Vernon Chalmers SEO

Herewith to share with you yet another pathetic service delivery experience. This time at Standard Bank Milnerton on 31 March 2010. This is of course my opinion and my Standard Bank experience, but why is it that the basic obvious costumer service is often neglected at this branch - or is it Standard Bank in general?

Same old Standard Bank story
Standing in a Standard Bank Milnerton queue at month-end with only three of the five point of sale booths were open to the public. This while businesses are making cash deposits and with the obvious increase of floor traffic more than VISIBLE at month end.

No Standard Bank leadership?
Not one single STAFF MEMBER of this Standard Bank branch took any care of SUPERVISING this process. I finally observed a Standard Bank 'senior' employee making photocopies - but with NO INTEREST to even look at the queue (their bread and butter). After attracting his ank ttention and telling him about this lack of customer service I was in no uncertain terms informed that it is the team leader's responsibility. No RESPONSIBILITY taken by this banking official (not even the slightest attempt), no interest and no customer care. No team leader in sight.

Visible barrier
With a divider panel in front of the service delivery counter there is no way any service delivery agent / team leader will ever observe any effective / poor service delivery. No VISIBILITY between customer and TEAM LEADERSHIP. Standard Bank should be ashamed of themselves for placing a barrier between their so called "shop floor leadership" and their clients. I personally think they are hiding from operational efficiency.., creating an unfair business practice for both the customer and operational staff.

Personal confrontation
I raised my voice at this gentleman, because I wanted to. I wanted everybody to hear my complaint - because it concerned everybody in that queue. Suddenly service happened. Another counter suddenly opened up. And this is not for me dear reader - this is for everybody standing in these queues.

Sad conclusion
What comes to mind here? A definite lack of branch leadership. A lack of intensity in [any] real customer care and / or a lack of customer service delivery skills ever so often displayed at this branch.

What I realised today is that this will NEVER change. They just cannot change it - unless you change the poor service delivery culture in management you will not see any changes. Fortunately most of our business can be delivered via the Internet. I am of opinion that the decay of leadership is not staff related, but is 100% the product of their management's inability to interpret the fundamentals of customer care / service delivery.

As always, I find this level of uninterested and pathetic service levels unacceptable, but let it be a lesson for the rest of us on how not to treat our customers.

Read the Follow-Up - Standard Bank's response

All in-site information - Standard Bank Milnerton

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