Western Union to introduce customer card
Guyana Chronicle
June 30, 2004
WESTERN Union Money Transfer is taking remittance services another step forward with the introduction of a Western Union card for regular customers.
Marketing Manager, Mr. Marlon Williams, said the initiative, which is yet to be officially launched, is part of the company’s commitment to its theme of `Uniting People’.
Noting that the card is designed for multi-purposes, he explained that in the initial stage it will be used primarily for remittance transactions, but in the future will be used to reward frequent customers.
Customers will benefit significantly from this initiative since it will dramatically reduce the time spent conducting transactions, he explained.
Williams said that when the teller swipes the card through the computer, all relevant information will appear on the screen, in the process eliminating the need for the time-consuming job of filling out forms.
Some of the data encrypted on the card will include the customer’s name and address and information on the sender.
“This new initiative is all about getting people in and out of our offices and not consuming too much of their precious time”, Williams said, adding that the concept of Bill Express evolved from the notion of “the delivery of speedy service”
He added that Guyanese get money primarily to support them and are burdened with long lines to pay their utility bills, but with Bill Express, they can pay electricity, telephone and internet bills to the same teller that gave them their remittance.
Grace Kennedy Remittance Services recently signed an agreement with Western Union paving the way for customers to also pay their water bills.
This initiative will come on stream shortly, Williams said.
“It’s like a one stop shop concept”, he said, adding, “our objective is to get a customer in and out in ten minutes maximum.”
The ideal time is in three minutes, he said.