BANKING IN INDIA- A VIEW FROM BOTH SIDES - THE ETHMOS PERSPECTIVE

To know about the structure or policies of Banking in India, there are and number of books available in the Market or over the Internet. But we here at Ethmos show the view, which may seem general but gives the real picture of the practices happening in India. (Note: The motto is not only to discuss about the change to happen but make the changes happen.)

  A.  From Public point of view:

Public can be an individual, a family, a firm or any entity who uses the services of banking industry. The Journey or relation of banks with public mostly starts with the opening of an account through which s/he utilizes the multiple services of banking. But in practice when we as a public enter in a bank, particularly a public sector bank, we hardly get to know from where to start, as everything seems to be on a different planet and the view will be like- A guard sitting at the entrance who is the most frustrated man in Bank who teaches the people banking in his own way (some exceptions are there who really help public in need) as public feel more secure to ask the security guard rather than any other employee of the bank.

 Counter interactions- What we have heard or read in books or newspaper that in PSU’s our work will be done at the single counter (SWO-Concept) but in reality first we have to win the position by standing in a queue. After the initial battle only 25% chances are there that our work is done. We will be shown next window for our work to be done. It will make us think whether we really need the service of bank by wasting so much of time that to in today’s tech savvy world. And overall we invest our own money and time in banks, and in return we get the harsh language of the bankers along with the half knowledge what we have consumed. Even if we have availed any facility from bank we are not sure if we can utilize it 100%. These are the just initial encounters faced by our more than 100crore public in Banks.

Managerial experience to Public: Frankly speaking, Bank managers are not less than any of the God in our country. It will be a rare time for public that he can interact with the Manager in a bank. As first thing he has to find out, where is the Bank Manager. When he finds the Lord of Bank Branch He is being treated as he has made a crime by entering in the cabin and having interactions with him. Then finally if he is in mood our problem will be solved but if he is in bad mood then even 100 coconuts or number of rounds are not enough to make our work done. But even after this sort of humiliation, we as a public have to respect Bank manager and Have to say “Thank you sir, I will be back”.

(These are the experiences people in India faces at the initial stages as they are not aware of their own rights even at place like Bank. But when we are used to it, we learn too many things to get our work done.)

B.  From Bankers point of view:

Banker: Banker is an individual who provides the banking service to the public through banking channel directly or indirectly. When an individual gets selected in Bank, he feels on top of the world. (Which won’t last too long). When he is being trained what he has to do in banks, he thinks that he is being chosen for a noble cause. But when the actual practice of Banking gets started everything changes. The change starts form the timing to report at the branches. (Posting of bankers is more than an issue, so it is being skipped) He has to open the bank much before the actual working hour’s starts. On an average, at least before 45 minutes of actual working hours. He has to look after the things which are kept at the desk as unfinished tasks a day before. (In banking unfinished tasks are more compared to the finished tasks due to staff shortage or unskilled staff, which will not be understandable by A general public. So after arranging all the things neatly and getting to know what he has to do today, multitasking is obligatory as he has to do the tasks of at least two people. So, the beautiful journey starts.

Customer Interaction & other: From a banker’s point of view, every person who consumes banking service is a customer. And as per the old saying

“Customers are god!” So, we have to respect the customer as foremost thing along with providing a better service. When the banker starts the working hours by providing the service, he never thinks that he has to do the repeated task which he is being doing since many days or months. He just kept on doing things, Even he is not being diverted by the various chaos some customer makes against him. It didn’t fail him to provide the banking service to the others. As there are many things from a banker’s point of view which can be completed by using common sense, but as some of the smart customers knows the rights of a customer, deliberately neglecting their responsibilities kept on asking the same question number of times. He thinks that it’s the banker’s duty to please the customer as he wants. (Though there is difference between customer satisfaction and pleasing customer). After a long duration of working hours get finished, there are still n number of tasks are waiting for a banker which will take again at least 1 and half hour more. Means doing the multiple tasks, managing minimum 100 customers and working nearly about 9 hours in a day a banker will spend remaining 3-5 hours to his beloved family.

Our View: As we have seen the Indian banking from both customers and bankers point of view. Though there are too many parts still to be covered, we herewith summarise the thing by putting a small solution. It’s not necessary that every solution has to be out of the box. Even in this context we just want to make you realise the others point of view, so we can understand the problem in our thinking. As you can observe thing that We have referred both Public and banker as “We” to just express one thing that we all are one, No one is different from the other. Suggestions and comments are most welcome.

Thanking you,

Team Ethmos.