A while ago I went to pay my tuition fees for my
professional course which I study at the Uganda Management Institute, I had a
choice between making payment using a Centenary or Stanbic bank branch but opted
for the latter. I wanted to do my payment quickly and efficiently in the least
time possible and so I opted to use the new executive branch of the Stanbic bank
at Acacia Mall.
However my intention to get in and out of the executive
branch in 10 minutes tops did not pan out as I quickly realised that this
branch only had 3 employees, 1 at customer care desk, the other dispensing
money and the last one in the back office. So even though I got into the bank
at 11: 55am I ended up leaving at 12:42pm for a very simple transaction that
usually takes me a maximum of 15 minutes at a regular non executive branch.
That aside what I found extremely interesting is how
accommodative Ugandans are as can be seen during this conversation between 2
customers as they waited in queue. I entered the bank and filled out my bank
slip and asked the customer care attendant where I should go and she directed
me to a queue with only 2 gentleman waiting. I was relieved I would only need
to wait for a short time before I got served but little did I know that would not be
the case.
40 – 50 year
Male Customer: ‘How long do
we have to wait to be attended to?’ he asked after sitting for about 30
minutes in the same position in the queue.
30 – 35 year
Male Customer: ‘Hhhmm,’ he said rather silently while coughing to
disguise his chuckle.
A couple of customers entered the bank over a 15
minute period which brought the number
in the queue to 12 myself inclusive, when a lady with a newborn in a stroller
walked in and spoke to the customer care agent. Sadly she was also informed she
would have to join the same queue, with no complaint she joined us and stood at
the back. After about 10 minutes a senior gentleman who was in front of her
stood up to let her take his seat as the conversation continued.
40 – 50 year
Male Customer: So we are still here after 30 minutes of the guards
and customer care criss-crossing the lobby passing us each time. What is the
fuss if it does not amount to service?’
As the last word escaped his lips he was finally
summoned by the security guard to go to the counter to get served, but as he
picked up his newspaper and steadied himself to rise up, the bullion van
arrived and 2 more security guards burst through the door making a beeline for
the same counter. So the gentleman was sent back to his seat and by this time
he was furious.
40 – 50 year
Male Customer: ‘So now at the worst time possible, they decide to
offload money from the bullion van. Who schedules such operations at a high
customer traffic time of noon on a Saturday? ’
30 – 35 year
Male Customer: ‘hihihi sure,’ is all he said with a smile on his
face as he moved back to his original seat to let the gentleman take his
previous one.
Now I am not an expert to know how long these funds
transfers should take but it took nearly half an hour while we sat there and
the waiting area queue snaked all the way to the door since there were no
vacant ‘executive’ seats at this time.
40 – 50 year
Male Customer: ‘So are we supposed to spend our whole day doing our
banking? This is unbelievable and we need to report this. You know as Ugandans
we never complain, we grumble as we suffer but we never officially complain.’
As he said this he moved to a counter next to the
entrance and he picked up customer feedback forms which he distributed to 9 of
us sitting right behind him.
30 – 35 year
Male Customer: ‘Yes thank you,’ he said as he received his feedback
form but to my surprised after reading through the specifics, none of the individuals
who received them filled them out. Now that is what nudged me to take the time
to fill it out.
40 – 50 year
Male Customer: ‘See we wait in line for an unacceptable amount of
time but no one fills out the feedback card to complain when they receive poor
service. All we do is go and complain in the bar, what will that help you as if
the bar man is the branch manager. ’
30 – 35 year
Male Customer: ‘sure, sure.’
40 – 50 year
Male Customer: ‘I know it is not in our culture to complain but
time has changed and if I am paying for executive banking service I expect to
get it after all my time is very valuable to me.’
30 – 35 year
Male Customer: ‘Yes indeed.’
Now this last fellow baffled me because he kept
agreeing with the older gentleman but never ever filled out the feedback
form. I eventually got called to the
counter and was swiftly attended to but by this time I was too tired to pay
attention to details, so much that I walked out from the booth only to realise
that I was supposed to receive change from my transaction. I walked back to the
counter and returned my receipt to the Stanbic teller who had just served me
and she apologised and after going over the transaction she gave me my change.
I was happy I had received it but this made me wonder,
is this a common occurrence for this executive branch of the Stanbic branch? I am
usually the customer who will wait patiently without jumping queue even when
there is no order with no complaint, however with the way this branch was
running I could help but finish filling out my form and submitted it to the
suggestion box. I intentionally filled in my phone number which was listed as
optional and expected to receive feedback from this executive branch of the
Stanbic bank.
