Technology & Banking

Last week I went to close my Savings Bank account with a multinational bank. I had opened it in 1974 when I came to Chennai to take  up a job with Grant Advertising.  The branch Manager of the bank was so friendly that he would even extend short duration hand loans to me when I was building my home in Sastri Nagar. I was always treated like a VIP by the entire staff though I did not have any deposits in the bank. It is another matter that I did not have any money to deposit. When I started my own advertising agency in 1986 I opened a new account with another local bank  which offered me special credit facilities. However, I continued my account with the foreign bank for sentimental reasons.

 Recently I had to open  a new account in a leading public sector bank to avail of the special Senior Citizens Savings Scheme offered by the Government.  And so it was with a heavy heart that I was closing my account with the  foreign bank. But the manager across the table did not ask me why I was closing the account. In a cold blooded tone he told me what to do  and rudely asked me to make way for the next customer. I was very disappointed. But I should not have. Because since the advent of technologies, banks have been actively encouraging  customers to do business online  and dissuading them from  visiting the  banks  unnecessarily. The proliferation of  ATMs have ensured that the visit to a bank branch for cash withdrawals have virtually stopped. You can also  make & receive payments online. Even the Pass Book updating can be done on a special machine placed in a corner of the bank. You only meet representatives in the bank when you have specific problems. The personalized banking service has become  a thing of the past.

Unfortunately, as an old timer I find dealing with technology daunting. I hate when I make a call and in response I get a recorded voice asking me to press 1 for this , press 2 for that and at the end  I am told to wait for the customer service executive. Some times the wait is endless. My patience runs out and I disconnect the line feeling very frustrated. The whole process is so mechanical and impersonal that it irritates me no end.  For the same reason I don`t  even use the online  booking for the Air or Train  tickets. I still take the help of  a friendly Travel agent for any of my travel bookings saving  me the bother and tension involved in using the online booking facilities.

Though many of my  friends  who are senior citizens like me have taken to technology like the proverbial  `duck to the water`, I have remained Computer semi-literate. I have enough knowledge  of using the Internet to suit my requirements  as a writer. Beyond that I have a mindset problem which prevents me from accepting the facilities offered by new technologies. Making me seek my son`s help  whenever I get stuck on the computer. Invariably I get fired for seeking his help. `I  taught you how to sort this problem only last week. You have already  forgotten my instructions` so saying he will quickly press some buttons and presto my problem would be solved. But I would still have not learnt how to solve the problem the next time. 

It is high time that I get out of my  mindset against technology!.

This article appeared in the Adyar Times in July,2019 under my column `Rajan`s Random Reflections`