It seems that sense of modernity has now eventually dawned upon HBL. Although most of its branches are still located in congested places with broken/outdated/scant furniture, unwelcoming staff and always-down on-line links, the new management has perhaps decided to give a facelift to the bank.
However, there is one strange aspect of this facelift. It is being carried out by keeping in mind maximum inconvenience and discomfort to its customers. In the new scheme of things the concept of Electronic Queue Management (Ticketing system) has been introduced but the community seating has been completely abolished which is an essential part of EQM.
I would quote the example of recently renovated Aabpara Market branch Islamabad of HBL which has decided to do away with client waiting chairs. Now all customers, irrespective of age, sex, caste, color or creed have to keep standing and wait for their turns at the cramped up counter. This, I find, quite opposite to normal courtesies being extended by all service providing companies.
At almost all modern banks' branches, even at National Savings Centres, once you get your ticket, you sit in the waiting area on a chair, watch TV, browse a magazine or chit chat with a fellow customer or sip a glass of water till your ticket number is called/displayed on the board.
Some times the age factor or ailment does not allow you to stand that long in a queue and so the concept of customers' waiting area was introduced. HBL's concept of eliminating it defies all logics. What about those on crutches, what about aged women, what about accompanying children? Should all roam around in the branch because the bank had the innovative idea of having no chairs. To top it, this torture culture will be replicated at all of its branches.
When State Bank of Pakistan has directed banks to provide relief to pensioners and utility bill depositors by providing additional counters, covered places, water and heating/cooling arrangements, why are the real account holders made to suffer.
I request the Governor of SBP as well as President HBL to take cognisance of this inhuman practice being thrusted upon the clients by the bank and immediately initiate the seating area concept, from 4 to 40 seats, depending upon customer traffic, in all of its branches. And fire the existing interior designer. He/she was never a frequenter to a bank branch before this project.