Four days after my last blog entry, I'm now announcing that CitySavings Bank Valenzuela Branch is now open! With office hours running from Tuesday to Saturdays (9AM to 5PM), we're nearer to public school teachers of the city and is ready to be of service to their financial needs.
Naks. Lakas maka-marketing!
The bank opened on March 20, 2015, attended by top management people. Tito Lino was there, of course, along with Sir Levi (EVP-Channel Management) and other key personalities in the region like Sir Gary, Sir Roland, Sir Richard, and Mam Mitsy. Although it was quite disappointing that there was just one teacher who came to file a City Savings Bank Salary Loan and the branch doesn't have electricity or water connection, the first day turned out better than the worst. :))
Redemption came in the form of people. I got to bond with my branch staff during the day. It was exciting talking to them, as if we've known each other for so long already. All the cleaning and stuff, it was amazing how I managed to feel at ease with them in an instant. Maybe, this goes only to those who are of my age as I don't think the elders don't like the ugly me that much. LOL.
Anyway, the day ended up with us so tired from the heat and dirt. LOL. But it was worth it. Personally, I think it was an enlightening moment because it made me realize that not all banks are as stiff as what I usually thought they are. CitySavings, along with the people I'm working with, proved to me that there is always an exception to the rule. Cool. ^^
A lot of things happened that day but the best thing was my conversation with Sir Gary.
A little flashback: During my final interview, I was given situations and asked how I'm going to react to it. Coming from a field which accepts no mistake, I openly declared that I'm ready to stand up against anyone who will not comply with the rules. Sir Gary asked me if my mind will still change and I said 'no'. But the moment I stepped into the branch, I knew immediately that I made a mistake with my answer. In the industry of banking in the Philippines, there are rules I'm supposed to follow and people I need to trust. The saying 'obey first before you complain' applies and since then, my conscience bugged me because somehow, I know it gave the people a ridiculous impression on me.
And so when I got to talk to Sir Gary, I decided to free myself of the guilt. I talked to him and asked if he still remembers what he asked of me during interviews and when he said yes, I told him that everything has changed. He smiled at me and said 'that's good!' and his words eased me up big time. He told me encouraging words and I felt I have managed to change something.
And honestly? I'm glad.
It's gonna be a long walk from here forward. But I'm hoping and I'm expecting that good things will happen. This is a new beginning, an interesting step taken, and I can't wait to see what's waiting on the other end of the tunnel. I'm excited.
And I hope that potential clients would entrust us everything. I hope that they would let us into their worlds, their lives; because as mushy as this may sound, CitySavings can help them. CitySavings can really help them. (I'll try to explain this in my next post!)
Because as CitySavings bankers, we fulfill. We adhere. We give simply our best.
