The Branch & its Players July 27, 2006
Posted by Teller in Counter Closed.5 comments
Have you noticed the high number of bloggers that make headlines because they get dismissed or made to resign from their jobs after their blog is discovered? It’s so bad that Blogger has a page advising you how not to get fired for your blog! The latest blogger forced into unemployment is Petite Anglaise.
That’s only one reason why I am cautious about my identity and protective of my customers’. Branch and customer details are changed slightly because when it comes down to it I take my responsibilities seriously. E-mails asking about a customer’s identity in a particular post won’t merit a reply. I also will not answer which bank or branch I’m located at. It may behoove you to try to find out and to those who may attempt such a treasure hunt I wish you the best of luck.
The Female Manager: Always fearful, dreaded and moody.
The Assistant Manager: Always helpful, timid and peaceful.
Meet The Loan Officers:
1) The Obnoxious One: Always obnoxious.
2) The Good One: Always perfect.
The Meeter Greeter: Always solemn, distracted and quiet.
Meet The Tellers:
1) FunnyGirl: Always cheerful, smiling and sweet.
2) Chimney: Always late, smoking and sulky.
3) Yours Truly
The Teaboy: Always ready, quick and smart.
The Trainees: Always changing, eager and refreshing.
The Customer Who…Doesn’t Read the Cheque July 21, 2006
Posted by Teller in Customer Who...Series.3 comments
You would be amazed at the number of people who walk into our branch wanting to cash cheques that don’t have their names on them.
You would be amazed at the number of tellers who cash such cheques without realizing there’s an important element they haven’t verified.
I am no longer amazed at the number of tellers who get away with such unprofessional behavior. At least that’s what I keep repeating to myself.
For Better or For Worse July 11, 2006
Posted by Teller in Banking.4 comments
Earlier today I came across a blog by a Dr. Lost. After scanning his posts I saw that he perceived himself as a controversial writer. The post that caught my eye, naturally, was in reference to NBK and Gulf Bank, two of the leading local banks.
To summarize, he and an acquaintance had both gone to their banks in order to get a Salary Certificate paper. At Gulf Bank he claims his friend’s paperwork took 25 minutes to be completed. When he went to his bank, NBK, the same paperwork took 4 minutes. On this basis he writes, “so WHY WHY WHY is it that NBK is soo much better than Gulf bank? i mean, better customer service, faster service, in general i feel better services r available at NBK .. do u guys agree?” I don’t imagine he made those statements based on that singular experience but it is the only one he mentioned.
There is a lot of competiveness between banks here in Kuwait. At the same time, it’s not the extreme brand of rivalry you often find existing between schools and universities at sporting events. Most people have several family members working at different banks. That effectively nips any extreme rivalries in the bud.
Reflecting on the post I realized that there are many other elements that one must allow for before the experiences of Dr. Lost and his friend could be compared. Firstly, the branch and time of day affect the length of time spent in the bank. Not all branches are busy. Location affects how crowded a branch is and so does the hour you choose to go. Secondly, the delay of a transaction could be due to the number of customers ahead of you waiting to be assisted. And most importantly, the person helping you can have a profound impact on your waiting time. A new nervous trainee will definitely take longer than seasoned staff. I’ve seen it happen time and time again. A transaction that I could finish in two minutes, another could take another fifteen minutes. I’ve been to branches in other banks and had to wait for half an hour because of untrained or incompetant people.
My personal opinion if you compare the two, NBK will end up the winner even if you judge it solely on the vast amount of capital it has. Gulf Bank constantly challenges itself and is trying to grow as quickly as possible to compete with NBK. It’s doing a good job but has been holding second place for years now. Neither of these banks offer anything out of the ordinary. They will keep their eyes on the new foreign banks entering the market. These are the banks they should compete against instead of each other because these foreign banks are superior to both NBK and Gulf Bank and will offer their clients investment opportunities neither bank has.
