RBC becomes first Canadian bank to offer indigenous languages
telephone service
TORONTO, March 30, 2010— RBC today announced
the introduction of Cree and Inuktitut, two of the most commonly-spoken
indigenous languages in Canada, to its multi-language telephone
banking service. RBC is the first Canadian financial institution
to offer telephone services in these languages.
Launched in 2008, RBC's multi-language telephone service
has more than 2,600 specialized interpreters who help with
day-to-day basic business and personal banking inquiries such
as opening an account, paying bills or requesting foreign
exchange information at no cost to the client. Interpreters
are available to help translate 180 different languages.
"Canada is home to a variety of languages that many
organizations do not recognize, or have the capacity to service
through translation," explained Dale Sturges, national
director, Aboriginal Banking, RBC. "We are pleased to
be able to continue reaching out to an underserved market
by incorporating Cree and Inuktitut into our customer service
capabilities. RBC has a long history of building relationships
with the Aboriginal community and we remain committed to finding
innovative ways to partner with our clients to meet their
financial needs."
Clients can call 1-800 ROYAL 2-0 (1 800 769-2520) to access
the RBC agent-assisted service and within minutes will be
connected with an interpreter via a three-way confidential
conference call.
"Access to banking services plays an important role
in the creation of wealth and economic sustainability in Aboriginal
communities," added Phil Fontaine, special advisor to
RBC. "Cree is spoken by approximately 117,000 people
and there are roughly 35,000 Canadians who speak Inuktitut,
making them two of the most common indigenous languages spoken
across the country. The fact that RBC is providing services
in these languages is a testament to its deep understanding
of the unique needs of the Aboriginal market it serves."
About RBC and Aboriginal Canadians
RBC has a proud history of strong relationships with Aboriginal
peoples. We are committed to serving Aboriginal governments,
communities, organizations, businesses and individuals by
creating opportunities for sustainable economic development
through: access to banking and capital; community and social
development; employment, education and training; and procurement.
RBC has been operating in the far north since 1921, and currently
has six branches located north of 60°, with additional
agency banking operations located in remote First Nations
communities. We employ approximately 100 full- and part-time
employees in Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon.
In 2009, RBC invested more than $250,000 in community initiatives
across the far north. For more information visit www.rbcroyalbank.com/commercial/aboriginal/pdf/rbc-aboriginal-ptnr-2008-e.pdf.
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Media contacts:
Matt Gierasimczuk,
416-974-2124, matthew.gierasimczuk@rbc.com
Janet Gibson Eichner,
416-974-7622, janet.gibson-eichner@rbc.com
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