Human Face of Banking

R ecently I went to a bank to update my passbook. The machine could not update all my entries so I went back to the official concerned. Very reluctantly and after much pleading he updated it on his system. While I was there one elderly lady approached him with the same request. The official reacted rudely and said, “when the bar code is already pasted, why are you here still bothering me?” The woman went away. I was shocked and asked the official if there was anybody that could help or guide her and others like her who do not know how to deposit cheques, cash or update their passbooks through machines and need to be assisted. With a frown, he stared at me and replied that she should request the security guard outside.

We must realise that even literate people in this country do not necessarily know all the banking procedures, not to talk of the elderly and many others and therefore the bank authorities have to take into consideration the much needed human face of banking that is fast vanishing. Banks are there because of the customers, illiterate or literate and the staff must be trained to deal sensitively with those who may not be able to understand the complexities of modern technology.