WORKSTATION DIARY SERIES - Behind Closed Doors
Closing Time Teller Confession
By: Ulysses C. Ybiernas | February 4, 2014
The clock on my computer reads 3:18 PM. The bank had officially been closed for eighteen minutes, yet a client is still seated in one of the officers' cubicles for hours now. She is a high-profile customer, the kind whose presence often warranted extra attention. Had she noticed that the bank had already closed? Where was her transaction?
It happens all the time since client here thinks the bank cannot decline them because of their status. Speaking of the devil, here comes another one, knocking at the closed door outside the bank. Sorry, it's no devil, it's a priest. Not just any priest, though, he is a wealthy one, one of our premium clients. Perhaps his affluence came from his background of a well-off family; whatever the case, his financial stature made him a regular presence here.
However, earlier in the day, another client made a scene. I couldn’t assist her immediately as I was already attending to a man with multiple transactions. He wasn’t the most patient person, and handling him required focus and diplomacy. Unfortunately, the woman didn’t seem to understand the limitations of my attention. I’m not superhuman; I can’t serve two masters at the same time. On many occasions though, I tried juggling such demands. But not this time, I could not afford to have two angry people, to have one is a lesser evil.
Meanwhile, the officers were bustling around like agitated roaches, darting back and forth with expressions that resembled aggrieved Pokemons, eyebrows furrowed so intensely they nearly touched. Their anxiety was palpable, and it messed up with my focus.
The root of the issue, as always, lay with top management. Their focus on cost-cutting had led to a shortage of staff, directly impacting the quality of service. How can a business operate smoothly when one of the essential components of a business are continually cut? The bank is profitable; surely, investing in adequate manpower wouldn’t significantly affect their profit-sharing incentives. Yet here we are, facing chaos every day with fewer hands than needed.
And so, the cycle continues. Clients grow impatient, staff feel overburdened, and the higher-ups remain blissfully detached, counting their gains while we manage the fallout.
"Impatience can cause wise people to do foolish things." - Janette Oke
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