By Oliver Lyngdoh
Back home after two years of a stay outside Shillong, I naturally had a lot of odd jobs to do. And like any other normal person I set out to complete these “jobs” of mine. As I came out to catch a cab from Jingkieng towards Governor’s house I already dreaded the journey as it was 10 am in the morning- Shillong’s rush hour. Sitting in a cab, I noticed our people rushing and honking at other drivers. I looked on, amused at the sight: Why does Shillong a place with small amenities, small families and with people who are supposedly tied down by roots and family ties have so much need for so many vehicles to ply on the road?
A friend of mine visiting Shillong was fairly amused. He said it looked as a family of five has six cars in Shillong. Little does he know how close to the truth he was. And as we got off the infamous black and yellow cab, the cab driver blatantly told me to pay Rs 5 extra since he didn’t have change; and of course we Shillongites don’t care for small change do we? So what’s a meagre Rs 5 coin right? I simply sighed at the driver’s demand while this “out of station” friend of mine looked on with curiosity.
After a dreadful journey to SBI main branch, I went in to find the branch jam-packed. As I sat there with my visitor friend, I noticed all around the office hoardings asking the citizens not to waste paper; to use net banking and mobile banking facilities, “Go Green” seemed to be the motto of SBI. I was filled with a sense of pride to notice that people out here have started to actually act on the environment. I beamed at my friend for this.
However my sense of pride was short lived for by the time I reached the counter and when I asked whether I could pay for my DD with my card, the teller told me wryly that the machine didn’t work. So as I paid for the same with cash (so much for saving paper) I was informed that I had to get my draft from a different counter. Isn’t this business of moving from one counter to another for the same purpose a waste of time and personnel? Why can’t there be a single window counter for demand drafts? Guess there must be another reason for this logistic process unknown to most of us.
I reached the DD counter and requested the lady behind the counter to accept my application form, since she was just sitting there doing nothing and no one was in front of me. But I got a rude answer, “Can’t you see I am busy with these other files? Why can’t you wait in the queue like everyone else?”
Taken aback I returned to my seat in front of the counter while my friend watched in disbelief at the turn of events. His expression made me wonder why we are treated like outsiders in our own bank? Isn’t the purpose of working in the bank or any other institution supposed to be to assist the customer? Correct me if I am wrong but isn’t the whole purpose of setting up an institution of any sort actually meant to help the customer who ultimately brings in the “greens” for the institution to profit and prosper from?
For example anyone starting a small fast food stall (which seems to be the trend here now with all the unemployment and backdoor employments happening in and around ‘institutions’ out here); what you need apart from the capital investments is that you need clients to visit the food stall. These same people become the regular customers who would visit time and again and indirectly bring in the moolah, which would ultimately lead to the person’s prosperity? If you don’t treat your customers the right way, who’s to say that they will come again next time?
The basic principle of any for-profit organisation is to treat the customers the way they would want to be treated themselves if they visit a similar establishment. Extend this to any other organisation or institution and there will be clashes all around. Some might argue that not all institutions are for- profit. Well, even then they are meant to serve the people because they are paid for doing so.
This brings me to my next point and I don’t need to tell you now that this of course was also pointed out by my “out station” friend. I was in a state government office today for some work. As I was talking to this person another person most probably not one from the town but from a village came in. This person, out of ‘courtesy’ or fear’ for being lambasted by the person inside the office, actually knocked at the door and asked “Kong, long ban rung shapoh?” (Ma’am can I enter?)
Now I really don’t know the etiquette in offices and whether I should be knocking or asking permission to enter. But I found it amusing that someone felt the need to ask for permission. And being a student myself, I understood the tone of voice of that person. It was a pleading to the government employee seated inside lest he is refused entry into a place which every citizen has a right to enter and ask for help and information regarding their needs.
. My out station friend has pointed out a lot of things to me. It opened my eyes for the first time at the dysfunctional system we are living in. My friend being from a metro, asked me why our traffic lights have gathered dust on the streets? Why is it that people everywhere use smart phones but everything that matters is still on paper? Why does the paper have to be filed in a folder and then in a file to be stored on a shelf only to be covered in dust?
I had no answers to these pointed questions. And as we stood in line to wait for our turn to book tickets at the MTC counter I noticed most of the other fellow persons in queue had high end smart phones with them which they were using for social networking or browsing the internet; all online. This then prompted a thought in me. If we are all so connected online then why do we have to stand in line for a mere train ticket? I was baffled at my own question. Who was I to ask as I was also one of the others sin the queue. So I struck a conversation with the person in front of me asking him why he doesn’t book his ticket online. To this he simply replied, I don’t know how. I told him that he was just browsing Facebook and watching videos on YouTube on his smartphone just now so how is it that he doesn’t know how to do a simple online transaction. He replied that although he knows the basics of online booking he is afraid of doing so since he feels it’s not secure and his perception of net banking is that people would steal his bank details.
I guess we are all the same. We don’t hesitate to put out every other information about ourselves online on social media but when it comes to things that matter we still feel comfortable with doing things the old way even though it takes so much of our time. I guess some more ‘education’ and ‘awareness’ on this matter is needed. And by the way, I was able to have engage in a long conversation with this person in front of me in a queue of three people because the person on the other side of the counter was taking an extended lunch? But that’s just the normal thing in our beloved ‘Ri’ right? Besides if it wasn’t for the extended lunch of the person I wouldn’t have had the chance for a wonderful conversation with the person in front of me.
So after a long day of odd jobs and errands I and my “out station” friend decided to quit for the day. We boarded another yellow and black cab from Khyndai Lad and again the cabbie asked me to pay Rs 5 extra than the normal fare towards Laitumkhrah since he said it was rush hour.
My out station friend chuckled at this and I simply sighed and resigned myself to this fate we have created for ourselves.
And as I entered my house, I told myself that I will definitely utilize my net more often for simple necessities and simple transactions to avoid such tiresome meetings and useless travel. But lo and behold! There was no current! (Shocker right? Most probably not, it’s the season of load shedding here, part of our yearly rituals.)
And as I turned to my out station, friend he simply chuckled and smiled at my plight.
Now I know why we still stand in queues and still use the tardy conventional methods for most of our needs. Of for poor customer service and over-priced taxi cabs! Well I guess we Shillongites are simply uncaring and too rich to bother about menial things like that. Why we have the Oscars and the Grammy’s to worry about don’t we?