Banks have till now always been criticised for using the telecalling method to sell home loans to customers. Such calls have proved to be less beneficial and more disturbing for customers. In a changing tactic, the second largest private sector lender of the country, HDFC Bank is planning to launch a web chat service wherein customers can chat with bank executives about loan product.

The customer would wilfully log in to the chat and thus the issue of disturbance caused to him by unwanted calls will be solved.

"We see the cold-calling method (unsolicited calls) going off, especially considering the way the regulation is headed. Web is the future -- it is non-invasive, gets the really interested people and also allows the customer a record through histories," said the bank's Senior Vice-President, Unsecured Loans Business, Sanjai Raina.

Web chat, Raina said, is a more transparent medium and there will be no mis-selling.

"We are confident of taking it to three per cent in six months and to five per cent in a year's time," he said.

In order to avail a home loan, anybody can log on to HDFC Bank's designated web page, fill in details like amount required and salary drawn after which he chats with a sales representative.