Client service perspective : Absa

How do you measure your bank ?

It is no secret that I think the service level of South African banks are very low.    In fact I think it stinks .

Would you rate the following as being part of customer service ?

1.      Price

2.      Ease of operations?

3.      Quality of advice received?

4.      Truthfulness and transparency in negotiations?

Of course you would !

So let us have a look at one of them : In this case Absa.

1.      They have just been judged the most expensive bank amongst the top 5 in South Africa .  They have all sorts of excuses.  Whatever, none of it makes sense.

2.      In a recent survey of brokerage divisions Absa was ranked as follows :

(Out of the top 10 )

a)     They were the cheapest. (you pay for what you get ?)

b)     The quality of their service was ranked at nr 10 out of 10

c)      The quality of their advice was ranked at nr 10 out of 10

d)     The quality of their trading platform was ranked 9 out of 10.

3.      A client (full details available on request) made arrangements with the bank about arrears on his account.  The arrangements were confirmed in the presence of the clients’ lawyers during which time the client also changed his domicilium address with the bank.  The client kept to his side of the arrangement but the bank immediately had summons issued at the old address ( this off course so that the client would not know about this)

And  then proceeded to obtain judgement ( again with the client being clueless about this)

I can go on about this bank’s service but for now – you be the judge and decide whether you want to carry on doing  business with them. And of course the question is which one is now really better ?

What South Africans really want

I joined a facebook group called precisely that : What South Africans really want.   When starting off on the journey I thought this might be an interesting group to get involved in.  I am still open to a decision on this.

Some of the normal things that happens on facebook happens here:  Commentators try to highjack your point in stead of making their own point.  Some commentators have no clue what the debate in that point is all about and goes off on a tangent.

One commentator asked me what alternatives I have to (I presume) BEE and Affirmative action. 

Here is my viewpoint :   Black economic empowerment is part of government policy now for some 16-17 years. The fact is it is trying to force White South Africa to stand back and let Black South Africa get the goodies.  This is fine with us.   It is not fine with them when they see that this doing nothing to White South Africa.  They are trying to right past wrongs with another wrong. One of the nicest scapecoats there are is "Apartheid"  

So what is an alternative ?   So called solutions that have been implemented and is not working :  Major money has been spent on buying up farms and giving it to previously disadvantaged individuals without making sure that they know how to farm.   It is expected from White farmers to get involved but no service agreement has been forthcoming.  Training is the name of the game and I will personally get involved and set up a management team of Subject specialists of all sorts and we will have these farms up and running in a year.  Why is this not happening?  The same government that now give tenders to the President's family of Billions of Rands starts heckling with us the moment they have to pay for such a project team.  This is how I see BEE in action and not insisting on Shareholderships and all that nonsens in existing White owned firms.

This is like going to war and the other side asking you to please sharpen their swords for them so they can use it against you. 

I am prepared to wager anyone who is interested that should BEE be dropped in total this country would be so far ahead in 5 years time that the past 17 years would look like it never even existed. 

We are a group of business people with the business acumen and human resources to set up such project teams at a moment's notice. We will just not do it at our expense. You want our expertise, you pay for it.

We are fed up with government looking for scapecoats and people like Desmond Tutu expecting whites to keep on saying sorry.  Ok here it is : Sorry but it is not going to happen.  We will help but as equal partners.

Affirmative action ?

See my post on the 10th of June on this blogspot about the subject.

Dogmatix and other pet hates or loves

What are your likes and dislikes ?   Some people are very outspoken about likes and dislikes and will defend their views vehemently. Others do have views but will quite easily be swayed.  Then there are those that will belief anything as long as it sounds plausable. I content that the latter suffer from a deadly disease called Gullabilation.  It is incurable.

Point I am making :  What do you like and what don't you like : 

To begin with I will give you a few of mine : (O yes of course there are those that you really hate)

What I like : 

I like people that can debate intelligently without getting angry at you because of a difference in viewpoint.

Fanatics about anything cannot do this.  I like to "kuier" with friends and family.  I enjoy a good red wine and a very good 12 year single malt whisky.  (Americans cannot make whisky-It is ONLY made in Scotland)

And off course a rare braaied (South African version of Barbequed) rump steak. My garden. Spring and Summe. Local pubs (don't go their very often but I like it) Scotland.

What I don't like :  Watching sport of any kind on the TV.  Dogmatic preachers (very near to the point that I can say I hate them but not really so bad (yet) ) Perchance on Sunday evening I swithed on the tv and there was this woman preacher with her finger in the air proclaiming hell and damnation if you should dare drink wine!.  I was sure other falsifications were forthcoming so I switched the tv off again. Some people that might also not like Dogmas will keep their mouth shut and let it go.  This is the point I am trying to make:  If you do not like a thing be prepared to say so and to defend your viewpoint.  Do not be a crowd follower or pleaser. More dislikes :  Racism of any kind ( Bee is racist), smartasses, people called Julius, (they remind me of one smartass called Malema).  Winter (it is an awful time) Small cars, slow cars , farmers with hats on in bakkies. American beer.

 If you like something say so !  If it is wine, chocolates, rare meat(sorry Vegans - us other normal people do eat meat)  Because you are (might be) a bit overweight does not mean you do not have to like chocolates anymore! 

Come on readers : Humour me - add to the lists : Likes and Dislikes !?

