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Erudite AfricaCenter of Excellence
← Customer Service and Retail Banking Excellence

Communication skills: listening, questioning and explaining costs

Module 03 / 5 · 60 min

Listen actively, ask the right questions and explain fees, rates and the annual percentage rate clearly to customers of every language and literacy level.

In this module you will learn to

  • Use active listening and open and closed questions to understand a customer's real need
  • Explain fees, interest and the annual percentage rate (APR) in plain words and numbers
  • Compare flat and declining-balance interest so customers understand the true cost
  • Adapt explanations for customers with low literacy or a different language, and explain a loan decline respectfully

Built on

  • Erudite Africa training module: Ethiopian Context, topic 1.i Customer Service and Retail Banking Excellence, Level 1 (October 2026)
  • Erudite Africa: Domestic Banking Operations course (teller, account and cash procedures)
  • NBE directives as listed in the lessons: NBE/INT/13/2026, ONPS/09/2023, SBB/72/2019; FCP/01/2020 and the KYC/CDD directive as reported
  • National Bank of Ethiopia Proclamation No. 1359/2025; Personal Data Protection Proclamation No. 1321/2024 (as reported)
  • National Financial Inclusion Strategy II (2021 to 2025)

Examples and companies are fictional. Bank practices are shown as typical Ethiopian practice, not as any one bank's policy. Always apply your own institution's approved policy and the current NBE directives.