From the perspective of an impatient and socially inept Canadian, the main reason for the excruciatingly slow pace of personal banking in China is crystal clear: too much sitting.
You know the drill. As soon as you enter a bank in the misguided belief that your transaction will be completed in a quick and efficient manner, reality kicks you right in the gut.
First, a “greeter” rises from his or her chair to hand you a ticket – like you’re buying bagels at a bakery. The ticket is topped with a service number. Below, in smaller print, it indicates how many customers are ahead of you. That’s when you look around and see them, forlornly perched on rows of molded plastic chairs or uncomfortably low benches.
It looks like the waiting room in a hospital emergency ward.
Every time this scene unfolds, I’m struck by the palpable sense of resignation. Some folks just stare blankly at the screens above the teller cages that flash the next number to be served. Others are transfixed in texting. Sometimes they’re sleeping. Some are reading or engaged in conversation.
But always, they are sitting.
Of course, taking a load off your feet can be a welcome respite on a hectic day, but is it really necessary to perpetuate that pose once your number finally comes up? In Chinese banks, the answer is yes. Not only is the teller comfortably seated, but he or she then gestures for you to plant yourself on the stool on the other side of the glass. It’s like banking at a blackjack table.
The first time I experienced this, I figured maybe the manager would wander over and offer me a cup of tea, or maybe a cookie. There’s never a sense of urgency, and it seems that even the simplest transaction (“Yo! Can you please change these 482 one-yuan notes into real money?”) triggers a mind-numbing sequence of signing and stamping – all from the seated position. The endless repetition distracts you from thinking about the horrible fate awaiting any poor teller who misplaces that little red stamp that seems to miraculously materialize out of thin air.
While the whole let’s-sit-around-and-kill-two-hours mentality of Chinese banking continues to perplex me, it’s nothing compared to the level of frustration I experienced after my debit card was swallowed by an ATM at a hotel in Li Du. While I applaud the bank’s efforts to uphold strict security protocols, being told I might have to wait up to two weeks to access my funds seemed unduly punitive. Why not just cancel the old card and link a new one to the account?
Obviously, the concept of sit-down banking isn’t for everyone, but it has struck a chord in China and no amount of moaning by petulant foreigners is going to change that – nor should it.
I just hope the security guards continue to buck the trend. Some of those guys might get pretty antsy if they were told to take a seat.
Broadcaster:
Greg Fountain is a copy editor and occasional presenter for China Daily. Before moving to Beijing in January, 2016 he worked for newspapers in the Middle East and UK. He has an M.A in Print Journalism from the University of Sheffield, a B.A in English and History from the University of Reading.
如何用英文提出“邀请”
每日一句学英语:实际一点儿吧
实用英语口语:如何用英语聊“近视”
英语情景对话:端午节话端午
三八妇女节英文祝福语荟萃(双语)
每日一句学英语:丢尽了脸
地道英语:Bite your tongue 装哑巴
英语情景对话:没礼貌的
实用情景对话:用英语聊聊戒烟
实用英语小对话:毫不在乎
英语口语:初次约会如何用英语聊电影
英文新年祝福:值得珍藏一整年的短信
情景会话:放学后一块出去吃怎么样?
情景会话:跟足球谈恋爱得了
面试英语口语:找工作 填申请
英语口语:中英夹杂的职场英语你是否也用?
情景会话:在海外度过好玩儿的万圣节
实用英语口语:如何用英语聊压力?
地道英语口语:8种方式表达心情不爽
实用英语情景对话:问路和指路
情景英语对话:铺张浪费与慷慨大方
情景会话:我买的时候沒有注意到瑕疵
每日一句学英语:究竟在干嘛?
实用英语小对话:和朋友聊电影
每日一句学英语:听我说完
英语情景对话:吝啬的,贪婪的
情景会话:你的理想工作是什么?
2011年实用口语练习:你还在犹豫吗?
地道英语口语:如何用英语聊电影
情景会话:可以谈谈工资的问题吗?
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |