I love being at ease with every situation. I hate it when anything makes me compromise on that. The result: I detest going to banks. Somehow, I have never been able to come to grasps with the working of these financial institutions, and when forced to enter one, I just crave to exit it.
But then, fate can be cruel at times; at the start of every trimester, I am left with no option but to trudge out of the XL gates to the SBI branch situated just outside, deposit the fees challan, fill out the disbursement form and submit it. Sounds simple? Well believe it or not, I still go through a mental rehearsal and checklist every single time before heading to the bank.
And so was the case yesterday; with the deadline for the fourth installment nearing, I was left with little choice but to set forth. This exercise I believe culminates so many evils - seeing six-digit deductions from your account balance, the constant fear of having forgotten something in the hostel room and the scare of committing some embarrassing mistake.
However, this time I had prepared well. The challan, fee schedule, pass book and pen all ready, and savings and loan account numbers carefully noted down, I was set to enter the battlefield.
I have done this too many times. I headed straight for the manager's cabin to ask for the disbursement slip. For once, as I filled up the form I felt a sense of elation - there were no nagging queries, no forgotten account numbers. Stapling the challan with the schedule and disbursement slip, I handed it confidently to the manager.
"Sanmoy Talukdar", came the voice of the manager just as I was preparing to make a move.
"Yes?"
"So, you are also from XLRI?"
"Yes sir, I am a 2nd year student."
"Good. I wanted to ask you something."
"Sure. Please go ahead."
"You people in business schools must be studying voluminous books on finance and costing and accounting and what not?"
"Yes. In the first year, the basic courses are compulsory" (Now, where was this leading to? Had I made some silly error again?)
"Nice. But then, can you tell me what's the use of these books if you cannot fill out a form properly in real life? Do you not think that management students lack in the practical aspects?"
My heart skipped a beat as he continued:
"I ask you these questions because you are the first student to have filled the entire form without needing to be prompted, without asking me which account number I should fill in where or what should be the amount disbursed. We designed this form to make it easy for you people, but till now it doesn't seems to serve its purpose - can you tell me where the problem lies?"
Other people face problems? Now that was news to me. I had well and truly found my voice back now. For the next half an hour, I explained to him how management studies have little to do with mere banking transactions, it's dependent more on practical experience - and with experience, I assured him that an XLer would definitely come to terms much quicker than others. Then we debated on the lucidity of the language used in the form. I reasoned with him that although getting the customer to fill out the slip is a good idea, if you require a dedicated person to clarify doubts, the very purpose is defeated. On the contrary, I suggested, the directions should be given from the angle of a layman.
I am not sure how much of an impact my arguments had on him, but personally I was impressed with the quality discussion we had. Maybe, hereafter, I won't mind dropping in beyond the portals of the bank once in a while .....
SERVICE RATINGS
a> Reliable - 4 (Pretty much so. In the past 3 trimesters, drafts have never been late in arrival. Neither have I heard complaints from any of my batch mates)
b> Assurance - 5 (The reputation of State Bank makes it high on assurance. Even if the bank defaults, the belief is there the Government will bail it out ...)
c> Tangibles - 3 (While the renovated interior decor looks much more professional, the staff still seem to be from the mid-seventies. Further, I feel a dearth of smiling faces as compared to a private bank like ICICI for example.)
d> Empathy - 4 (Definitely present, at least for XLRI students. The disbursement form, with the intent of making the loan process smooth for students stands testimony)
e> Responsiveness - 4 (Impressive. Definitely commendable when in comparison with contemporary institutions)
[ 1 = Poor, 2 = Fair, 3 = Good, 4 = Very Good, 5 = Excellent ]
But then, fate can be cruel at times; at the start of every trimester, I am left with no option but to trudge out of the XL gates to the SBI branch situated just outside, deposit the fees challan, fill out the disbursement form and submit it. Sounds simple? Well believe it or not, I still go through a mental rehearsal and checklist every single time before heading to the bank.
And so was the case yesterday; with the deadline for the fourth installment nearing, I was left with little choice but to set forth. This exercise I believe culminates so many evils - seeing six-digit deductions from your account balance, the constant fear of having forgotten something in the hostel room and the scare of committing some embarrassing mistake.
However, this time I had prepared well. The challan, fee schedule, pass book and pen all ready, and savings and loan account numbers carefully noted down, I was set to enter the battlefield.
I have done this too many times. I headed straight for the manager's cabin to ask for the disbursement slip. For once, as I filled up the form I felt a sense of elation - there were no nagging queries, no forgotten account numbers. Stapling the challan with the schedule and disbursement slip, I handed it confidently to the manager.
"Sanmoy Talukdar", came the voice of the manager just as I was preparing to make a move.
"Yes?"
"So, you are also from XLRI?"
"Yes sir, I am a 2nd year student."
"Good. I wanted to ask you something."
"Sure. Please go ahead."
"You people in business schools must be studying voluminous books on finance and costing and accounting and what not?"
"Yes. In the first year, the basic courses are compulsory" (Now, where was this leading to? Had I made some silly error again?)
"Nice. But then, can you tell me what's the use of these books if you cannot fill out a form properly in real life? Do you not think that management students lack in the practical aspects?"
My heart skipped a beat as he continued:
"I ask you these questions because you are the first student to have filled the entire form without needing to be prompted, without asking me which account number I should fill in where or what should be the amount disbursed. We designed this form to make it easy for you people, but till now it doesn't seems to serve its purpose - can you tell me where the problem lies?"
Other people face problems? Now that was news to me. I had well and truly found my voice back now. For the next half an hour, I explained to him how management studies have little to do with mere banking transactions, it's dependent more on practical experience - and with experience, I assured him that an XLer would definitely come to terms much quicker than others. Then we debated on the lucidity of the language used in the form. I reasoned with him that although getting the customer to fill out the slip is a good idea, if you require a dedicated person to clarify doubts, the very purpose is defeated. On the contrary, I suggested, the directions should be given from the angle of a layman.
I am not sure how much of an impact my arguments had on him, but personally I was impressed with the quality discussion we had. Maybe, hereafter, I won't mind dropping in beyond the portals of the bank once in a while .....
SERVICE RATINGS
a> Reliable - 4 (Pretty much so. In the past 3 trimesters, drafts have never been late in arrival. Neither have I heard complaints from any of my batch mates)
b> Assurance - 5 (The reputation of State Bank makes it high on assurance. Even if the bank defaults, the belief is there the Government will bail it out ...)
c> Tangibles - 3 (While the renovated interior decor looks much more professional, the staff still seem to be from the mid-seventies. Further, I feel a dearth of smiling faces as compared to a private bank like ICICI for example.)
d> Empathy - 4 (Definitely present, at least for XLRI students. The disbursement form, with the intent of making the loan process smooth for students stands testimony)
e> Responsiveness - 4 (Impressive. Definitely commendable when in comparison with contemporary institutions)
[ 1 = Poor, 2 = Fair, 3 = Good, 4 = Very Good, 5 = Excellent ]
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