Rewarding customers: The Skye Bank way

Banking is getting interesting and rewarding for customers of deposit money banks who have been loyal in terms of business relationship.

The depositors are being rewarded with huge benefits including cash prizes in millions of naira for their loyalty and commitment to the banks in the country. The rewards, coming at this period of economic recession shows the great value placed on the customers by the lenders.

What may be interesting to many stakeholders is the doggedness of Skye Bank Plc., in exhibiting the values of a truly Nigerian brand that delivers on promise with the recent unveiling of the season II of  its highly celebrated ’Reach for the Skye Millionaire reward’ promo.

At a time the national economy seems unfavourable to many players across virtually all sectors, Skye Bank has remained unwavering in its commitment to making life enjoyable and bearable for its teeming customers.

The bank recently flagged off the Season II of the highly successful ‘Reach for the Skye Millionaire Reward’ promo. The reward’ promo was instituted not just to encourage customers to save; but to reward them for doing so.

Giving a background of the reward exercise, the Bank explained that it was instituted to encourage savings culture amongst her customers. “The Reach for The Skye reward promo is an initiative meant to reward mass market customers for saving their money with the bank; as well as support the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN’s) financial inclusion policy.

Select customers, who emerged in season I of the exercise, share their testimonials since their status changed through the reward promo: Dammie Morrison, one of the winners of N1 million, disclosed that he was so excited when informed that he had won. He said the award could not have come at a better time. He disclosed that the money came when he was finding it difficult to pay up school fees for his children.

A civil servant with the Rivers State Government, Morrison stated that the money assisted his family to clear all the outstanding school fees, and also to stabilize the family who hitherto, had depended on his meagre salary.

Similarly, Titilayo Olufunke Ogunlowo, another winner and retiree from the Kwara State Civil Service, gave thumbs up to Skye Bank for organizing the promo. Ogunlowo, whose husband too is a retiree, said the family injected the money won in the promo into their building project they started in 2013.

According to her, it was difficult for the family to complete the building project before as the family then depended on the irregular flow of income. Her words: “We see the money won in the Reach for The Skye Millionaire promo as another ‘manna’ from Heaven to cushion the effect of hardship the family was going through. Today, we (the family) live in that building that was formerly an abandoned project.”

For Saheed Owolabi, an electrician and a customer of Ajose Adeogun branch of the bank in Lagos: “The one million naira helped me a lot as I used it to secure N40 million worth of job in a building project in Lekki, Lagos.

Apart from civil servants, legal practitioners, business owners, students, commercial bus drivers, Immigration Boss, among others, were part of the beneficiaries of the Season 1 of the highly celebrated reward scheme which saw the Bank reward a total of 204 individuals – 36 millionaires, 48 winners of N250,000 each and 120 winners of N100,000 each. The reward promo is now improved and re-packaged for its Season II which promises to reward more customers every month.

The Season II exercise, which kicked off in January 2017, is already living up to its promises to deliver more benefits to the public compared to Season 1 of the reward promo, which changed many lives and made over 36 millionaires of many erstwhile ordinary Nigerians across various segments of the economy.

Already the first Millionaire has emerged in the first monthly draw in the on-going season II reward scheme which took place in Lagos on weekend of February 16; where the exercise received royal endorsement.

The draw which attracted mammoth crowd of passersby and customers of the bank at the Popular Benson Bus-Stop, Behind BRT Motor Park in Ikorodu, Lagos State, saw the winner who incidentally is a customer of Skye Bank’s Ikorodu main branch, emerged through an open and transparent electronic ballot.

The lucky customer of the Bank, Olusola Ezekiel, emerged the first winner and a Millionnaire at the draw where the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Shotobi, endorsed the initiative as life changing.

The traditional ruler, who was a guest of honour at the draw, also shared his personal story while lauding Skye Bank for its commitment to financial inclusion, building entrepreneurs’ and empowering SME.

The Royal Father recollected how Skye Bank had encouraged him to save and later gladly advanced him overdraft facility from which he recorded success and sustainable profit “and I have since remained a customer of the Bank till date, vouching for the integrity and responsiveness of staff and management of the and Bank while urging his subject and Nigerians to continue to patronize Skye which he described as a ‘truly Nigerian brand

Forty other customers of the Bank also walked away with consolation cash reward of N100, 000 for 10; and N50, 000 to another 10 customers, while 20 loyal customers won N20, 000 with new customers who opened account at the venue winning consolation gift like Blenders, Standing Fan and Electric iron among other gift items.

