Customer is King Diaries

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit three different public sector banks in dehradun viz. Corporation Bank, Syndicate Bank and Union Bank of India. Although, all the three banks are classified as public sector banks, the atmosphere in these banks and the general demeanor of the staff reflected the focus and management style of the Top officials of these banks. Needless to say, the customer service orientation of these banks is nowhere close to their private sector counterparts. Let me elaborate the scenario a customer is witness to as and when he enters each bank.

Corporation Bank

General : If you are lucky enough to get yourself in through the 1970's iron grills. The moment you enter the branch at Raj plaza, you are witness to shoddy interiors. Cobwebs are so ubiquitous that for a moment it seems as if the bank is an active member of some Spider Conservation programme. Floor is witness to the worst form of cleanliness I have ever witnessed. Having served as a Site Manager for a MNC specializing in Food and facility management, I find myself appalled to see the state of anti-customer friendly atmosphere in these banks. A simple cleaning checklist was absent from the view and I am very sure that it didn't exist either. The interiors were designed in a haphazard way and were unattractive to look at. Not that anybody would go to a bank for aesthetics but when the private sector banks including some really progressive public sector banks are creating banks that would not only provide them banking services but also give them that well meant feel good factor, it is imperative to have some good aesthetics in place. 

Staff : Now let's talk about the staff employed at the bank. It was good to see young people manning the counters. There was a young gorgeous women attending to the cash counter. What stuck me most was that she didn't seem to be welcoming the customers with a glee and the aura of her beauty seemed to fade once she spoke a few words. To sum it up, it wasn't a typical bank-customer friendly behavior. The only saving grace was that it was much better as compared to the antagonistic behavior of Syndicate bank cashier. 

Ratings: 2/5

To be continued.......

- Sunny Gusain