A DBS customer’s LinkedIn complaint about a broken banking feature drew a personal response from DBS chief executive Tan Su Shan, who replied while onboard a flight and said her tech team would look into the issue. The exchange began when Singapore-based customer Neelkamal Semwal posted frustration over a DBS service that he said had been non-functional for more than two weeks. He claimed the feature, which allows users to register their NRIC with their bank account, remained broken despite repeated attempts to resolve it through customer service.
In screenshots seen by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Semwal said he had already complained to customer care more than a week earlier, but the problem still had not been fixed. He tagged both Tan and DBS chief information officer Eugene Huang in the post, turning the complaint into a public escalation.
About an hour later, Tan responded directly in the comments. She said she had asked her technology team to check the matter and noted that although she was on a plane, someone would definitely follow up. Semwal later updated his post to say the issue had been addressed and thanked Tan for stepping in. He wrote that DBS had called him to help fix the problem and said it should be resolved soon, adding that everything was fine.
The exchange quickly gained attention online because it showed a major bank chief executive responding personally to a customer complaint in real time. The response was widely viewed as a sign of hands-on leadership and drew praise for Tan’s speed and visibility. The incident also highlighted how social media, especially LinkedIn, is increasingly being used by customers as a public channel to escalate service issues to senior executives.
The episode comes amid growing expectations that corporate leaders should be visible, responsive and accessible online. In March, media intelligence firm CARMA reported that Tan was Singapore’s most visible CEO across mainstream media coverage between October 2025 and January 2026. The report ranked her highest in visibility, favourability and headline mentions, and said she received no negative coverage during the period.
CARMA said much of the coverage positioned Tan as a thought leader in digitalisation and artificial intelligence, while also spotlighting DBS’ work in generative AI. The report suggested that Tan had quickly established a personal brand distinct from her predecessor, former DBS CEO Piyush Gupta, within months of taking over the role.
The LinkedIn incident also reflects a broader shift in customer behaviour in Singapore, where public complaints on professional networking platforms are becoming more common. What was once mainly a space for career updates and business networking is now also being used for corporate call-outs and service complaints aimed at top management.
Tan’s public reply and the swift resolution of the issue further reinforced her image as a visible and engaged leader. The episode arrived as her profile continued to rise internationally. A day later, Fortune ranked Tan as the sixth most powerful woman in business globally and the highest-ranked executive in Asia on its 2026 list, recognising women leaders across finance, technology and healthcare.
