management System (https://igms.irda.gov.in)
3. Call IRDAI on: Toll Free Number 155255 or 18004254732
4. Send the complaint through Email to complaints@irdai.gov.in
5. Write to Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI),
   Policyholder's Protection & Grievance Redressal Department – Grievance Redressal Cell.
   Sy No.115/1 ,4th floor, Financial District, Nanakramguda, Gachibowli, Hyderabad –500032

Insurance Ombudsman

If the Customer’s complaint still remains unresolved, the Customer can reach out to the Insurance Ombudsman.

b) Anonymous Calls/communication received at customer support desk:

For anonymous calls received on the toll-free number, the individual will be provided with the email ID whistleblower@arohan.in to report their concerns securely.

c) Grievance Redressal Day:

1. Designated Day: Every 2nd Saturday of the month is observed as Grievance Redressal Day across all branches.
2. Awareness and Communication: A Grievance Redressal Day poster is prominently displayed on notice boards at all branch and office locations to inform and encourage customer participation.
3. Grievance Handling at Branch Level: All grievances raised on the designated day are addressed by the Branch Head. These grievances are recorded in the SAMADHAN portal by the respective branch.
4. Escalation to Customer Insight Team: Entries from the SAMADHAN portal automatically flow to the Customer Insight Team for further processing.
5. Master Complaint Registration: The Customer Insight Team logs each grievance into the ZOHO Desk Portal, the centralized system for capturing all customer queries and complaints.
6. Resolution and Follow-Up: The Branch and/or Customer Insight Team coordinate with concerned departments for resolution. Timely follow-up is ensured, and the final resolution is shared with the customer.

 

Credit Information Grievance Redressal: -

 

1. Complaints related to Credit Information Reports (CIR) are handled by the Customer Insight team in coordination with the internal Hub team to verify details submitted to Credit Information Companies (CICs).
2. Grievances are recorded by the concerned Credit Information representative who contacts the complainant.
3. Arohan advises the complainant of the action taken in all cases, including complaint rejections based on Arohan records.
4. In case of rejection, reasons are provided. If valid, Arohan ensures updating of details with CICs within 21 days.
5. If updates are delayed beyond 21 days, Arohan pays compensation to the complainant at Rs. 100 per day for each day of delay.
6. Arohan informs the CIC(s) and complainant about total delay and compensation amount. Compensation is credited to the complainant’s bank account within 5 working days of resolution.

 

Data Reporting and Learning & Development Activities

 

1. MFIN Report Sharing: Quarterly reports shared with the MFIN team.
2. Call Centre Report: Shared by the 15th of every month; if the 15th is a holiday, shared on the next working day.
3. Outbound Survey Report: Shared between the 10th to 15th of every month, with holiday adjustments.
4. Inbound Survey Report: Shared by the 8th of every month, with holiday adjustments.
5. Sharing of Open Complaints: Weekly report shared with concerned persons.
6. Insurance-related reports: Weekly (queries) and monthly (complaints) shared with the Principal Officer.
7. Calling Report as per Contact Number: Feedback on wrong number calls by employees shared with Executive HRBP of the HR team.
8. Report Sharing with IRDAI: Insurance complaint reports shared on IRDAI Corporate Agency Portal twice a year: by 31st October and 30th April, managed by the Principal Officer.
9. Training & Development:
   1. Soft Skill Training: Conducted quarterly by the L&D team for all staff.
   2. Product Training: Provided internally as required.