Thursday, May 03, 2007

Will it ever change??

Have you ever been to banks like SBI, IOB? I bet these banks would never change - If you ever shout the word adaptability it would be screaming at deaf ears...


I have been a frequent visitor of banks from my school and under graduation years and my family - a big fan of SBI and we have been account holders for almost 22 years.


The SBI branch I am talking about is the one located near my residence. Apart from the new paint on the walls and the furniture’s to resemble something like counters and few banners hanging below the tall ceiling there has been no change in the customer service.


Visiting the bank has always been a pain because of the long queue and the hours one have to spend before completing the work. I couldn’t postpone the visit any longer as Dad or mom would pounce at me – I had been creating enough drama about going to the bank.


I was waiting there silently seated on one of the chairs in the bank lobby for the electronic voice to call my number. There were 30 more to go and just 2 counters when it was supposed to be 4 counters (2 of them have happily put leave). To my agony an old lady was seated at one of the counters and she was processing each and every customer's request at ant speed.


I was sitting there on one of the chairs irritated and wiping the sweat that was running down my temple waiting for the numbers move - just like how anyone would eagerly watch - staring the food on the stove to get cooked when you are starving, waiting for your friend outside the cinema hall when you know that at least 30 minutes of the movie you thriving to watch would be over by the time you enter the theatre, waiting outside the campus for someone from the office to stick the results on the notice board, thin water droplets filling the bucket in the toilet - I could give you hundred such melodramatic comparison to express the state at which I was.


Restlessly I glanced the other faces waiting and it was just a mirror image of how I looked sitting at that place. There were few who were dozing off sitting on the chair - I was feeling jealous seeing heads falling out of sleep. There was this weird feeling that tickled my brain - when most of them sitting there were oldies - you might not know if you can doze off permanently in their sleep before their number would be called.


There was one banner was hanging between 2 ancient pillars of the building - "Walk out by creating an account within 15 mins...." - I just couldn't help laughing - the account would become a senior citizen's account before the account is actually created.


By the time I had my PPF account created it was almost 1.5 hours I have been out there with my back aching like hell sitting on those uncomfortable chairs.


Why shouldn’t these banks do better and try to learn from few of the foreign banks for kinds of services they offer, issue more electronic cards for withdrawals, more counters, recruit people who would do their work at decent speed...


I have seen this bank the same for almost 10 years now and I have this big question unanswered...


Will it ever change??????