PUBLIC SECTOR BANK OUT PERFORMS PRIVATE SECTOR BANK
About two years ago, I shared my poor experience with ATM machines belonging to a private sector bank. It was titled, "Deceived by ATM or Bank?". It was so well received that the Bank in question reacted to the public pressure on social media and resolved the issue which until then appeared to have been buried without an answer!. The Bank also was sensitive to posts on FB and apparently had an efficient method of following complaints on social media.
The private sector bank now in question, has so far shown little concern to customer relations. I shall name the bank at the end of the article. Here goes my story.
A multinational bank which was handling my accounts was scaling down operations in India, which urged me to look for a private sector Indian bank to fill the void. I selected a bank with which we had no previous experience and one which needed to be tried based purely on its performance data available from open sources. Customer relations per se in India is yet to come of age. Poorly trained staff appear to be the malaise in almost all sectors of Indian Industry and the private sector as a whole. My very first visit to a newly opened branch, confirmed my fears on the subject. Hence I decided to test the efficiency of the bank over a period of time before committing more of my savings and investments after retirement. The financial sectors have realised that the best customers are retired pensioners who have very few financial burdens to carry.They are hence targeted for "lucrative schemes" as seen by the bank.
Having maintained a healthy balance in my savings account, I thought it was time to apply for a credit card of the same bank. An interesting category called "Business Regalia first" was my choice. My inquiries were well received and in a reasonable time frame, an agent arrived at my residence. Having satisfied himself that I am indeed an account holder, he got the paperwork completed briskly and claimed that under 10 days I should be a proud owner of the card.
In about three weeks, the card arrived by post. An impressive set of papers accompanied the card. It had detailed instructions on about four methods of obtaining the pin to operate the card. The tearless and digital friendly procedures outlined in the document lulled me into sanguinity-a state best avoided while dealing with such matters- as I was to discover soon.
Needless to say not one of the methodologies outlined in the instructions resulted in generating a pin.A standard response told me to visit an ATM or a branch to do the needful. Having failed at an ATM which would blank out at the very last step, I had no option but to visit the branch office. By now I had invested considerable time and effort to generate a pin.
The staff, more than one,tried all that was possible, including getting the customer care to help.You are all familiar how an automated message guides you to press various numbers just reach an operator. I was left with no option but to visit the Manager. He too went through repeated attempts without success. He neither had the powers nor the ability to reach out to a senior officer of the appropriate section to help his own customer. So much for efficiency and delegation of powers to solve problems.
The point to note is that a pin was to arrive by mail for the additional card to be activated. It never did.
After a few attempts on another day, 'Bingo' screamed the Manager. We got a four digit pin!! It was like a lost man in a desert who just found some waterhole which is not a mirage. Praise the Lord!!
I rushed to see whether it works at an ATM. It generated my balance statement using this very precious card issued by no less a bank than HDFC.
The very next morning, I used my card at an outlet for shopping. Rejected on three attempts for incorrect pin,I rushed to the manager to give him this news. Saturday, the second of the month,Bank closed! ATM has no money even to use my debit card. Incidentally, the ATM at this branch is mostly out of cash. Four out of five times, I use the ATM of another bank,located next door to get cash without fail.
Come Monday, I present myself to the horrified manager who has no answers but throws more questions as if to crucify me. Convinced that the issue which had become a riddle,was beyond the capabilities of the manager of a new branch opened at a business friendly center, I embarked on the next logical step.
Any well meaning organisation would have easily accessible, customer- friendly assistance mechanism. Not our bank. Try to complain and you will know what I mean. It starts at the lowest rung of the ladder and worse it will tell you why no action can be take for the next three days. The next mail will tell you what you already know and in fact you are no wiser. But here is the catch. It will provide another mailing address which is a rung higher, should you have the patience to list your grievances all over again. You now express your deep resentment, for, only a yogi can survive with no anger for all the ill deeds and no apology from the bank. What is a month of inaction for a customer who has all the time to chase a four digit number?
The bank is always right -not the customer!!
In the interim i was flooded with messages that if i enter a temporary number until such and such date, I would be instantly blessed with a four digit number which will open the gates to heaven. My suggestion for a pin by mail was never implemented. Having made many such attempts at ATMs, I was not inclined to chase another mirage.
After well over a month of this tortuous journey, this morning I received a call asking my concurrence to send me a pin by mail-a suggestion that I alluded to at every stage.. I told the lady at the other end that I was not begging for a credit card and I have come to the conclusion that I am banking at the wrong bank. SBI my parent branch has never given me cause to complain.
I merely told the poor lady that I had found a good shredding machine which at my command would instantly shred the revered Business Regalia card and give me immense pleasure.
I forgot to add, I visited the FB page of the bank, only to see scores of complaint pending for action. When I found a more discrete mode on FB, which promised early action, I received a message to state that I could reveal the branch details and that my identity would be fully protected if I state the facts as they unfolded. When will they overhaul the customer care process to make it flat and address the grievance of the customer-not protect the inefficient and insensitive people who tenant it?
