Height of customer service in RBI is elimination of customers itself.
RBI preaches customer service to banks but in practice does not allow
customers inside its premises.
- S.G.Shivashankar, Ex-Manager, Bangalore (via e-mail)
I
do not know what is the compulsion of the move to close the public
counters. This is perhaps the only function of RBI, where direct contact
with public takes place and their requirements are satisfied in the
minimum of time. In
Kochi office of RBI, the main function of the office is to cater to the
needs of members of public through the public counters for exchange of
notes and issue of coins. Kochi being the prominent and number city of
Kerala state, the requirements of fresh notes and coins is quite large.
As compared to the main office in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi office
public counters attend to, on an average, about 1000 to 1100 customers
every day. When our Governor, Dr.Subbarao had visited Kochi office in
March 2011
(just to before my retirement), he was visibly surprised at the
serpentine queues at the Banking Hall for notes and coins. In fact,
Kochi Office attends to customers nearly 3 times the number of customers
turning at TVM office counters. Promptly, the Hon. Governor had
agreed with Kochi office proposal to expand the Currency Chest and asked
RD, TVM office to follow up the matter closely. I
do not, therefore, able to comprehend as to what relief will RBI get
from disassociating itself from servicing Public Counters. It is also an
established fact that commercial banks seldom extend the service of
'issue of fresh notes and coins' through their banking counters. This
has been repeatedly emphasized in the 'incognito visit reports' by RBI
officers to bank branches. I am pretty certain that ill-advised move
will definitely evoke a huge public outcry not only here but all over
India. Common people always look
upon RBI public counters as the ultimate place to meet their
requirements of fresh notes and coins
- S. Srinivasan, Kochi (via e-mail)
