The Bank Experience

[the old girl]

I did a rather rash thing lately, I went into a bank. While I was waiting in the queue I watched a customer being served. The lady clerk was trying to get the customer to agree to make an appointment to discuss different accounts. The customer was reluctant, so the clerk then suggested the bank would ring her to discuss rates etc. Presumeably the customer's details were already on the computer because she was only asked for a phone number. There was no tatty/photocopied/lopsided consent to contact forms to complete.
Also, how come it was accepted that only one clerk was serving, even though there was a queue, and nobody said a word!

[Super]

Ah now this has long been a bone of contention. People just seem to have different perceptions. Quite happy to stand in a queue in a Bank/Tesco Store/Sainsburys whereever but as soon as a queue builds up in the PO ah thats different!
I remember one customer complaining that she had been waiting at least 15 minutes in our queue one morning which was amazing as we had only been open for 10minutes!!

[PostalOfficer]

I have recognised this problem before. Many year ago my friend worked in a booking office. Same as the PO, get a queue and everybody moans. Queue longer in a bank or supermarket and people are far more tolerant. We reckoned it was because we were "ationalised"industries, but why that should really make a difference I don't know.

I bet the banks posters were nicer than ours. Just a couple of posters with spotlights on them rather than our walls crammed with posters, forms, leaflets, photobooths, chipped paint, dustbins, padded bags, P&G machines, AEI, kitchen sink etc

[bigjames]

This situation occurs a lot. I was part of a team a lot of years ago doing a QIP (Quality Improvement Project) focussing on improving customer service in offices that could not accomodate any more people on the counter. Myself and a colleague were customer side conducting surveys with customers. We watched a woman walk in, walk round the queue system and go straight up to the counter. On her way out we stopped her to do the survey and asked how long she thought she had waited, and she replied "at least 10 minutes". We asked another (much older) woman how long she had been in the queue and she replied "since 1946" - but I think she misheard the question.
But to get to my point - it is all about choice and perception. Customers feel that they have no choice but to come into a Post Office for various things, which leads to discontent, as they feel forced to come in, which instantly adds 5-10 minutes to their perceived queueing time. Add into that shabby surroundings, dodgy fellow customers and fewer and fewer staff at the counter, and we have a problem we will find hard to solve.

[Blue8]

The problem is we are Jack of all trades master of none.


We are trying to be sometihing were not.........a bank

[kathleen1]

What a lovely day to return to work, the tuesday after a bank holiday queues out the door all day till 5.30pm it was just like a bank and don't forget its a credit card day (get lost). So the ABM was wandering around alot getting and stamping forms what a Q-buster he is, at least he went to Iceland for bread and milk what a great little shopper.The FS had to go somewhere
for a role play for someone to watch him, then someone had to watch the watcher and so on, the BM was behind us muttering away to himself or me i'm not sure running up and down the counter who cares anyway then about 3 o'clock the ABM went home he might of got cramp in his hand stamping all those leaflets and the counter staff were just left alone serving the queue we got called a few names too with the car tax going up. It was a lovely day i can't wait for tomorrow to come i am so excited, oh i just remembered i didn't do nothing apparently because i never got a credit card i'm very sorry.

[onlyanother30years]

What a lovely day to return to work, the tuesday after a bank holiday queues out the door all day till 5.30.

Quiet office then we served until 6.00pm, ebayers sending 2nd class recordeds.

Bring on the Wilko revolution and VR to all

[kathleen1]

What a lovely day to return to work, the tuesday after a bank holiday queues out the door all day till 5.30.

Quiet office then we served until 6.00pm, ebayers sending 2nd class recordeds.

Bring on the Wilko revolution and VR to all

What about the manager Q-busting, i wouldn't of served anybody after my duty finished, SORRY COMPUTER SAYS "NO" your
manager should of managed queues effectively it says so in the career path honest!

[feduppostie]

went into PO the other day to renew my car tax ( i'm a RM employee)

was astounded, queue out the door and yet some 'official' person ( i assume a manager) stood asking what service I require and pressing the button on the automated screen FOR me so i could get a ticket

jesus christ i'm more then capable of working that one out for myself

told them so as well, said why don't you get behind the counter and serve, help them get the queue down instead of standing here pressing buttons i'm more than capable of pressing myself

I got a 'look'

is this what managers get paid for in the PO?

[onlyanother30years]

I was sitting next to the manager all day as no staff.

I was shocked that with 80 people waiting up to 50 mins he did not try any sales conversations.

With all the customers I did mention he had missed many golden opportunities and should lead by example.

This remark was met with silence, What a surprise!!

[billyhayes]

You are very naughty 30years!

But it just goes to show, many managers tell us how simple it is to have conversations, but when it comes down to it, when they are forced by the sheer amount of customers or the waiting times to 'pop on the counter', there are very few who can 'walk the line'.

Just a quick note on fedup's observation, it may well have been 'help' sent in from POL HQ. We had one on each 'busy tuesday', equally as useless. Neither worked on the empty counter positions, so were 'giving out tickets'.

Our customers know what service they want. They've been pushing the self same button for the last 2 years!!

Still, it gives them a slice of the abuse etc we have to suffer week after week.