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Mobile banking!

Bharat Kumar

N.S. Vageesh

NEVER assume that certain terms are understood by everyone in the same way simply because you think they are universally used. That's the message we got from this hilarious incident. We met a senior new private bank official and asked him about his bank' s mobile banking plans.

His reply ``That'll have to wait. People have just begun to repose trust and faith in us after seeing us in existence in brick and mortar for 5 years. If the depositor sees his money moving away in a mobile van (bank), he may lose that confidence!''

IPO marketing

ALTRUISM! One doesn't normally associate public sector banks with such sentiments. But if one attends the press conferences of public sector banks coming out with IPO, it would be hard not to be moved by the display of concern that the top management hav e for the small investor.

One claim made routinely is that they could have come out with a ``premium issue'', considering that they have been in existence for a few decades and are a household name in their region. Then, pray, why didn't they?. As we understand, the sacrifice the y make in coming out with a par offer is entirely for the sake of the small investor.

``We want him to make some money!'' officials say in a display of generosity. One observer however had a word of caution. Such excessive solicitude for the small investor can land them into the vigilance net if authorities want to find scapegoats later!

Customer service we(a)k

BANKS observing ``vigilance weeks'', ``Customer service weeks'' have become a source of amusement to some. There are the usual banners outside branches proclaiming the solemn (or is it sullen) observance rather loudly. Vigilance weeks are being observed, it seems, because the Central Vigilance Commissioner wants it to be observed in all public sector institutions.

And customer service weeks are being observed under instructions from head offices. All this is fine. But as one wag asks pointedly ``What happens in the remaining 51 weeks in the year?''