AT THIS time of emergency brought about by the coronavirus epidemic, banking service should be 24 hours. In our opinion, the dispensing of cash or loan assistance to clients must be available at all times because of the epidemic that placed the community in an emergency situation.
While banks may not even open their doors for business, there are now their ATMs (automated teller machines) to serve you at all hours of the day. Customers, as usual, must observe distancing by falling in line. We hope that the service of bank managers may not be dispensed with in the future since many of the banking services can now be extended by machine.
In the old days, it was very prestigious to work at a bank as manager. Almost the whole community will come to know you. Maybe that was also because there were fewer banks at the time.
There was no need to use a credit card for one who was manager of a bank. Your face was familiar to everyone at leading hotels and restaurants in the city. You may just sign for your coffee and meals or drinks when you have guests to entertain in their establishment.
During those times also, it was necessary to dress properly when going to the office, which meant wearing a long-sleeved shirt with tie (coat optional because of the climate) or the barong Pilipino. Nowadays, we noted that many bank managers are less formal in their get-up.
In the commercial bank where we used to work, they provide representation allowance for the manager to rent a house for his/her family (apartment living for managers at that time was not advised), including the services of a maid and driver. For good representation, you could buy also a brand-new car for account of the bank whenever you are assigned to a new branch, and hire a driver for official and family service. Gas and maintenance were charged to the bank. You may provide for such expenses in the budget you recommend for approval of Head Office, including representation and entertainment expenses for customers.
Nowadays, this bank where we used to work before is more budget-conscious. We understand that they just give their managers a fixed monthly allowance. Maybe, you can choose to rent a small apartment and walk to work, to save money. Some of their managers in the province do not even wear barong or tie when they go to work. Is this to save money?
Well, with the aid of the ATM machines, maybe there is even no need for bank managers anymore to be exposed to the public. Most of them look like teenagers dressed for sports, and sometimes you couldn’t distinguish them from their employees.
Well, the way of doing business has changed. It is more practical. In fact, we do not even go to the bank anymore, and many bank managers need not even talk to their clients, as in the old days. They just let the machines do the talking.
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GEM OF THOUGHT
“Bear your heart and soul.” – If you bear your heart and soul to someone, you reveal your innermost thoughts and feelings to them.
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