Banking

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Vindicated for resurrecting my "blues"

When I read that a recently released report declares a certain blue bank as one of the most expensive banks in Mzansi, I felt so vindicated for resurrecting my blues. If you have a look at my last two posts, then you will understand. Honestly, what can I say? My resurrection though not planned was timely. Could it be I am told its time I ended my blues? Hmm … 🙄 .

This is the link to the article I read from Mail and Guardian: http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-11-02-standard-bank-and-absa-need-to-relook-fees.

Much love to all as I return to my hibernation nest 😉 .

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Was really feeling the blues

Damn! I was really feeling the blues! This skeleton I had titled: Why customers like me leave a service provider?

The answer to this question is a short one. Customers like me who expect nothing but good service leave because of certain individuals that receive bonuses at the end of the year. Incidentally these individuals also have spacious offices and depending on their ranking they may even have interior decorated bathrooms with gold plated accessories. If you haven’t guessed who these individuals are, they are none other than managers/directors/executives of orgnisations/institutions.

These individuals more often than not are behind the scenes and as such we don’t get to interact with them a lot. However from the service we get from the frontline staff, we can actually determine the effectiveness of their behind the scene work. For example, if a customer can be told: “Opps! We forgot to carry-out your instructions and now that you have reminded us we will execute them but don’t think it won’t cost you” spells ineffectiveness on the part of those individuals. The sad thing about this ineffectiveness is when staff actually knows that even if a customer were to complain not even a mere cup of tea will be offered. And, they use that knowledge to make one appreciate that they are in fact in control and they can cause as much inconvenience as they can if and when they want to.

The question then is: can one really blame them (frontline staff)? Of course not! They are not liable for they have been socialised to believe that knowledge is power; they have the knowledge about the effectiveness of their managers and the power to humble me if I insist on getting a good service and a proper apology in the event that they fail to provide me with the service I am paying for.

The only liable individuals are those in management. They are liable because they have not taken the pains to make their staff aware that there is a correlation between their getting paid and customer satisfaction. Therefore, they have failed to convey the importance of looking after the cents. That is, they have forgotten to state the obvious; cents grow into Maloti/Rands; Maloti/Rands grow into hundreds; hundreds into thousands; thousands into millions, etc. In addition, they have failed to point out that a cent can make a difference to profitability or loss, just like a single vote can make a difference to winning an election.

In nutshell, I blame management because I understand that nature does not allow vacuum and if they, as the leadership are not willing to exercise their powers, someone in their institution will do. And when they do, chances are that they will use that power as carte blanche to inconvenience, frustrate, … and possibly annoy me the customer.

In light of the above, I hope then that the management of a certain blue bank will understand why I shall hold it liable when I leave. I therefore urge it to reconsider providing a simply better and faster service. I also urge it to accept the challenge of restoring my trust with it by providing me with an assurance that never again will I have to endure poor service. To win this challenge, terms and conditions apply.

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Feeling the blues

Yet another skeleton from the past. This was written in 2007 after a certain blue bank changed its slogan.

My journey into the blues started in March with what one could call a misunderstanding. However, I shall only focus on the events of this month (May). When the month began, I had ordinary feelings of a broke person. The feelings were really not that bad. I wasn’t exactly too broke not to afford a rope to hang myself – if at all I were a suicidal person. I was just anxious for the 9th to arrive. This was the date in which I was expecting money to be deposited into my account.

The 9th eventually arrived and there was no money in my account. “Not a big deal”, I said to self, “may be tomorrow I shall find it!” The next day like the optimist I am, I went to check but there was still no money. I began to panic for it suddenly dawned on me that expressions like “tomorrow never comes” are popular for a reason. So, in a state of mild panic I went to the nearest branch to seek answers and by the end of that day I had my answers. I had both the good and the bad news.

The good news was that my money was actually not floating somewhere between the borders like a restless spirit. The bad news was that it was retained safely (I presume) in my home account. This was bad because I had actually issued instructions (for a fee naturally) to have the money transferred to my foreign account. The justification for the non-execution of my instructions was negligence in my opinion. But the official version was that much as the exchange doesn’t open on Saturday, on Monday people on duty thought that my request was processed. How and why? I still don’t know!

What I do know is that I sent over four emails asking among other things the procedure that is typically followed by customers ‘inspired’ to complain. The recipients of those emails believe it or not, included the service manager. When I failed to get a response, I actually made the effort to send an email to the gentlemen in charge of the retail sector. Sadly, he hasn’t responded and I truly believe that much as I guessed his address the mail was delivered; for I have no returned mail.

All of the above really got me thinking. I started wondering what inspired the blue bank to change its slogan. Could it be that they thought the new slogan would afford them the opportunity to water down their service. Lets digress a moment, so that you can appreciate fully my translation of the slogan. Whoever said that thugs for example lack motivation or inspiration? I mean, how else would they get the commitment for being involved with criminal activities? On the basis of these two questions allow me then to give you my own translation of the new slogan. ‘Our involvement in your life is motivated and inspired by the desire to cause you inconvenience!’

So as the blue bank continues with their mission let me remind it that “reputation takes years to build but less than a week in the banking industry to destroy”. An example in point is the collapse of a certain red bank in South Africa that is now known by a different name. In three days, customers withdrew all their money and the bank was bankrupt. Apparently customers heard that the bank had no money and very few were interested in asking any questions and seeking assurance. What makes this example a romantic one to use is that the actual announcement of the bank’s placement under curatorship was made on Valentines Day. (For those interested in verifying this, the year was 2002.)

My concluding remarks to the blue bank are that history has a way of repeating itself and your day might come sooner than you think. So instead of giving us a service that leaves us with the blues, give us a service that resonates with the old slogan. A service that assured us that things would be done simply, better and faster.