Tunnel vision

Facebook is a facinating personality study ground.  Ever thought what do you want from your interaction on social media.  Per se what do you want from any interaction ?

I detest tunnel vision.  These are people that can only talk about one thing and that thing is a lot of times themselves.  Just read the comments and  postings on facebook.

Because of this line of thought of mine I am now embarking on a "find like minded" friends.  I am adding friendships at an alarming (to me anyway) rate for the simple reason that I intend to hit 300 and then dumping  the ones with tunnel vision.  I am drafting a scale and will publish it on my wall on facebook and would like some feedback from friends and whoever is interested.

It is very interesting to see who has "unfriended" me - I printed out a list a while back to keep track as apparently there is no other way to do this ?  

Americanized junk

In my social media and online marketing connections and activities I  often come accross these "big name" online marketers, copy writers and so called gurus.   There are always something to learn from all of them. Some have really good stuff and know how to present it. Most of them have free stuff but a lot of stuff you have to buy.  This of course is the normal supply and demand system that everyone know.

What I am on about is what I like to call "Americanization" These are the material in the form of emails and presentations that have the following in common :   They cannot get to the point - 15 pages of junk including 20+  so -called "testamonials"  Marketing to right brainers like me you have to be able to tell your story in one or two pages and get to the punchline in those two pages if you want my attention.   Then they also have these "click here" links that require of you to register again using your email address so new junk and spam can be sent to you by their affiliates.   How corny can you get ?  Do people actually fall for this stuff ?  I don't.

I have not bought anything from any of these guys. "Money back guaranteed"   Yea right - Why would they guarantee your money back if the product is as good as they say.   "This will chance your life in 10 days - guaranteed"  Ok then send me an invoice in 10 days and I will pay you if my life was actually changed - that is putting your money where your mouth is.

Lately I have been getting quite a few of these emails from guys claiming to have the ultimate answer to your marketing questions.  The irony is that there are more free and good stuff on marketing on the internet that can boost your sales to a great extend if you only impliment some of it.  The question is then : Why pay for more if no real proof exist as to the effectiveness of these products -  Sorry guys - Testamonials does not do it for me - putting your money where mouth is does!

Affirmative action : a South African Perspective

If you google "affirmative action" there you will find such a varied difference of opinion on the definitions that you might as well see it as an argument within an argument against or for itself. It does not make sense. It is a racially based (or gender or religeous or whatever creteria you want to add) system no matter how you want to explain the reasons or thinking behind it. It devides more than it bring together - full stop !

In a country like South Africa where we have gone from a total separist society to one of the most progressive in the world in a very (VERY) short period of time and where the elimination of any form of discrimination is priority nr 1 this ugly system is having its innings and is deviding black and white in exactly that colour :  There are no greys - only black and white - literally and figuratively speaking

This quote sums it up perfectly :

"South Africa is the only country in the world where affirmative action is in the favour of the majority who has complete political control. The fact that the political majority requires affirmative action to protect them against a 9% minority group is testament to a complete failure on their part to build their own wealth making structures, such that their only solution is to take it from others."

Question :  Where on earth did the South African definition of  "Affirmative action" meaning  "employment in relation to the % of the population came from ? 
The actual phrase "affirmative action" was first used in President John F. Kennedy's 1961 Executive Order 10925 which requires federal contractors to "take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin

Afrikanerskap - Is ek of is ek nie ?

Blankes wat Afrikaans praat noem hulle self graag Afrikaners. Dis die eerste "Afrikanerskap" Kriteria.  Ek het geen probleem daarmee nie en in daardie konteks is ek ook 'n "Afrikaner".  Dan begin die mutasies van die definisie:  Politiek kruip in. Rassisme kruip in. Nou het jy 'n "regse Afrikaner" , 'n "boere Afrikaner" ens ens.
Kom ons praat 'n bietjie oor die verlede van die "trotse Afrikaners"  Niemand was nog ooit in hierdie land so volledig onderdruk soos die Afrikaner na die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog nie.
Ons voorouers wat die oorlog en die konsentrasiekampe oorleef het, het na die doodse leegheid van vernietigde plase teruggekeer - uitgehonger, hartseer en verpletter. Maar hulle het nie geroof en gemoor en gesteel nie. Hulle het met harde werk, deursettingsvermoë en swaarkry so presteer dat hulle weldra nie net hulleself nie, maar ook hulle huidige onderdukkers, goed kon versorg.

Kan jy hiermee identifiseer of kan jy identifiseer met die gesiglose "Afrikaners" wat daagliks in die koerante se kommentaar kolomme smerige, neerhalende rassistiese opmerkings maak asof dit enigiets gaan doen aan die uitdagings wat ons in die gesig staar? Diegene wat oenskynlik "oplossings" het wat hulle gladnie weet hoe om te implimenteer nie.

Ek was nou maar net vanoggend lus vir so 'n bietjie keelskoonmaak nadat ek weer so 'n sinnelose rassistiese idiotiese ( byvoeglike naamwoorde kan 'n bladsy vol maak)kommentare na een van Beeld se berigte gelees het.  Lees net 'n bietjie van hierdie kommentare as jy die gees van "Rusbank gesiglose Afrikaners" wil waarneem.

Hierna verwys ek na myself as 'n Suid Afrikaner - Punt !