Jamaica’s Banks vs Their Clients

Once more there  are  numerous complaints in almost every bank, concerning the quality of service: Customers will queue in lines and wait for service….and wait.. and wait.

Two hours at a stretch seems to be the order of the day, tellers barely arrive to work on time. When they do, they have to prepare cash for the day, and prepare their various trays; sometimes over a half an hour.

Many other bank employees are on their cell phones  which is a policy not allowed in Cambios, nor first class stores; I have seen visitors speak with tellers as if they are personal friends, taking time from clients  who are in queue. Talking to a friend in the senior citizen line, I received  the answer; “Well that is  because the Government owes these bankers, so are they are unable to criticize them.”  But I do not see any rationale in that situation.

Then where was the management of the bank?    One can hardly find a manager  on the floor who will accept a complaint  from a person in  line, and to correct that complaint.  The executives I see all walk up and down the corridors, with files being  toted around , conversing with each other. Do they have any work to do?

Yet they are reducing staff, closing remote and rural branches while their clients go to expensive ATM Machines operated by outside security teams.  One word here, the security employees in most banks take up more efficiently a great deal  of  service chores than does a bank employee.

What is the answer? The first answer lies  probably in the debt owed by Government to the Banks, which negates  and interferes  with Government controls; and the lack of service oriented persons  to deal with the crowds in the bank on specific days: Especially to deal with some technical problems.

There is a country in the middle/far East, whose Government was feeling the similar pinch some years ago because Banks decided to close out their rural branches and move to cities and large townships. Great confusion was being caused because clients had to run out to a bank 100 kilometres away to find   where their accounts  were and obtain cash for their workers.

The Government pleaded with the banks to re-orient themselves, for it was not only the small or large farmer, but rural schools and colleges, and relocations of Industrial enterprises, that  were being affected  by shortages of cash, and the long term commercial  enterprise. The banks were reluctant to react.

Now the Prime Minister of that country, a dynamic woman, decided  to nationalize 85% of the banking system, for it is not only bankers that are able to manage banks, but intelligent and sensitive people who have the interests and welfare of their country at heart, whether they be politicians or business-persons.

That Prime Minister, now chairperson of various boards, instructed the construction of branches under her command, in every remote and rural area that needed their services, irrespective of cost returns. Business was a little difficult for two years, but between then and the end of the last century, that portfolio of banks and employees grew 800%; bringing employment, money, technology and training  to the people.

The country, India, and that Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, remain in the hearts and minds  of  their people, and is instrumental  to the growth and substance of business in that part of the world.

This week marks the 66^th year of the Republic of India, and it is an honour to welcome  a Minister of State  from that  successful and growing Nation to the shores of Jamaica,  and we hope that mutual economic opportunities exist.

©Ramesh Sujanani

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