ING has made an unprecedented apology to customers for years of accidental discrimination under which it applied its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing policies. In a letter sent on Tuesday, ING admitted its practices were unfairly weighted against certain groups, particularly those with religious or foreign backgrounds.
The bank acknowledged that customers were frequently asked questions that were unnecessary or that had already been answered, even though ING had the information available, making many of them feel distrusted and unfairly targeted.
6 months Ago
Apology to Discrimination Mediates the Effect
Its apology came after survey last year found heavy criticism among ING customers. Some examples include:
1. Muslims questioned over sending money for family every year during Ramadan
2.
Churches that have to account for every small donation handed to them by a parishioner
3. Physicians who receive payments from outside the country would have to differentiate between patients sources of payments
These were not "nonsense questions," ING Netherlands CEO Peter Jacobs conceded, but he freely admitted the questions were badly handled. "We get why people feel discriminated against," he said.
The problem at the bank, Jacobs said, is also a result of cultural obliviousness.
Reforms that were Promised and Cultural Development
As a result, ING has promised to:
1. And reduce unnecessary prompts to questions for the information already there
2.
Enhance communication process, do away with inhuman and distrustful terms
3. To sensitise customer service staff to cultural and religious practices.
A special squad will be created to increase awareness of religious practices, such as Ramadan, and to help employees understand the cultural use of certain financial services.
"If you forget when Ramadan is, you forget why there's a surge in remittances.
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