Breaking the Routine & Unity July 10, 2006
Posted by Teller in Counter Closed.3 comments
One of the best things on the job, for me is the routine. It keeps me grounded. It keeps me stable. It keeps me on track. I equate it with praying five times a day. It always keeps me centered and focused. However when your entire day is pre-scheduled, one single event can delay the rest of your work. That’s when I start twitching. I abhor deviating away from my schedule especially when it’s to deal with co-worker tantrums.
July and August are the months when promotions will be announced and cemented. Due to his delusional state, Chimney believes he’s got one due. Forget the bad evaluation, poor performance, daily tardiness and the simple fact that he is Chimney. He still insists that he should be on the short list to a better job title, grade and salary.
My routine has been consistently interrupted last week because of our new manager’s demands that I come to her office so she can better acquaint herself with me. She has subtley been trying to see how much it will take to aggravate me. Silly demands from her have to be answered immediately. As she has been calling for me with pointless tasks, Chimney has taken upon himself the right to get jealous, childish and irate. He views my visits to her office as a threat to his step up in the branch.
From what I’ve witnessed so far she enjoys fermenting this type of conflict between coworkers in her branch. She believes it spawns competitiveness. I see it as it is, a horrible way to manage. When you have a group of people who spend countless hours together, it’s not the brightest idea to have strife amid them. Especially in our situation when you have to depend heavily on others to help carry the load that stems from our customers.
Chimney has long resented me. I made a horrible mistake when I first started working years ago. I was asked what my salary and grade were and I answered the question truthfully. It was a naive mistake to have made. Never tell anyone what you make. No good will ever come out of it. Someone out there always thinks they deserve more than you and that you shouldn’t be entitled to what you currently have. Chimney has long believed that he deserved to be of a higher standing than me and right now is trying his best to make my life at the branch as miserable as it can be. He wanted to use the new manager’s reputation to speed my resignation or transfer along. Because of her antics he thinks that I’m safe from that and eased up a little. He’s still being an annoyance in other ways.
I will divulge more on that later as it is now past my bedtime.
Bills, Bills, Bills July 10, 2006
Posted by Teller in Counter Open.3 comments
Each month there is a list of people that gets rotated around the branch. We call it the Red List. It’s the bane of our existence. Whoever is unfortunate enough to fall victim to the list that month has to sift through the names dregging up every available phone number we have for that customer. Then come the three steps.
What are the three steps? The first step is getting a working number. The second is getting ahold of the customer. The third and most important step is having the customer step into the branch and pay off their outstanding debt.
It sounds easy, doesn’t it? I can do that, you’re probably thinking. What is she moaning on about? If the world was a better place, that list would be the easiest part of my job.
It’s times like these when I feel like I work for a collection agency. It’s hard enough getting ahold of customers when you have a simple question to ask them. Reaching them when they’re on the list is nearly impossible. Some of them give us fake numbers when they initially sign up for a credit card. Others have numbers that are disconnected from service or mobiles that are constantly switched off. Often when you finally hear a human voice you’re told that the customer is out of the country.
It never fails to amaze me at the amounts people run up on their credit cards. Some people are constrained by the limit they have on their cards. Others run wild and free with theirs. How can it be acceptable for a 17 year old girl to run up a 15,000KD bill each month on the credit card Daddy’s issued her? I see the purchases from my system and I shake my head at the names of the stores she’s spending at. What does she find there each month to spend that amount of money?
How responsible is it of the parents to allow a 17 year old that much financial freedom? With expenditures of that magnitude, do you believe she has learned the value of a dinar? Is it my place to judge? From where I’m sitting, behind the counter, it is. You’re the one on the Red List. I’m the one trying to get ahold of you.
Forza Italia! July 9, 2006
Posted by Teller in Counter Closed.2 comments
And so the World Cup ends with the French crying and Italians ecstatic. C’est la vie. Que sera sera. I’m sure that’s all the cùstomers will talk about for the next few days but here’s hoping that’ll be the end of it.
Were you happy with the results? Did you even care? To celebrate the end of the World Cup I guarantee you faithful readers 2 new posts tomorrow.
All the best,
Teller
