Thursday, January 19, 2017

AN OPEN LETTER TO BANK OF INDIA




I or probably many have chosen BANK OF INDIA over other nationalized banks because we thought it is better than others but the experiences I mentioned below are horrible. Also so many queries which remain answered. I would like to have an honest reply from you. When honourable prime minister Narendra Modiji is pushing our country in the new era with demonetization your bank seems to be making it as difficult to go about it as much as he makes it easy.

Please note that I have nothing against any employee against any branches of BOI. They try their best. There is a lot of load. Less staff and more people.. cramped up bank space.
Here are a few experiences  :

1.       My passbook finishes so I ask for a new passbook. The concerned person gives me a troubled look. She gives me a passbook but then tells that she cannot make entries as printer is not working. By that time I go and withdraw some money after a long queue. Another lady is sitting in the same place. I ask her if she can print my passbook. She promptly prints. Seems like the printer started to work magically.
2.       I have MINOR joint account with my son who is 4 year old. I request for an ATM card. Strangely no ATM card for minors in this demonetized world. I am informed that there is a BINGO card which they will give me. Am supposed to fill in a  form and submit it with my identity proof as well as my son’s birth certificate and a photo. Its all accepted by the employee and then in afternoon I receive a call saying they cannot issue the bingo card. I ask why?? I am told to come and meet madam again the next day. I go there and am told that they don’t issue bingo cards to children below 8 year old. Now here are some questions about this
a.       How do you expect to withdraw money or do transactions in this demonetized world without an ATM/DEBIT card? Even if its in minor’s name it is a joint account with an adult.
b.      Why aren’t you employees well informed about things. If bank rule says no card below 8 years I could have been told that. Instead your people made me scatter for documents and waste my time in all the procedure over nothing
3.       Since your branches are always overcrowded with denial for ATM/Debit card I asked for internet banking of the minor. About this your employees were in a debate. Some said its given, some said it is not. Manager missing as always or there is a huge queue at his cabin. I am told to come back next day, and the next, and the next and it goes on till after a month I am told that they have no clear idea. They say internet banking for my joint account with child should appear after I login into my my own account in STAR CONNECT . I have been into softwares. I am baffled. I ask how will it come automatically if I never applied for internet banking of this account. The Your employee asks me to try. They see some screens on your portal and say everything is clear from here. Finally I threaten to complain. So I am told to go to your regional office and enquire there.
a.       Internet banking is an essential. I need it to transfer money to my child’s PPF account as well. Apart from that there might be some transactions I need to do online to save time instead of coming to any crowded bank.. not essentially BOI. Whats so difficult in providing internet banking to the parent who has joint account with a minor?
b.      Again your employees are not well informed. They are more confused than the customers. They wasted my time.
c.       Your branch which holds my account took like a month to finally tell me that I should enquire at regional office. Do you really think that your regional office where I know no one will entertain me so soon and will be confused any less. I have to go far from my home/working place to solve these simple problems?

4.       I wanted to open a current account for my company which is private limited.  There is again a confusion since usually they are used to only current accounts for proprietary and partnership accounts. I was told to meet the manager who told me things needed. All documents except renewed shopact (expired 5 days back) needed. I told him the urgency and requested him to open account since I am an old customer. He said he could not. I can understand him being very disciplined. He said that he will surely open account in a day when I get shopact. I told him it will take a week for renewal as the corporation website is down. He said I just need to come back. I went there to know he is on a 15 days leave. Finally I found someone I knew at the bank who helped me. The account finally opened yesterday.

We have opened your with some faith as your bank is nationalized. Also feel that we shouldn’t be giving business to international banks. With the kind of services you provide no one would want to do business with your bank. The 80% of the middle class customers like me you have are because of trust.
In this new era of demonetization you are not supporting our PM nor the citizens with silly rules and confused employees. Please improve your standards if you want to retain customers. Let your employees know exactly what they have to tell your clients. And last but not the least please solve my query about internet banking for my son’s account.