The bank becomes the first in Mumbai to have an all-women branch

The bank becomes the first in Mumbai to have an all-women branch
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

JULY 24: It will not be easy for men now to keep an account of the bastions women have wrested. The Matunga branch of the Syndicate Bank today became Mumbai's first all-women branch in the banking industry. Two male clerks left in the branch will soon be sent elsewhere, leaving 27 women to `man' the office. Two male security guards, however, remain.

Syndicate Bank was the first in India to have an all-women's branch way back in 1962 in Seshadripuram, Bangalore, with 13 women employees.

``Women are more co-operative and understanding and form the backbone of the service industry,'' says senior branch manager Vidya Venkatraman. ``I think we have less of an ego problem, which otherwise comes in the way of removing obstacles.''

Business has gone up from Rs 19 crore in 1998-99 to Rs 25 crore in 1999-2000, and the bank has netted Rs 6 crore this year in comparison with last year's three. ``You assess a branch by the amount of business it brings. We have been able to double this amount in just a year. It has a lot to do with the attitude of people who work here,'' says the manager. ``On occasions I have had to coax and pamper my male staff. Tell them, ihai ye kaam jaldi ho jana chaheeyer (Work should be done immediately). With the women, a bit of positive feedback and genuine praise is a big motivator. A simple `good work' and I can perceive the extra effort they put in,'' she says.

Staffers Deepa and Sandhya, who have put in 19 years of service in the bank feel women sincerely follow the creed of `service with a smile.' ``Even if a customer is arguing, we have the patience to deal with the situation. There are no rules to follow while dealing with difficult people. There are different types of customers and we instinctively know how to adjust,'' says Deepa. ``Also, we are very result-oriented here and work has to be done even if we have to work overtime,'' says Sandhya.

``This is a great opportunity for us to prove we can do everything as well or maybe even better,'' says staffer Chitra, ``but I have mixed feelings about the all-women staff. With men we could adjust timings if the need arose. One might talk about women's liberation, but when I have to be home by a certain time, there's no way of avoiding it. It will be difficult to follow this routine.''

``Frankly, in the beginning I was a bit apprehensive about the majority women staff, but now the apprehensions are cleared. Service is great,'' says long-time account holder Deepak Thakker. ``If the queue is long at, say, the cashier's, more windows open to speed up work. One rarely experiences this in other banks,'' observes Bhavesh Shah, an account-holder since the bank's inception. ``They have started seven-day banking, which means the bank is open on a Sunday. That is convenient,'' says N N Shah, another old-timer. For most customers it doesn't make a difference whether their accounts are being handled by men or women.

``We have tried to incorporate some of the suggestions of our customers,'' says Venkataraman. ``Sunday banking was one such idea. It also helped utilise our staff to the maximum.''