The Ikorodu scenario played out again at the second draw of the reward exercise which held on March 30 and cheque presented the following day to the second millionaire, Ohaeme Elizabeth of Mgbidi branch. At the cheque presentation ceremony, Chairman, Imo State Council of Ndi-Eze, His Royal Majesty, Eze Samuel Agunwa Ohiri KSC, Obi of Obi-Orodo (Eze Imo), praised Skye Bank for her laudable support to businesses and individuals which has contributed to the growth and development of Imo State.

Eze Ohiri KSC, who gave the commendation during the cheque presentation ceremony in his Palace, lauded Skye Bank for its professional banking services to the people and businesses in the state, which according to him has had a transformational impact.

Speaking on the on-going Reach for the Skye Millionaire reward promo, the traditional head of all Royal Fathers in the State congratulated the winner and thanked the Bank for such a wonderful and life-changing gesture.

According to the traditional Ruler “I am a witness to the support Skye Bank has been giving to Imo people through their services and reward  to their customers, I urge our people to continue to bank with Skye Bank”.

An elated Ohaeme had this to say when she picked her N1m cheque: “I am so grateful to Almighty God that made this possible. I have been banking with Skye for over 20 years and today Skye Bank remembered me and turns my life around with N1, 000,000.00. I will continue to be loyal to Skye Bank and make sure that I spread the news everywhere”.

Forty other customers of the Bank also walked away with consolation cash reward of N100,000 for 10 and N50,000 to another 10 customers, while 20 loyal customers won N20,000 with new customers who opened account at the venue winning consolation gifts like generators, blenders, standing fans and electric cookers among other gift items.

At the launch of the season II promo early this January, the bank’s Group Head of Retail Banking, Ndubuisi Osakwe gave details of the reward promo and noted that the reward is in recognition of the support of customers; and seeks to create several millionaires. He noted that “the Bank will also seek to continue to nurture winners and migrate them to other areas of banking products that will help them build their wealth; ensuring that the under banked and unbanked find the propositions of banking services more attractive and convenient.”

Osakwe further stressed: “The reward scheme will provide an opportunity for prospective customers of the bank to take the bold step of patronizing the bank’s numerous cost-saving products and solutions”, emphasizing that “you can only save your way out of poverty”.

On how one qualifies to participate in the reward draw, Osakwe explained that customers who make a deposit or reactivate their accounts with N10,000(and its multiples), and maintain same for a period of 30 days, stand a chance of becoming millionaires every month.

He added that consolation cash prizes include: N100,000 for 10 winners, N50, 000 for 10 winners and N20,000 for 20 winners. Each month, more than 41 customers will be rewarded by the bank with the first 200 customers to reactivate their dormant accounts credited airtime worth of N500 within 48 hours and encouraged everyone to spread the good news.

The Bank’s ‘Reach for the Skye Millionaire’ reward scheme is an ongoing initiative which will see the bank give away the sum of 60 million naira in one year to customers who operate the Skye Save Plus and Skye Ease savings account types with a minimum credit balances of N10,000 on an incremental basis. The higher the account balances, the more the chance of winning.

The reward promo was unveiled at a time when individuals, groups and organizations are devising various survival strategies to rise above the challenges posed by the economy.

With this, for a bank like Skye Bank to embark on a scheme that gives hope to the people even when all economic indices indicate that the aggregate economy is in recession, is commendable and should be emulated by other players in the country.

According the Bank’s Group Head, Retail, Ndubuisi Osakwe, “to participate in the draw, all you need as a customer or prospects, is to open any Skye savings account and make a minimum deposit of ten thousand naira. If you already have a Skye savings account, with additional deposit amounting up to N10, 000 minimum, you stand a chance of becoming our next millionaire”.

He added that: “The more additional ten thousand naira you have in your account, the more your chances to be one of the customers to be rewarded with one million naira and lots of consolation prizes. Other available cash prizes, according to Osakwe “are N100, 000 for 10 customers and N50, 000 to another 10 customers while 20 loyal customers will win N20, 000 every month.”

He reiterated that new accounts opened at the draw venue stand a chance of winning our instant gifts on the spot!”

The Banker further explained that “the first 200 re-activated accounts on a monthly basis will also enjoy our free gift of recharge cards.

HOPE MOSES-ASHIKE