Poor SBI services alleged in Umarkote

SBI customers have alleged poor service from the bank and harassment by its staff in Umarkote.

Customer service in commercial banks ought to be friendly but the situation in this bank is completely different. Employees of the bank are often found neglecting the customers standing in front of different counters of the bank for hours together.

Though the SBI has introduced single window system of banking service, that is not adhered to here and the customers are compelled to move to a particular counter for their required service. If any customer protests against the manner of service of any employee of the bank, he is harassed, alleged Sadanada Sahu, a senior citizen of the town.

It is also complained about the poor Automated Teller Machine ( ATM) service by the bank in the locality as the bank failed to maintain sufficient cash. Besides, habitual technical snags in the ATMs add to the problem.  Lack of parking facility for customers is another worry,  as the customers have no option other than parking their vehicles at the roadsides.

As a result, the Umarkote-Nabarangpur State Highway remains overcrowed during the banking hour in front of the bank, stoking apprehension of road mishap and robbery.

Though there is a long standing demand to shift the bank to an area having better parking facility, it all falls in a deaf ear of the authority, said a customer.