Public Dealings Is An Art JK Bank Should Invest In

The J&K Bank began its business on the 4th of July 1939. Bank celebrated its Platinum Jubilee in 2013 and over this period bank registered business turnover in billions of Rupees. The Jammu and Kashmir Bank is a success story of the state.

However, while the bank has been moving from strength to strength, the staff behaviour at times leaves a lot to be desired. Many customers have a terrible experience with some of its staff, which means J&K Bank has not invested in building employee etiquettes.

Recently, while on my visit to a J&K bank branch I witnessed a customer in conversation with an employee, who was dealing with loan documents. The customer was enquiring about the delay in process of his loan application. Instead of settling the issue, the employ lost cool and created a scene. While watching such immature attitude of bank employee, it put me in a great dilemma. How these employees are spoiling the credibility of their own institution.

JK Bank is only one of the Private Sector Undertaking bank and financial service companies in the country which has been designated as the Reserve Bank of India’s agent of banking business. Moreover, it collects central Taxes for CBDT and also does banking business for the central Government. According to print media reports the statistics report of J&K Bank’s revenue stood at $730 million. In Short, the bank is good news coming out of conflict-torn Kashmir. The huge customer base entails that the employees of the bank near about 15000, have extensive public dealings. However, the customer experiences with the bank staffers cast a shadow on its brand image. If the customers are to be believed, The J&K Bank employees are rude, un-friendly and don’t have a helpful attitude.

Some people have also taken to social media to express their disappointment about their experiences with the bank employees. Some months back a Facebook post of a senior journalist which was widely circulated, pointed to the ill-mannered bank staff, The post read: “while we love J&K Bank as an institution, but there is a serious problem with its staff. They need classes on behaviour and mannerism, they must know that they are part of a company and customers or clients need to be treated in a dignified manner”.“Nasti Seath Kath Karen Chali ne,” the post added, using a Kashmiri expression for impolite or arrogant behaviour.

In past various stakeholders had shown their anger against the rude behaviour of J&K bank employees, and their views were endorsed by a lot of people including journalist fraternity.  Some media men took on social media and wrote that they have raised this issue with concerned board members of the bank and also with former J&K Bank chairman, Mushtaq Ahmad at number of press meets. They had assured that officers and officials of the bank would be imparted special customer relations and public relation training.

Though it would be wrong to paint everybody with same brush, but a section of the bank employees, and employees in other Government departments, allied agencies have developed a sense of being masters not servants of public.

They should know they work in a public financial institution which runs on public money whether small or big. They must be kind hearted with public understanding and professional as customer relation is an art. It would be better for J&K Bank, to retain all collective focus on customer service relations, as a responsible institution. There is also a dire need for making strict laws, for such unhealthy behaviour shown by bank employees, so that they can be catched easily.

Shah Khalid

[email protected]

Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now

MONTHLY	Rs 100
YEARLY	Rs 1000
LIFETIME	Rs 10000

CLICK FOR DETAILS