I am a regular customer—or, as Ms M. Tajak prefers to put it, a “partner”—of PKO. Several times a month I have to use the branch’s services, because my pension is paid there and I pay my bills there.
I once read a critical statement in GB (“Not Everything Shines at PKO”). I thought it was good when someone occasionally has the courage to stand up for customers’ rights and minimum convenience (I apologise—partners’ convenience), and that perhaps, after such an article, the branch management would improve something in its operations, out of respect for the customer’s (partner’s) time.
Unfortunately, nothing of the sort happened. Instead, in the next issue of “Głos” I read an energetic rejoinder from the Director, who, in the old manner used during the PRL era, when institutions treated people with contempt, reprimanded the only customer dissatisfied with the branch’s work, while at the same time declaring that everything was just fine.
Now, without wishing to slight either the Director or the dedicated people working at PKO, I dare point out that not only since the refurbished and luxuriously fitted-out PKO branch (paid for with our money) opened, but also long before that—when using PKO’s services—I have lost 30–40 minutes each time.
The longest queues at windows that are not always open can be observed when people collect their pensions and pay rent and instalment bills. Perhaps the Director would kindly come down to the customer-service area at that time and listen for herself to what the customer-partners think about the branch’s operations?
Launching foreign-currency operations, distributing share certificates or taking over the customers of a failed cooperative bank is not an excuse. On the contrary: it should motivate the branch to increase the number of service windows or service points.
I do not expect a reply from the Director, especially not a rude one. I would prefer—and I think I am not the only one—improvements in the branch’s operations. A few years ago I personally told the current Director that things at the branch were not as they should be. She replied that if I did not like it, I could stop using PKO’s services. This kind of response to customers’ and partners’ complaints or comments is called arrogance.