But what has this got to do with me kicking your Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) or ‘Any-Time-Money’ as some banks like to advertise. Your bank, Mr CEO, has oppressed me enough. So much that out of frustration and anger, piled-up since months, I made a choice, and an educated one if I might add, to kick your ATM, sadly only to be alleged bluntly by your security personnel that I was out to loot your bank—and he even held me for a while. Mr CEO, I have an account in your bank and for your information, your subordinates seem least bothered to deal with clients since they asked me to consult security personnel to talk about the matter. If customer satisfaction is not your forte, why are you in this business?
While in Pokhara, your ATM in Lakeside, Pokhara, flickered an error message. On a certain Friday, I virtually visited every other ATM of your bank in Thamel but to no avail. I eventually withdrew from a Rastriya Banijya Bank ATM. Thank god, it worked, but I had to pay a heavy transaction cost. To cite another example, it was my mother’s birthday on Kojagrat Purnima and I was running low on cash. I had a payment to make for a cake so I handed out my Debit card. The card did not work and, Mr CEO, even the cashier was not surprised. I tried to make use of your swipe scheme in a departmental store. The card did not work again. I visited your Maitidevi branch on my way back home only to find it closed.
I frequent your Tripureshwar ATM since it is near my office but most of the times, it only gives me reason to get angry. Your ATM in Tridevi Marg qualifies to be in the UN-World Heritage List and your polite security personnel assigned there needs to be pensioned off. Pay him in cash and leave the old man in peace for your ATM, Mr CEO, is nothing more than an Anger Totting Machine.
Mr CEO, I wonder how you would react if you were to experience what I have gone through. What would you have done if the waiter brings your card back and says your card does not work when you are dead sure that you have enough cash in your account to last a bumper shopping spree? What would you have done if you were in dire need of money and all the ATMs in Thamel gave up on you? What if it was an emergency?
Recently, I was in dire need of money and none of your ATMs, including the one at your head office, was working. I had neither received prior notification from the bank nor read any public notice in the newspaper and out of frustration, I gave your ATM a little kick and your security had the nerve to tell me that I, an account holder, was out to loot the bank. Mr CEO, it seems that it is time to remind you that it is because of clients like me that your bank is in business and not the other way around.
For dignity’s sake…
Writer is the Editor of The Week, Friday edition of Republica
arpan.shrestha@gmail.com
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