‘Privatisation is the panacea for all ills of the economy! Only competition can bring out the best from people.’ This is the mantra that was being uttered since globalisation caught on. I beg to differ and here is my take!

I left a prestigious nationalised bank under the voluntary retirement scheme in 1999, but I am still proud to have worked for the organisation, which had modest beginnings and a remarkable purpose. It was started as a service centre to save poor farmers from greedy moneylenders in 1906 by a very simple and humble person and has now grown to be ranked among the top five banks of India.

Every time I step into the nearest branch as a customer today, I think of my bank founder, who enabled me to develop my personality, enrich my knowledge, serve people and also lead a comfortable life today, as a senior citizen. There is a culture that was passed on to us, as employees, by our seniors, who had sacrificed much more for the growth of the bank. For many, bank was the first priority, above even their families! It was a pleasure to work under such dedicated executives. The customer was the king, indeed, and all our training programmes kept reinforcing this.

Thus, though I served just for about a year in my last branch, before I quit, the customers still recognise me, talk about my service and appreciate the bank. And what gives me satisfaction is that there are still employees with that culture in my bank, though they are nearly 20-25 years younger to me and have been working in the totally automated scenario since long! What is it that differentiates such a traditional bank from the ultra-modern fully-automated private bank?

One day I get a call from my branch, “madam, is so and so your mother? There is an old deposit in her name, which lies unclaimed and forgotten. Please come over with her.” My mother was very pleased by the service of that smiling employee, who took pains to locate me and get the deposit renewed, guiding her about the procedure. I walked into the branch recently, and that same employee was all praises for my service to the bank and shared her experience of the satisfaction that one gets serving customers beyond the regular systematic requirements. “Madam, the other day, when we went to lock the strong room, we were shocked to find a glittering gold necklace worth lakhs of rupees lying near the lockers. It took me and my senior a lot of effort to locate the owners, an old couple. They were very pleased and touched by our sincerity and honesty. Similarly, when we located the owner of a locker, which was left unattended for years, the joy that the 80-year-old woman and her family got is immeasurable. And the gratitude that a very senior customer expressed, when we searched for him and informed him of a huge amount that was due to him in an account, is something that brought tears to my eyes.”

Okay! What is so great in handing over assets belonging to someone, as a bank? That is what is expected. But what struck me was the joy and satisfaction that the employee derived from such extraordinary service, which requires a lot of time, energy and intelligence. Offering the normal service over the counter to hi-fi customers can never be equated to such services, which need a personal touch, a tinge of social responsibility and helping tendency. Customers are not mere 13 or 15 digit numbers. In many private banks, employees do not even look up at customers physically! He or she he talks sweetly over phones to sell the bank’s products but you cannot find the same person the next time you call, because he/she would have left the bank by then! But 90 per cent of the employees of a nationalised bank retire from the same bank! So, they are loyal and psychologically attached to the institution. This motivates them to serve the customers better. They consider the bank as their family. That is why, I thought it was my duty to pitch in and assist my family when the banks were struggling to serve the public during demonetisation! Like me, hundreds of retired employees volunteered in the nearest branches of their banks! Can you even think of such loyalty in private companies?

Not just banks. I am still a loyal customer of BSNL because of this personal touch, though they may not be technologically as advanced as other companies. The staff members become our friends and they recognise our voices and attend to our complaints soon. True, on occasions, there may be delays due to red-tapism or lack of technical support. But I still trust them over corporate companies, who have devious methods of overcharging customers who are not tech-savvy! Nothing is transparent and straightforward.

We have hundreds of entertainment channels but I still feel the standard of certain programmes aired on Doordarshan is far above that of those aired by private channels. Interviews and discussions are conducted so well, with least interference and screaming! Certain documentaries about people, places and issues are very informative and decent. Who can forget Surabhi, Buniyaad, Tamas, Bharat Ek Khoj, Turning Point and Chitrahaar? We did not have to hesitate to watch these with children of all ages!

For a country like India, total privatisation may not work! For private operators profit alone will be motive while service industry requires a certain amount of social approach, responsibility and personal touch, which can be well promoted only in public sector undertakings (PSUs) and government establishments. Thus PSUs with least interference from politicians and government and good management will be more effective for our economy!

Just as you take no time to complain about the inefficiency of PSUs, just spend a few minutes in observing the good features of PSUs and appreciating them at the right time. Like my young employee, who went out of the way to reach out to customers should definitely be well appreciated and rewarded!

Sudha Narasimhachar

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