The Lion King | 15
A
n old lady walked up to a teller in the
banking hall and asked to speak to the
branch manager Mr. XY. The Teller replied;
“I’m sorry, but the bank manager is dead. We
are all very sad”. The next day, the little old lady
returned to the same teller and asked to see the
bank manager. Again, the Teller, though perplexed
at her return, told her: “The bank manager is dead.
A replacement is due here next week”.
A day after, the woman returned, lined up at the
same teller-point and again asked to see the bank
manager. This time, the Teller could stand it no
more. Outraged, he answered, “I told you two days
ago that the bank manager is dead. Yesterday I
told you the same thing and here you are again!
Why do you keep coming back here asking to see
the bank manager?” The dear old lady replied:
“I’m sorry but I just love hearing those words – “the
bank manager is dead!”
The bank manager is dead. You are now the
bank manager. Unfortunately, the Teller did not
understand her own message. The old lady got the
message. The bank manager is dead. The bank is
not dead.
Service personnel should learn to read customers
and listen to their non-verbal communication. All
that the Teller needed to do, at this moment was to
ask the magical customer service question “Is there
any thing I can do for you?” and a door would be
open for a customer to be delighted. Instead, she
spent three days answering the same question and
frustrating herself and possibly losing an important
customer who was desperate to do business with
the bank. She came back thrice. Most customers
would not give the bank a second chance, if the
first encounter is bungled.
Empathy, a core value of the bank, demands
that our customers are treated with care. This
involves understanding their verbal and none
verbal communication and letting them know
what needs to be done for their transaction to be
consummated. If you are putting them on hold on
the phone, tell them exactly what you are doing
to help. Do not leave them stranded, lest they
become frustrated.
Greeting or smiling at a customer is good, let us
however go beyond the plastic smiles and standard
phrases. Recognise customers and acknowledge
them if they have been in your business office
before. The more you know about your customers,
the more you can find out their needs and help fulfill
them, that is what service is all about.
Service is now about delighting the customer. A
“delightful” customer experience is when a service
is so personalised that an individual’s preferences
and needs are taken into account.
A personalised approach to customer service is in
three steps; knowing the customer, learning about
the customer and serving the customer.
A personalised customer service also means that
you do not wait for the “Bank Manager” to attend
to the customer. Take ownership of the customer’s
service needs immediately. The “Bank Manager
is dead”. You are now not just the manager; you
are actually bigger. In the eyes of the customer,
“You” are actually the Bank. You are the UBA, the
customer sees. You must take charge.
The Bank
Manager
is dead
1. Have you looked at your goals from the
customer’s perspective?
2. Do you have your service priorities right?
3. Are you missing out on a source of
competitive advantage?
4. What could you do differently?
Four Critical Questions
To Guide Your
Customer Interactions
Customer Service
The Lion King | 15
By Aramide Olatunji
