After seeing the huge response for the scheme, which has been on pilot test since October last year at select centres, State Bank of India  chairman Om Prakash Bhatt today launched the initiative in Bhopal.

The nationwide customer service initiative called 'SMS Unhappy', which will serve the bank's 130-million strong customers, does away with the previous mode of registering their complaints in writing.

With this initiative, anyone can file their complaints by sending an SMS, starting from "Unhappy", to 8008202020, which would reach the bank's "Happy Room" at the circle headquarters.

From here, a bank executive would call the customer back on his mobile phone, understand the nature of the problem and then take up with his branch, Bhatt said.

Once the issue has been resolved, the customer will again be contacted by his branch.
Under the scheme, he said, most of the complaints will be resolved within 48 hrs.
"Feedback received from the pilot-run has been very encouraging and already complaints are on a decreasing trend," Bhatt added.