Page 130 - A Banker Down the Rabbit Hole

39. The mission decongesting

I was posted at this branch second time. Incidentally, my then

Assistant Branch Manager and myself as Loan Officer worked
together at this branch a few years back during my first branch
posting after probation of one year. Both of us got transferred to
other branches, got promoted in the meantime and got posted at this
branch again. Now each of us had one position higher, he being the
Branch Manager and I was Second in Command or Assistant Branch
Manager.

When I joined the branch this time, the service hall and the adjoining
area were not as good a sight as it used to be earlier. The branch had
acquired much more business and also the staff to handle it. The space
was the same. I had a table and in front of me, a Loan Officer was seated
covering half of the space in front of this table. Customers used to come
and sit in front of me one by one at the other end of the table. Not more
than one person would be able to sit and talk, others would always be
standing. It was difficult to make usual movements by the staff and
visitors due to overcrowding of staff and their tables and chairs behind
the counters.

I felt demoted looking at the pitiable condition I was in now as compared
to earlier when I had the entire mezzanine floor with two assistants, one
attendant and big table all to myself during the last posting. This time I
had to be seated near the Branch Manager's cabin on the ground floor
to handle day to day routine issues, to be visible to customers to meet
them for any issues and to consult with the Branch Head on continuous
basis, the whole day. It took me not more than a month to raise this issue

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