Mad rush at bank branches

The Internet and technology-related banking operations seems not to have made much of a change, considering that customers both – young and old were seen queueing up at counters. It was a mad-mad rush at most branches of public sector and old generation private banks.

This was visible particularly after banking operations took a hit the last two days due to bank strike.

Staff at the service counter of a nationalised bank said that the rush was there since morning and the queues growing longer with passage of time.

The counter staff, who sometimes indulge in friendly chat with customers of the said branch, had to be content with a mere cursory nod, lest the waiting persons at the counter become restless.

What more... the customer relations manager, who normally waits for customers to come to his desk to seek guidance, was busy at the entrance of the branch guiding every customer who walked in.

Bank officials told this correspondent that customers dropped in to remit money, for taking a demand draft, for updation of pass book, for remittance in the PPF account, to seek clarification on their loan account, for renewing the fixed deposit, to remit money in Government treasury and so on.

Asked why customers still walked into bank branches despite the technological advancements, the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) General Secretary C H Venkatachalam clarified that technology helped streamline certain back-end operations for banks but not to such an extent for customers.

"The transformation is obvious, but the population that rely heavily on technology is still negligible. Customers have derived some distinct benefit though," he added.

The AIBEA, he said, has urged its members to be cordial to customers and not shirk off their responsibility. 'We have nothing against the customers. Our differences are only with IBA and the Government,' he said and admitted that the two-day strike had inconvenienced the public.

To a query on the outcome of the strike, he said: "The stalemate continues. The UBFU, which was scheduled to meet on February 13 to chalk out the future course of action has rescheduled the meeting to a later date." Without specifying the date, he said 'very soon'.

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