Tough times never last, tough people do: PNB chief

Punjab National Bank Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Sunil Mehta had sent out a motivational c om muniqué on February 19 to all employees asking them to handle apprehensive customers courteously and address their requests grace fully. The letter came days after the 127-billions camwas detected .“I understand that some of our customers maybe experiencing bit of anxiety at this moment. Let us be sensitive to their feelings and assure them that our bank will fully justify the trust re posed and live to its tag line‘ The name you can bank upon !’”

Days after the ~127-billion scam hit Punjab National Bank (PNB), its managing director and chief executive Sunil Mehta ( pictured) sent a motivational letter to employees asking them to handle apprehensive customers courteously.

“I understand that some of our customers banking with us may be experiencing bit of anxiety at this moment. Let us be sensitive to their feelings and assure them that our bank will fully justify the trust reposed and live to its tagline ‘the name you can bank upon!’” Mehta said in a letter dated February 19.

The chief reminded the employees about how the bank, set up in 1894, steered through tough times, including two world wars, the great depression in 1930 and India-Pakistan partition in 1947. He said during the partition, PNB had paid back deposit of customers even without receipts.

“It is pertinent to mention here that all customers be attended with smile and courtesy as usual. If any customer requests for withdrawal of the deposit in the context of the present development, let us assure him about the strength of our great institution,” Mehta said. He said if any customer still insists on closing an account, the request should be met “gracefully to maintain our age-old reputation as a customer-friendly bank”.

“At this moment, when the entire world is watching us, let us unitedly provide strong positive response and word of reassurance to all the stakeholders. Remember, tough times never last but tough people do,” Mehta said.

He said the bank has the power of 5Cs — one of the highest current account savings account share, stable credit quality, robust credit growth, adequate capital and low cost-to-income ratio. He said the government has shown its support to the bank by allocating ~54.7 billion under its recapitalisation plan to fund its growth.

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