Going to public sector banks can be a pretty interesting experience for pensioners who like going to the bank in person. My buddy told me that his dad would visit public banks almost every day just to update his passbook. I found it kinda funny because online banking is so much quicker. But, for older folks, these visits give them a chance to extend their day and connect with the community.
Recently, I had my own adventure at the State Bank of India (SBI) on Carter Road. I had two things to do: update my Public Provident Fund (PPF) passbook and check on my mom's account. First, I tried using the update machine for my PPF passbook, but it wasn't working right. So, I decided to get some help from a human. I took a token and waited for my turn.
While I was waiting, I asked one of the managers about closing my PPF account since it had been 15 years. She said I could close it in the next financial year. Then, I brought up the issue of my mom's account closure. The manager pointed me towards a junior employee, who disappeared as soon as he saw me. When he finally came back, he was really busy and didn't give me a chance to ask anything.
So, I switched my focus to updating my passbook at the service window, where they showed the token numbers. But, they messed up and served another customer even though their token number was after mine. I told the person at the service window about the mix-up with the token numbers. They just shrugged their shoulders like they didn't really care. When I handed over my passbook, an older person came up and told me that their token number was before mine. I let them go ahead out of courtesy. Luckily, they were kind enough to let me finish my transaction quickly.
While waiting, I saw a driver trying to break the rules by talking directly to the service clerk on their phone. I reminded them (and their boss on the phone) that they needed a token to get service. Eventually, they understood and accepted it. At SBI, my 8-minute wait turned into a frustrating half-hour. Despite the wait, they managed to update one passbook, but the other one had run out of pages, so the clerk had to do some extra steps.
I asked about closing my account again and they sent me back to the bank manager, who casually said it would be resolved in a week without getting any details from me. It looks like closing accounts at SBI isn't their top priority, maybe because they prefer building long-term relationships.
Despite the bureaucracy and the long waits, these regular visits really capture the essence of customer interaction for many people. As I get closer to being a senior citizen myself, I find that my time at the bank gives me a mix of patience and social interaction that can fill up an hour. What do you guys think?
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