Negative attitude towards banking services

This is in reference to a letter titled 'Quality of teller services in banks declines' by Robiul Akbar that was published in the Financial Express on October 07, 2018. In it, he expressed his one-sided bitter experience of banking services and questioned the overall quality of service by tellers in all banks. This is not true in all aspects.

As a banker, I would like to mention some of my bitter experiences while providing services to clients. Bankers try their level best to provide proper service to the customers. But it is difficult to satisfy everyone.

Most customers do not want to queue up properly. Some businessmen come to the banks to deposit a big amount of money. But they are not interested to give sufficient time to check the money - whether there are any fake or tattered notes and if the amount is exact.

Some clients make deposits in notes of smallest denomination. But when they are paid in similar notes, they do not want to take them. Often these people hurl abusive remarks at the bank officials.

While depositing money, the account-holder needs to mention currency denominations. But most clients do not want to write this down.

Many clients place overwritten cheques at the payment counter. When they are requested to give the accountholder's signature properly, they become annoyed.

When the client comes to exchange taped and build-up notes, the tellers usually decline to exchange these, as per Bangladesh Bank (BB) instructions. Some clients deposit metal coins. But banks cannot accept excess amount of coins in the vault as per BB requirement. These things irk the clients and they think that these are the faults of the bank officials.

It is true that senior citizens, women, politicians and VIP persons need special banking services. Sometimes this hampers regular services to other clients. However, bank authorities do not want to delay service to any client.

The best banking service can be ensured if the bankers and clients develop cooperative attitude and negative attitude towards banking services is avoided.

Md. Zillur Rahaman

Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd.

Lalmohan Branch, Bhola.

zrbbbp@gmail.com