Call centers at Greek banks received on average more than 90,000 calls a day, they said in assessments provided at the end of the third week of a lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
With a total of 2,000 active staff currently, and 6 out of 10 working from home, the banks are moving ahead with fast-track hires and training.
Bank representatives said remote working presented challenges both in terms of the technology support needed to work from home and in training new staff.
At the same time, they said that the bulk of queries could be resolved through e-banking, which is now available for signup online, as is unblocking of a customer’s account.
Automated phone banking loads have also risen by five times, they said, advising customers to avoid calling at apex times (10:00-14:00 and 17:00-21:00).