IT’S ALL IN THE MIND

 

“CUSTOMERS FIRST, CUSTOMERS NEXT, CUSTOMERS FOREVER”. It is a statement.

‘Can’t you see how busy I am’, ‘Come after sometime’, ‘It is not possible now’, these are some of the samples of response that a customer is still living with, in sharp contrast to the statement made above.

I am not trying to say that you need to treat every customer equally well. It is the “primary duty” of every one of us to know our top customers and to be “attentive and sensitive” to their requests and needs. It is impossible to please all. But then you should please every one of your top customers. If you conduct a survey, you will find that very few know who their TOP CUSTOMERS are! Very unfortunate, but very true.

How high is your “IQ”? No, I am not talking about intelligence quotient. More than your intelligence, you will be measured by your ‘involvement’. On a scale of 10, how high is your INVOLVEMENT QUOTIENT? COMMITMENT AND INVOLVEMENT are the two most crucial factors for any organization. And it is no different with Syndicate Bank.

It is question of your involvement in the development of the branch. “I don’t have time, “Nobody told me” can never be an excuse. Your level of awareness about your privileges and benefits is extraordinary. You needed nobody to educate you about them. You somehow managed to squeeze enough TIME to update yourself about your privileges. It is quite logical then that you should be aware of your “primary responsibility” as well. And I reckon, being attentive and sensitive to customers does fall under your “primary responsibility”. More so when you have to deal with TOP CUSTOMERS.

I have come across several instances where upright and problem free borrowers are treated less-than-friendly for being very demanding in service. When all the time Bank is longing to retain such problem-free accounts, you tend to be disinclined to delight such problem free loan accounts just because you dislike his demanding posture. It is your “primary responsibility” to do everything to retain such problem-free accounts. Majority of the problems are ‘ego’ related. Brush aside the ‘ego’ in you and treat the customers in a way they ought to be. It is a question of winning their confidence. For eg., if you make a promise to the customer, make sure you honor it. If you are able to keep your promises on most occasions, customer would be more than willing to accept an odd failure. So, IT IS ALL IN THE MIND. It is your attitude that will either delight customers or annoy them.

Another worrying feature is the number of private calls that keep streaming in right through the office hours, interrupting the flow of work and also irritating the customers. Ask yourself, how many of the calls were absolutely important. It is being done “so-matter-of-factly” that I reckon it will compel the higher authorities to ban private calls during office hours.

Further, going on leave with total disregard to the normal functioning of the branch is another serious problem. Maybe you have every right to avail leave. But then you must know your obligations as well to the smooth functioning of the branch. Ensuring uninterrupted, normal functioning of the branch is again “your primary responsibility”. This “I-don’t-give-a-damn” attitude will never be tolerated. The quicker you make these small attitudinal changes, the greater will be the chances of survival.

Consider this: you are working in a branch of 10 staff and ideally only 2 can go on leave at a time. Now is a situation where 4 want to go on leave at the same time for a longer period and all 4 get the permission. You are in the group of 6 who have to attend the office. How will you react:

• Less keen to accept more work and cause embarrassing situations – not worrying one bit about bank’s image
• Will accept the additional work on “certain conditions” like compensatory off and such fringe benefits taking advantage of the situation
• Will take the additional workload CHEERFULLY AND WILLINGLY keeping in mind the bank’s interest and the gesture of the branch head in allowing 4 colleagues to go on leave at the same time.

To which group do you belong in the situation narrated above? You must realize that granting leave is the sole discretion of the branch head and that you can never assume that you can go on leave at your chosen time unmindful of branch situation.

Some of us think that:

“By attending the office, they are doing a big favor to the bank”

“They are doing a favor to the bank by working during office hours”

Do you belong to this group? Frankly speaking, do these things ‘bite your conscience’? c’mon, friends, give it a very serious thought, will you?

You have been enjoying the “protective umbrella” for too long. That is to say, your salary is assured, so are your benefits. You get your annual raise, whether or not you perform. Do you really believe this "protection” will continue for long? I am afraid not. Unless there is a basic change in your attitude towards customers – without whom you can not exist – you are in for tougher days. If you are unable to give your 100% at all times – which is your ‘primary duty’ – why should you be paid 100%? To counter this you might argue that working conditions are not good, less friendly policies and come out endless wish list. It has become a favorite ‘PASSTIME’ among us to keep complaining about almost everything and sitting in judgment on almost everything. “If only this was in place”, “if only the Bank did this or did not do that” et al. It is perfectly alright to look for an “IDEAL” situation. You have every right to seek an “IDEAL” work place, “IDEAL” superiors and “IDEAL” working conditions. But, “are you the IDEAL EMPLOYEE?”. Have you ever asked yourself this question? If you are not the ‘ideal employee’, you have no business to either seek ‘ideal’ situations or keep complaining. To counter this, you might say, there is no motivation, no recognition for the work. What will motivate you? Few words of appreciation from your immediate superior? Suppose, he does that every time, you will then feel it is not enough and want the branch head to commend your work. Let us suppose, you get praised by the branch head regularly. That too will pass, and after sometime, you crave for the regional head to recognize your efforts. So there is no end to it. And you will feel, oh! What is the big deal, every body is admiring my work. And you discover that your joy in receiving admiration and thereby being motivated is not so charming after all. So the message is “nobody can motivate anyone forever”. It is only you and you alone who can motivate yourself. That is when you will begin to work for yourself. That is when you will begin to work with an incorrupt mind without hoping to please somebody. That is when you begin to work to your ability, to your conscience. That is when your quality of work will improve. That is when you become morally strong, not letting your conscience to be plagued by a feeling of guilt that “I could have done better”. To rid yourself of this, you should display total commitment and total involvement. And continue to give 100% at least 90% of the times, if not at all times. Then at the end of the day, you can sit back and on reflection, you will be very pleased with yourself. And that sense of having given your best is the ULTIMATE JOY.

Let us face it, friends, the whole world knows we have enjoyed the pre-reforms period. The whole world knows we crossed the “limits”. Now things have changed. You and I can not stop it. So then brace yourself for some sacrifice, like meaningful hours at the office, greater involvement and discipline and more importantly, greater concern for the customers. This is the only way the Institution can progress. And in its progress, lies your progress.

So then, replace “ME FIRST, ME NEXT, ME FOREVER” attitude by “CUSTOMERS FIRST, CUSTOMERS NEXT, CUSTOMERS FOREVER”. This is the survival mantra.