Standard Chartered pampers clients

UK-based Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) has joined the ranks of global banks in pampering their high-valued clients with the launch of its fourth Priority Banking (PrB) center along Emerald Avenue in Ortigas.

Standard Chartered Bank’s invite to the launch of the luxurious facility delivered the bank’s message that "you are our most valued client who needs and deserves to be pampered," said Vivian Faustino, marketing head, wealth management, consumer banking of SCB.

To give the PrB center a classy touch, paintings consigned by named artists to the bank were prominently displayed at the comfortable lounges and offices of the center while the customer is being attended personally by a dedicated customer relationship manager. "The paintings might be a regular feature of the centers and will soon be adopted in the three centers that were established ahead," Faustino said.

"We would like the customer to feel at home with us in the center. We have overflowing coffee, juices and snacks for them. We have papers and magazines for them to read while waiting for their transactions to be completed by the CR staff," she added.

In fact, if they want to use our facilities for business meetings or even private meetings with friends, they can do so — "we are willing to stay open for as long as they want us to — they just have to inform us earlier on that day of their plans," Faustino said.

The bank defines its valued customer as those with minimum maintaining balance of $20,000 or in equivalent local or other foreign currencies. "The higher the wealth with us, the more privileges they get to enjoy," Faustino explained.

In fact, ordinary depositors with us and our merchant partners, currently maintaining only deposit, check or trust accounts, who have reached such financial stature will be "invited by the bank to enlist in the priority banking center’s clientele to ensure that they get all the perks due them such as the pampering and exclusive discounts in premier restaurants and resorts that the bank has partnered with here and abroad," she said.

A member of the Priority Banking center gets to be pre-qualified as SCB Gold card with waived first annual membership fee plus one supplementary card; unique gifts upon opening of account; customized checkbook wallet for those with checking accounts; PrB Visa Electron international ATM/debit card that can be used to withdraw or shop worldwide; discounts from resorts, restaurants and hotels; discounts and waiver of bank fees and charges; priority quarterly bulletin to update them of events, promos and products; privileged invitation to investment outlook and economic briefing seminars; yearly promotions exclusive to PrB customers. Family members also get to enjoy invitation to special sales and special seminars.

Special benefits for business include preferential rate for corporate deposit accounts and free advertisement in the allocated space in the PrB quarterly bulletin (on first come first served basis).

The three other PrB centers put up in the Philippines are in Makati, Alabang and Cebu. As member of PrB, the customers can use their gold card and Visa in updating or transacting in other SCB’s branch network of eight million worldwide.

Priority Banking customers can choose from a wide array of services and products that work hard as wealth enhancers such as the hybrid deposits, fixed income securities; directional trust arrangement and principal.

SCB Philippines CEO Eugene Ellis said, "priority banking is our way of showing our appreciation to the support extended by our valued customers. The PrB Center is also proof of our continued commitment to provide our customers the immediate access to world-class banking service and is the first major investment of SCB in the Philippines this year."

The SCB’s Priority Banking launch was led by British Ambassador to the Philippines Peter Beckingham and BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr.