WASHINGTON -- The
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today published the 2004 Report
of the Ombudsman along with a brochure on customer assistance.
The Report summarizes
appeals of national banks arising from the supervisory process and resolved by
Ombudsman Samuel P. Golden. “The OCC’s
ombudsman program is unique in one respect,” said Mr. Golden. “The ombudsman has decision-making authority
to resolve appeals and functions similar to a binding arbitrator.”
The Report also
addresses an OCC questionnaire to banks about the effectiveness of the
supervisory process. The OCC received
its most favorable rating related to the professionalism of the examination
team and the responsiveness of OCC field examiners to bank needs.
The Office of the
Ombudsman also includes the OCC’s Customer Assistance Group (CAG). The Report notes that over 70,000 cases were
opened in 2004, with credit cards being the product with the most number of
complaints. During 2004, through CAG’s
assistance, over $4 million in disputed fees and other charges were returned to
customers of national banks.
The brochure published
today is a guide to customers of national banks. It outlines how to file a written complaint and what happens when
a customer contacts the Customer Assistance Group. Q’s and A’s are also contained in the brochure on typical
customer questions about banking issues.
The Report of the
Ombudsman is available at www.occ.treas.gov/2004Report.pdf. The brochure is available at www.occ.treas.gov/customer.pdf.
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The Office of the
Comptroller of the Currency was created by Congress to charter national banks,
to oversee a nationwide system of banking institutions, and to assure that
national banks are safe and sound, competitive and profitable, and capable of
serving in the best possible manner the banking needs of their customers.