Here I disagree Malcolm. Your view seems rather Eurocentric where we value efficiency and privacy above all else. What you see as a liability (lack of privacy and having actually to tolerate spending time with neighbours) may instead, perhaps, be viewed as an asset. It allows people to make well-calibrated decisions about loans that an MFI could only dream of and permits a high degree of flexibility in terms of loan design and repayment. Also, of course, in most rural communities, people know far more about each other already than most people who bank at Barclays, so it’s not really the case that privacy is much decreased. I am reminded of the MD of K-REP who told me he belonged to three such savings groups. Here’s a man who runs a bank, probably has a stock portfolio and no doubt more than one bank account. He told me that he belonged to these SGs because they offered unfussy, fast and no-questions asked service for short-term borrowing – and an opportunity to roast a goat once a month with family and friends. It may seem foolishly romantic to suggest that people enjoy these meetings, but the long-term survival rates (95%) of these groups suggests that they do. Of course, an average annualised rate of return above 30% may also have something to do with it, and is hardly second rate.
From: MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com [mailto:MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Malcolm Harper
Sent: 05 April 2013 21:54
To: MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [MFP] Four recommendations for learning from clients
Thanks Hugh, the trouble is, if all of 'us' who are in microfinance really asked and honestly answered the question 'would you like that kind of financal service for yourself ?', we'd say 'no', and MF would grind to a halt. Some might say 'a good thing too', but it applies to VSLAs as well.
But it's not quite that simple. I wouldn't like to sit round a metal box with two or three locks once a week and tell my neighbours all about my financial affairs. I wouldn't like either to 'benefit' from a hundred meter walk to a new not-so-clean donor-financed public loo or water tap.
We have to accept that these are second rate solutions for 'the poor', band-aids, to be ashamed that they are necessary,acknowledge that they are temporary, and to work to make sure that they too are replaced by decent services as soon as possible.
Malcolm
----- Original Message -----
From: Hugh Allen
Sent: Friday, April 05, 2013 8:16 PM
Subject: RE: [MFP] Four recommendations for learning from clients
Agree with you 100% Malcolm. Don’t agonise about how to treat poor customers. Just ask if it’s something you’d like for yourself and act on that basis.
From: MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com [mailto:MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Malcolm Harper
Sent: 04 April 2013 18:26
To: MicrofinancePractice@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [MFP] Four recommendations for learning from clients
Wow ! Poor people have to be treated as customers ! What a revolution !
Malcolm
----- Original Message -----
From: cgap@worldbank.org
Sent: Thursday, April 04, 2013 5:14 PM
Subject: [MFP] Four recommendations for learning from clients
Client-centricity is the latest buzz word in financial inclusion. Beyond the rhetoric, financial service providers have to figure out what it takes to listen to clients continuously and to implement what they are learning in the form of better products, delivery channels, or overall customer experience. A first step for providers is analyzing the value of understanding clients and how they can incorporate what they hear in ways that yield actionable insights. Some providers have client-centricity baked into their systems, operations, and human resources. For others, it is a bigger stretch to put clients at the center of the operational model.
With this in mind, CGAP and MicroSave have four recommendations for listening to and learning from clients:
- Take a holistic view of the client
- Listen to clients systematically and continuously
- Use the right methodology
- Integrate client understanding throughout operations
For more details, visit CGAP.org: http://cgap.org/news/how-can-institutions-listen-and-learn-their-clients
CGAP
1818 H Street, NW, Room P3-300
Washington, DC 20433
Tel: 1-202-473-9594 Fax: 1-202-522-3744
CGAP@worldbank.org
http://www.cgap.org
http://www.microfinancegateway.orge
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