The New Year begins with a northern cold front spreading south. Guizhou, Hunan and other areas suffer from large scale of icy sleet, while freezing rain and snow weather is in Hunan, Guizhou and Jiangxi. In light of the cold freezing disaster, ICBC won praise and recognition from all by acting fast and taking numerous measures to provide financial services for the local customers to combat the disaster.
Special Procedures for Emergency Loans
After the disaster, ICBC visited the affected companies to understand their business situation, find out what kind of financial services were needed. ICBC offered good suggestions and opinions in making joint effort to maintain production under the cold weather. For companies in need of funds at this point of time, ICBC started the special procedures on special occasion and disbursed emergency loans for them.
Guizhou province was badly hit. One hundred and eighteen power grid transmission lines in the province were damaged to various extents because of the continuous cold patching rain and freezing weather. Low temperature weather conditions also caused the abrupt increase of the power consumption. To brace for the disaster, ensure the supply of electricity for the companies and residents and the normal operation of "West-East Power Transmission", Guizhou Power Grid was in need of cash in order to use fixed or mobile snow removal equipment to melt the ice and make urgent repair on the transmission lines.
Once the situation was known, ICBC started the green channel at once for Guizhou Power Grid to get loan in the first instance. Approval and drawdown of the loan were completed on the same day receiving the application.
Full Measures to Ensure Safe Business Operation
ICBC drew out an emergency plan for several purposes: maintain normal operation during the freezing weather, avoid any major impact to the business caused by sudden events and ensure the safe, stable and continual running of business. A leadership group was set up to support business running and services, spell out the job responsibilities and working requirements of branches and subsidiaries at all levels, and draw out detail schedules regarding staff arrangement, fund procurement, bill exchange, emergency services.
The goal was to ensure services and order during banking hours, every outlet was "open to business safely".
ICBC arranged necessary supplies for the outlets in the affected areas. Batteries and emergency lighting were thoroughly checked. Maintenance and repair of electric generator were carried out to ensure sufficient back-up electricity. The heating equipments in the outlets have been maintained in good condition for normal heating supply. All managers of the concerned branches stayed in their positions to check and make sure that the outlets were safe, providing services in an orderly fashion.
ICBC made special arrangement for cash transport due to the undesirable impact caused by the icy roads. The Bank talked to the local security escort company and requested them to do thorough inspection on their armored cars, which should be equipped with anti-slippery chains and in proper conditions.
Another move was to strengthen the management on the cash position in the outlets so that enough cash was available during the exception period. An example would be the Huaihua Yuanling Sub-branch in Hunan. Local authority enforced traffic control due to icy highways. The Sub-branch took another route and traveled more than three hours in the morning and evening every day to transport cash boxes to and from the Chenzhou Mining Group Sub-branch located 80+ kilometers from the county town, and ensure the sub-branch was opening to business as usual.
Warm Services for Customers
ICBC still places high priority on the customer services during the icy cold weather by warm-hearted services under "Customer Focus". Every service detail tells the great consideration of ICBC.
The ICBC outlets in Guiyang were a case in point. Due to strong freezing, roads and pedestrian walks near the outlets were covered with ice. ICBC staffs acted quickly to sweep away the snow and remove the ice. Friendly reminder posted in front of the outlet and anti-slippery mat on the steps protected the customers coming to the outlet for banking activities from slippery.
ICBC arranged the staff to quickly attend the customers at the teller windows based on the busy-idle hours. Second-line staffs were assigned to first-line outlets as duty managers to assist and explain the procedures to customers to avoid them waiting too long. Besides, ICBC sent text messages to customers or post tips to suggest customers to use Internet Banking, Telephone Banking or Mobile Banking for their banking activities or paying daily utility bills (telephone, mobile phone, water, electricity, gas, digital TV) instead of going to the bank.
In Jiangxi's Yingtan, some of the shop owners dare not go out because of the bad weather. ICBC took great consideration on the side of customers and arranged expert team to design special financial solution during cold weather such as door service for small change conversion, installation of internet banking, delivery of account statement.
In the case of the railway/bus stations where a lot of people clustered, the related sub-branches took emergency measures to ensure enough cash available in the outlets and ATMs located around stations by adding more cash frequently for passengers to draw.
