I was in a bad mood that morning. The bank I always go was closed. The manager said the staff was sick with the coronavirus so I had to go to another branch further away. I didn’t like my time being wasted but I had no choice if I wanted to finish my transactions that day. I went to the other branch not feeling happy.
When I went to the branch, the security guard helped me park and greeted me. The staff nearest to the door also greeted me a good morning. So did the tellers.
Approaching the teller counter with my deposit bag, I noticed a table beside the counter. It had a spray bottle of alcohol and it gave me a place to put my bag on.
The table was a pleasant surprise of convenience and it lightened my mood that morning.
Having a table beside a service counter is a blessing. I wish banks and other service institutions would also have tables so we clients can have a place to put our stuff on when we’re transacting.
In Japan, tables beside service counters are a common sight, especially at hotels. The tables allow registering guests a place to put their bags on which makes it convenient to get their paperwork for the hotel reception.
But it’s only in Japan where I’ve seen tables beside service counters. I haven’t seen the same thing anywhere else. At least I’ve not seen it where I live or anywhere other than Japan.
Until this visit at the branch of my bank here in Manila where I live.
Maybe the bank staff intended the table to be a place for clients to disinfect their hands before transacting with the tellers. Whatever the intent, I found the table very welcome and told the tellers I loved it.
Now if the bank can only duplicate it in their other branches.
Bank executives train their staff to greet clients and to always be polite. They don’t do a good job, however, when it comes to minimising transaction and wait times. They also scrimp in investing in chairs for waiting clients. Many times, we clients have to stand while waiting and carry our bags. When we reach the counter, there would be hardly any space to put our deposits or cash on, especially if there were plastic transparent barriers taking much of that space. Bank executives just don’t see what customers are experiencing and they make it like they don’t care.
That small table beside the teller counter at that bank branch was a simple convenience apparently thought of by the staff there. It was a small thing but combined with the greetings of the guard and the staff, they all made for a big thing for me. It symbolised a little empathy from the part of the bank, at least from the people that worked in the branch. And that was enough to make my day and think of good things about the bank.
I hope the branch that I always go to thinks of the same thing someday.
Ellery's Essays 