In the last few months there has been the biggest row in UK about the nationalisation of Northern Rock, the Newcastle based bank. The implication - apart from the fact that my fav football team is now sponsored by the government - means little to me.
But it did get me to thinking about the national banks in India. Let me make my stance clear - I love our national banks (or Public Sector Units [PSUs] if you want to sound businessy) - from their clinical offices to their clerks, who all look like they haven't seen a hairbrush since 1926, and their sense of smell, which has been completely obiliterated by years of coconut oil treatment to their heads.
At a press conference held by an Indian IT company that has developed a software for the banking industry (IT guys probably know which one I'm talking about), a young journalist had a conversation with the guy who headed corporate communications for the company. Just to clarify, he was American, and this was only the first time he had come to India.
Corp Comm Guy: So how does the banking sector look in India.
Journalist: I'm no expert, I'm afraid.
CCG: Yes, but you have quite a few private players now, don't you? That's a good thing.
J: I personally hate private banks, and I stick with my government bank.
CCG: Oh, why is that?
J: Well, private banks are completely computerised - which means that at the first of every month, my bike loan would be automatically taken from my account. Whereas with my govt bank, I can go over and ask the manager if he can please hold on for a few days before debiting the amount. He will grumble a bit, and hmmm for a bit, but he'll do it.
CCG: Well! Is your bank online at least?
J: Er... no.
CCG: WHAT! It's not online! Are we in the stone age? How do you check your credit card status and so on?
J: I don't have a credit card. I don't believe in them.
CCG: My god! Young man, do you go to parties? Do you go dancing? Are you normal?
The rest of it was mostly along those lines. And it was perfectly true what I said about my manager agreeing to postpone the payment of some amount. He would peer forbiddingly through his glasses, and say, in a truly pained voice, "Enna pa, you should be more organised. Ok, let this be a lesson to you." And he would call for Muthu or Murugan or whoever the chap was who brought him the tea, and then ask him to get me some as well ("no no! you must have some tea! your father has been banking with us since 1975!") and he would sort out my affairs.
In fact, at one point, I even decided to do away with my debit card (lost it, lost a lot of money, etc.) and so I was going to the bank each time I wanted to withdraw money. Its amazing how little you spend if you do that. Also, the bank was in Besant Nagar, so it was an ideal excuse to go to the beach and eat kadallai with Sharon and whoever else happened to be around (I miss that more than anything else, Ron!)
And if it sounds like I'm taking the piss out of the banks, I'm not. Indian Bank was brilliant to me, gave me a student loan without any hassles purely on the strength of my mum having banked with them for years, and the guy there was fantastic. At one point when I was thanking him, the manager came along and said very proudly that we should not thank them, but it was their privilege to help a young man study further.
Anyways, in UK, banking is completely electronic - but the first time I fell in love here was indeed at Natwest.
I was confused and nervous, my first few days in the country, because I wasn't sure I could access my money, and I had rent and tuition fees to pay within days. I had no idea how to sort out my account etc. and Kerri, who worked at the bank, was brilliant. She was patient and friendly and really helped me get through the whole process.
However, now I check my account status online, I draw cash through my card, and I make major transfers on the Internet. I never go to Natwest, and I have never seen my beloved Kerri again.
I guess for a 25-year-old, I am a bit of a sentimentalist, but what the hell. I am.
And oh, yes, the young journalist (how dashing that sounds) was me. And just to confirm, I do go to parties, and I do shuffle self-consciously on the floor (i.e. dance). And quite often, too.
18 comments:
Hahaha... Great post Captain. Captains back!
There certainly is a sense of romance about nationalized banks. But factor in working hours between 9 and 1, no investment options, and tea and coffee being the only service consistencies, it's difficult to Bank with them.
Call me what you want, but I'm an online banking / credit card guy. Damn it, I even buy my socks online these days.. !:)
Errr. I think that's a little too much information.
Hahaha... i think we should let out your guilty secret - that you worked with one of these private banks for two years was it?
No, I know, there are lots of advantages to being online, and I feel some of these PSUs are catching up, but let's face it - the service you get from private banks in India is atrocious. Try getting a loan from them!
