Guest Posted July 18, 2004 Report Share Posted July 18, 2004 Banks like most corporate institutions have POLICIES, that they use utilize to standardize their business practices. While you may think that it is a simple customer service issue, it may be a security issue for the bank. True, but service industries are supposed to be service oriented (that is what I tell my staff), and the ultimate issue here is whether the policy is reasonable. I think your comment "I agree that the policy is silly" addresses that issue. As I see it, the problem is that silly policies lived a protected live in protected industries, depriving consumers of the choice they need to remedy the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptyrider Posted July 18, 2004 Report Share Posted July 18, 2004 Comes the classic Ugly Farang, rude, childishly self-centered, culturally bigoted, who gives all farangs a bad name and makes life in LOS just a little more difficult for everybody. Haven?t you ever heard the slogan, ?Delta?s ready when you are?? You knew quite well beforehand that the bank expected to see your passbook or an account number. And the bank needed either of those because as a matter of policy access to account numbers by customer name is restricted, probably for security reasons. What if the teller looked up your number (and would have to verify that the passport number behind the account is the same as your passport number) but then told you a different number by mistake or not? Then you?d be screaming about Thais stealing your money, which you invited them to do. More problems for you and the bank, esp. considering the hassle of getting the ?police? involved. Also if they didn?t require a passbook or ac# then nobody would bring one and time (=money) would be wasted looking up everybody?s account number. Lines at the teller windows are already long enough. So everybody else is expected to stand and wait while baby has to have his account number looked up, just ?cause baby likes it that way. Hey?get the f***outta my way, pal! I got MY number! Now, why didn?t you even bring your account number written on a slip of paper? Feel uncomfortable carrying that too? Sounds more and more like you?ve in fact lost your passbook and don?t even know what your ac# is. Or maybe you didn?t want your wife to see it! Certainly if I knew I was gonna make a deposit, I?d bring along the number of the account I was depositing into! It?s common sense, innit? And I don?t want to wait for a search. How you can feel less comfortable carrying your passbook than your passport? Different banks have different policies. It is not a matter of culture at all, but rather of business. You may not like this bank?s policy, but it is not irrational. In fact, I kinda like it. If baby didn?t like it, baby should have already switched. Since baby hasn?t, is it because to close the account baby would have to bring along his passbook? BHWAAAA-AAAAA. I feel sorry for those bank employees that had to deal with you and the other farangs that had to be embarrassed looking at you making a fool of yourself. Go and apologize to that poor teller and manager. And get over that silly, naïve idea that you are paying the bank ?to make you happy.? You?ve really spent far too much time in Nana and Patpong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJsushi Posted July 18, 2004 Report Share Posted July 18, 2004 Gadfly1 said: Banks like most corporate institutions have POLICIES, that they use utilize to standardize their business practices. While you may think that it is a simple customer service issue, it may be a security issue for the bank. True, but service industries are supposed to be service oriented (that is what I tell my staff), and the ultimate issue here is whether the policy is reasonable. I think your comment "I agree that the policy is silly" addresses that issue. As I see it, the problem is that silly policies lived a protected live in protected industries, depriving consumers of the choice they need to remedy the problem. I can agree with your points however the issue outlined by the poster had more to do with a bank policy than a Thai cultural issue. We really can't state why the bank has such a policy but I would fathom it has more to do with their internal security procedures, than a cultural thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 18, 2004 Report Share Posted July 18, 2004 We really can't state why the bank has such a policy but I would fathom it has more to do with their internal security procedures, than a cultural thing I work in a bank here, and I just cannot see the purpose of this policy. On the other hand, I have seen plenty of "policies" here that don't make sense and I have seen local bank managers create policies for various reasons, often relating to face or because they find a particular customer annoying. This is where I see the possible link between the (a) "policy" and ( cultural issues. For non-economic reasons, it is often harder for a Farang to accomplish a simple banking transaction than a Thai. In any event, I admit I am digressing a bit from the original post, mainly because I get a daily diet of this nonsense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted July 18, 2004 Report Share Posted July 18, 2004 I think Dave's overall bitch is with customer service in general rather than just the one issue with the bank. Sadly, "the customer is always right" does not apply in Thailand. I had a fine example of this yesterday. Didn't get mad, just TIT. I went to my regular (over 50 visits) massage place for a foot massage. There was one customer getting a Thai massage and one massage girl was giving another massage girl a foot massage. I told them that I only had 1 hour and needed to start right away as I had to meet someone. I assumed that they would stop massaging each other and start on me. WRONG, they called for another girl to come from their other location. I again reminded them that I was pressed for time. "No problem, wait 5 minute". 5 minutes turned into 15 and I decided to forget the massage. On the way out the girl says to me "Sorry, have customer" while pointing to the other massage girl. I replied in a calm voice "That not customer, that employee. I am the customer". I'm quite sure this went right over their heads. On the way out the door, the girl from the other location was finally arriving, her hands full of food . TIT, you can't change it so learn to live with it I guess. Ranger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted July 18, 2004 Report Share Posted July 18, 2004 Hi, Ptyrided, was it really necessary to get so nasty? Really did not like the tone of you post, *very* close to flaming Dave there a couple of times. You are welcome to disgree, but why the need to get personal? Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardinalblue Posted July 18, 2004 Report Share Posted July 18, 2004 KS, If that wasn't a flame, I would like to know what is.... It sounded like a murder, but he got off on a technicality? Cardinalblue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted July 19, 2004 Report Share Posted July 19, 2004 Hi, You are right of course. It was over the top and I should have acted more harshly. (it's hard finding the balance ) I'll let Dave decide, if he was as offended by it as me and Ptyrider does not apologize, Ptyrider gets the boot. Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsmedave Posted July 19, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2004 Thanks, I appreciate the thought, but... I did kinda write over the top to get a reaction. I didn't actually yell at anybody (except for inside my brain), but I DO believe that the convenience of the customer should be more important than the convenience of the employee, and I DO believe that just smiling and saying I'll never change anything is a great way to stop any chance of improvement. This is a side effect of being brought up American. We believe it is our responsability to never give in until progress is made when we see a wrong. Makes us pigheaded at times, but also accounts for the amazing progress we have made as a nation in just over 200 years. How old is THIS nation, and where do THEY stand on customer service? Just seems like they could use a few more guys who WON'T smile and back down. Maybe they can make progress as well. But, no, I don't want anybody thrown off. I'm a big boy (just ask the wife) and can take a little flaming. Also, I get angry at the Ugly American when I see him, and can understand some sensitivity there, because they do cause trouble for the rest of us. So sad that we've got one in the White House. But, to stop this thread from being completely sidetracked...what do you all think on the issue. How far does cultural sensitivity go when you are now a customer paying for a service? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrX Posted July 19, 2004 Report Share Posted July 19, 2004 Hi Dave..just wondering if you expect "We (Americans) believe it is our responsability to never give in until progress is made when we see a wrong........(this) accounts for the amazing progress we have made as a nation in just over 200 years." to go unchallenged?...or you are writing "over the top to get a reaction" again right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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