I am on ordinary customer of a modern bank, where I try to save what I cannot spend. I know I should only spend what I cannot save, but like many of us, the pressures of modern living means I am always deciding between a few options to sail afloat the murky waters. I live in London but I visit Ghana regularly for business and to see family. When I am home, I do my business with Fidelity Bank, where customer service comes with a ring on it and delivered like an oath.

While this is a usual treat, I had a memorable experience with my Fidelity Bank on my recent visit to Ghana, which needs etching on the slabs of time. Besides money, I keep some important valuables in the secured safes at Fidelity Bank. These include my most treasured business and travelling documents, which are locked away safely in a location secured against fire or any natural hazards. From taxi to taxi and business to business, and sometimes party to party, nothing is safe in the pockets of any careful person in topsy-turvy Accra. Fidelity gives me peace of mind at very affordable terms to go about my personal business while they take care of my banking business.

All too soon, it was time to leave my business in Ghana and fly back to the cold in London, where the Fidelity quality would rival most banking services on the high streets. I made my way to the Fidelity offices to retrieve my flying documents. The drive through town to Fidelity Bank was unusually smooth and nice. Where has all the traffic gone to, I asked the taxi driver? It was a national holiday, so most businesses had closed, including all major banks in Accra. I had not consulted my calendar in a while to track our holidays. How do I travel when my documents had been locked away in secured safes at Fidelity?

This is where the rules of engagement changed on my account, affirming the marketing truism that the customer is the boss, and not the company. I dished out my phone and called a banking officer of Fidelity out of hours. After a few consultations, while still waiting around their offices, Fidelity showed up with infectious smiles to give me my documents on a bank holiday at no extra cost–all on my personal terms. The results of every business are not in the company offices; the result of a business is a satisfied customer. In Fidelity, the customer is not just a satisfied one; every customer of Fidelity Bank can expect to demand specialised banking services on their own terms, even when the banking times are over. I left for London doubly sure that my Fidelity Bank had made customer service a covenant, and its all on my terms. Special thanks to these wonderful officials Esi Mills,Selassie,Fred Asamoah and Phillip who worked behind the scenes to make this a reality.

Nana Prempeh, London

Email address:jprempeh59@gmail.com.