I notice you seem to have handed the baton over to me, Captain? Or is it vice-captain now?
So right you are! I miss the time when you didn't have to pay extra or hold an orange account to get personalized service from a bank. There's this brilliant dystopian sci-fi short story by E.M.Forster called "The Machine Stops" in which humanity is ultimately reduced to a bunch of immobile lumps of sentient flesh confined to chairs and doing everything via push-button. And this was written way before the internet was the germ of a fancy of a ghost of an idea. I hope things never, ever get to such a state...
yes! i really think we will be, what with sports, newspapers, courses, work - everything can be done online! hell, you even get tv online, so u don't even have to make the walk from your bedroom to the living room...
but to be fair, it does make life convenient, and online banking does allay the fears of someone as nervous as me. i wldve been tearing my hair out if i was in a strange country with no control over my money!
Hmm. But I'm still scared off by the thought of keystroke logging viruses and account hackers and suchlike. One day in the future, though, I'll experiment with the netbanking thing. When I have money enough not to worry about losing a bit of it to fraudsters :)
strangely enough there's just been a major fraud investigation in UK... but anyways i wasnt referring so much to online transactions, but more to checking the status of your account online. that seems to be fairly secure. but you never know, i guess
I tend to be a bit like Courage the Cowardly Dog in such cases. I try not to get myself involved in scary goings on until I absolutely have to. And most often, I end up not having a choice in the matter anyway. It's a dog's life.
sudhir syal may not agree, but the public sector bank employees have much better relevant job knowledge than the fancy MNC banks. and they know their customers though in this they are gradually beginning to resemble their posh counterparts.
hm, not sure where i fall. probably a 'don't talk to me, i'll talk to you' category, where sometimes that personal touch at the bank gets too much..they know my family better than i do (and in a way, it's probably true).
but the machines will rise. alas.
eyefry,
i know the feeling. technology IS scary. it took me awhile to summon up the courage to press those buttons on the sidewalk over here, which turn the signal green. really ridiculous, but it did.
but as ever, once you get onto it, it feels ridiculous that you were ever scared.
in fact, now when im faced with dealing with technology, i KNOW that i will think that its ridiculously simple in the future, but it still does not make it any less scary in the present.
i think this argument is becoming scarily complex, however.
abhorigine,
agree 100 per cent. if i remember right, people at the PSU i used to go to gave spot on tax planning advice, whereas MNC reps' eyes only brighten when they hear the words 'personal loan', at which they will besiege you with info. and if you say you're interested, they ask you a question thats impossible to answer. "why not, sir?" in a very pained voice.
they seem to think that we're missing out on life if we dont take out a personal loan just for the heck of it.
bobo,
its one of those things isnt it? either they are inacessible plastic smile robots, or they ask you questions about your grandmum's arthiritis... well, its your pick, really, i just feel the advantages of knowing your banker are much stronger...
yeah, it is..especially because often you need, as you mentioned, a little leeway.
HSBC is brilliant as well. They give me coffee whenever I go there. There's an elderly gentleman who always refers to me as "m'love". :-)
of course there is manasi.. you are irresistable to the denizens of york!
but honestly, there's something charming about Brit politeness..
Love the post, hate my bank. Absa, South Africa--their bank charges are ridiclulously and when you go to complain they send 'Clive' a smooth talking, ugly man to convince you that it's actually less than the competition's. 1) Send a smooth talking, cute man if you even want a chance of convincing me 2)I pity the competitor's clients but that's no reason to rip me off!
That became a rant--but you asked for a comment and here it is :). Enjoy.
no thanks for letting everyone know that i'm a total comment-whore (i borrow the phrase from eyefry)..
but thanks for stopping by - doesn't sound like clive's a patch on kerri :P
speaking of comment-whoring and suchlike, where are you and what is happening to this blog? it be sinking into the english marshlands like the carcass of a phantom hound...
Hello. This post is likeable, and your blog is very interesting, congratulations :-). I will add in my blogroll =). If ossible gives a last there on my blog, it is about the Aparelho de DVD, I hope you enjoy. The address is http://aparelho-dvd.blogspot.com. A hug.
your favourite football team is Newcastle???
Post a Comment