About two years ago, I shared my poor experience with ATM machines belonging to a private sector bank. It was titled, "Deceived by ATM or Bank?". It was so well received that the Bank in question reacted to the public pressure on social media and resolved the issue which until then appeared to have been buried without an answer!. The Bank also was sensitive to posts on FB and apparently had an efficient method of following complaints on social media.
The private sector bank now in question, has so far shown little concern to customer relations. I shall name the bank at the end of the article. Here goes my story.
A multinational bank which was handling my accounts was scaling down operations in India, which urged me to look for a private sector Indian bank to fill the void. I selected a bank with which we had no previous experience and one which needed to be tried based purely on its performance data available from open sources. Customer relations per se in India is yet to come of age. Poorly trained staff appear to be the malaise in almost all sectors of Indian Industry and the private sector as a whole. My very first visit to a newly opened branch, confirmed my fears on the subject. Hence I decided to test the efficiency of the bank over a period of time before committing more of my savings and investments after retirement. The financial sectors have realised that the best customers are retired pensioners who have very few financial burdens to carry.They are hence targeted for "lucrative schemes" as seen by the bank.
Having maintained a healthy balance in my savings account, I thought it was time to apply for a credit card of the same bank. An interesting category called "Business Regalia first" was my choice. My inquiries were well received and in a reasonable time frame, an agent arrived at my residence. Having satisfied himself that I am indeed an account holder, he got the paperwork completed briskly and claimed that under 10 days I should be a proud owner of the card.
In about three weeks, the card arrived by post. An impressive set of papers accompanied the card. It had detailed instructions on about four methods of obtaining the pin to operate the card. The tearless and digital friendly procedures outlined in the document lulled me into sanguinity-a state best avoided while dealing with such matters- as I was to discover soon.
Needless to say not one of the methodologies outlined in the instructions resulted in generating a pin.A standard response told me to visit an ATM or a branch to do the needful. Having failed at an ATM which would blank out at the very last step, I had no option but to visit the branch office. By now I had invested considerable time and effort to generate a pin.
The staff, more than one,tried all that was possible, including getting the customer care to help.You are all familiar how an automated message guides you to press various numbers just reach an operator. I was left with no option but to visit the Manager. He too went through repeated attempts without success. He neither had the powers nor the ability to reach out to a senior officer of the appropriate section to help his own customer. So much for efficiency and delegation of powers to solve problems.
The point to note is that a pin was to arrive by mail for the additional card to be activated. It never did.
After a few attempts on another day, 'Bingo' screamed the Manager. We got a four digit pin!! It was like a lost man in a desert who just found some waterhole which is not a mirage. Praise the Lord!!
I rushed to see whether it works at an ATM. It generated my balance statement using this very precious card issued by no less a bank than HDFC.
The very next morning, I used my card at an outlet for shopping. Rejected on three attempts for incorrect pin,I rushed to the manager to give him this news. Saturday, the second of the month,Bank closed! ATM has no money even to use my debit card. Incidentally, the ATM at this branch is mostly out of cash. Four out of five times, I use the ATM of another bank,located next door to get cash without fail.
Come Monday, I present myself to the horrified manager who has no answers but throws more questions as if to crucify me. Convinced that the issue which had become a riddle,was beyond the capabilities of the manager of a new branch opened at a business friendly center, I embarked on the next logical step.
Any well meaning organisation would have easily accessible, customer- friendly assistance mechanism. Not our bank. Try to complain and you will know what I mean. It starts at the lowest rung of the ladder and worse it will tell you why no action can be take for the next three days. The next mail will tell you what you already know and in fact you are no wiser. But here is the catch. It will provide another mailing address which is a rung higher, should you have the patience to list your grievances all over again. You now express your deep resentment, for, only a yogi can survive with no anger for all the ill deeds and no apology from the bank. What is a month of inaction for a customer who has all the time to chase a four digit number?
The bank is always right -not the customer!!
In the interim i was flooded with messages that if i enter a temporary number until such and such date, I would be instantly blessed with a four digit number which will open the gates to heaven. My suggestion for a pin by mail was never implemented. Having made many such attempts at ATMs, I was not inclined to chase another mirage.
After well over a month of this tortuous journey, this morning I received a call asking my concurrence to send me a pin by mail-a suggestion that I alluded to at every stage.. I told the lady at the other end that I was not begging for a credit card and I have come to the conclusion that I am banking at the wrong bank. SBI my parent branch has never given me cause to complain.
I merely told the poor lady that I had found a good shredding machine which at my command would instantly shred the revered Business Regalia card and give me immense pleasure.
I forgot to add, I visited the FB page of the bank, only to see scores of complaint pending for action. When I found a more discrete mode on FB, which promised early action, I received a message to state that I could reveal the branch details and that my identity would be fully protected if I state the facts as they unfolded. When will they overhaul the customer care process to make it flat and address the grievance of the customer-not protect the inefficient and insensitive people who tenant it?
