4 years in banking does not give me any authority to opinionate on the larger issues concerning the banking industry. However, you might be interested, in knowing how a typical day in the life of a banker is. C'mon .. hosts of TV shows will spend a full day or even two with an army company, they may spend a day with a corporate honcho or a star-studded celebrity. Who cares about a banker? Well, if you really care, read on.
Well, we are very purpose oriented people. Unless, we have some purpose in getting up, we wont even get up from our bed. That is why, every fine morning, our business head, will either call or SMS to update us on the targets of the day. We live each day as it comes..(and almost die at the end of it). Do we reach bank to serve customers? Yes. Do we reach bank to enjoy our work? Maybe. Do we close the branch with the satisfaction of a day well-spent? Yes - if luck favours.
Even before we open the shutters of the branch, there will be people waiting to get inside it. Ever since I have become a branch manager, I think I have become some kind of a prima donna. There will be 4-5 people watching me tread as I move towards my branch. There will be the sweet-tongued security guard who will wish me "good morning" as if by rule set by his commander (i.e me). Its quite enjoyable, till I realise that the people, both customers & non-customers, may actually be cursing me from inside their hearts. And with the current scenario of customer service in most banks, coupled with the predicament of strikes, this possibility cannot be ruled out. It kind of freaks me out.
In between passing & authorising entries, we take phone calls from distressed customers, we take phone calls from our depressed seniors, we try to find out a new customer to whom we can beg with dignity for a business connection, we try to cross-sell (more about cross-selling in a later blog), & we try to control the quality of house-keeping of the branch. Now, housekeeping a branch is not easy as house-keeping a real house. All kind of records have to be preserved, all kinds of regulations have to be adhered to, all kinds of tables/formats/registers etc have to be updated etc. You wont believe, but its true. One of the banks, with which I was working has prescribed a whopping number of 128 registers to be maintained by every branch - small & big. Now, you know what we do from 10 am to 7 pm? Unfortunately, some branch managers like me, are stupid enough to take all regulations / procedures seriously and hence get stressed out.
Frankly, banks have not yet matured into the 21st century and nor have our regulators. Of course, regulators have a reason to worry. Banks deal with public money & all. It is natural for them to get paranoiac about each & every rupee of the common man. But, c'mon. To curb malpractices, our regulators are tightening screws to such an extent that the paranoia of regulators gets transmitted - almost like a contagious disease - to the captains of all the individual banks, and by natural course of hierarchy - to the poor bank managers.
Phew! So much to write about a bank manager's life. But, who cares?
Well, we are very purpose oriented people. Unless, we have some purpose in getting up, we wont even get up from our bed. That is why, every fine morning, our business head, will either call or SMS to update us on the targets of the day. We live each day as it comes..(and almost die at the end of it). Do we reach bank to serve customers? Yes. Do we reach bank to enjoy our work? Maybe. Do we close the branch with the satisfaction of a day well-spent? Yes - if luck favours.
Even before we open the shutters of the branch, there will be people waiting to get inside it. Ever since I have become a branch manager, I think I have become some kind of a prima donna. There will be 4-5 people watching me tread as I move towards my branch. There will be the sweet-tongued security guard who will wish me "good morning" as if by rule set by his commander (i.e me). Its quite enjoyable, till I realise that the people, both customers & non-customers, may actually be cursing me from inside their hearts. And with the current scenario of customer service in most banks, coupled with the predicament of strikes, this possibility cannot be ruled out. It kind of freaks me out.
In between passing & authorising entries, we take phone calls from distressed customers, we take phone calls from our depressed seniors, we try to find out a new customer to whom we can beg with dignity for a business connection, we try to cross-sell (more about cross-selling in a later blog), & we try to control the quality of house-keeping of the branch. Now, housekeeping a branch is not easy as house-keeping a real house. All kind of records have to be preserved, all kinds of regulations have to be adhered to, all kinds of tables/formats/registers etc have to be updated etc. You wont believe, but its true. One of the banks, with which I was working has prescribed a whopping number of 128 registers to be maintained by every branch - small & big. Now, you know what we do from 10 am to 7 pm? Unfortunately, some branch managers like me, are stupid enough to take all regulations / procedures seriously and hence get stressed out.
Frankly, banks have not yet matured into the 21st century and nor have our regulators. Of course, regulators have a reason to worry. Banks deal with public money & all. It is natural for them to get paranoiac about each & every rupee of the common man. But, c'mon. To curb malpractices, our regulators are tightening screws to such an extent that the paranoia of regulators gets transmitted - almost like a contagious disease - to the captains of all the individual banks, and by natural course of hierarchy - to the poor bank managers.
Phew! So much to write about a bank manager's life. But, who cares?
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