Another Bank

I still have to arrange a bank account. I decided on a small foreign capital bank.

I just walked to the counter, (by the way everybody speaks English in the branch) and told them that I want to open an account through which I can transfer money to abroad and receive money from abroad. They did it in 10 minutes, also offered me a free ATM card (:). Two hours later I transferred money to my account and one day later I used the money.

This is happening in the same country in which I had a real experience with another foreign bank. So the problem is not in the laws and regulations of the country or central bank’s regulations. It is just in the system of management, one is customer oriented, the other is almost ANTI-CUSTOMER.

I will suggest this bank to everybody.

A restaurant in Ostrog

Nice atmosphere, authentic decoration, good food, big portions and most important GOOD SERVICE. Waiters are attentive, smiling, speaking English and very patient when you are trying to choose what to order.

And with the bill they give you small gift, a small replica of the Ostrog Monastery. That is good customer care.

Shall I go back? Of course, whenever I go to Ostrog it is my restaurant, and I will also tell my friends about it.

You take good care of your customer, your customer will take care of you.

Hotel in Budva

I am in a hotel in Budva. Nice and comfortable hotel. I just wanted to spend the Saturday night, due to the low season prices are good too, only 19E per night. Saturday night was nice, I slept well. Before going to bed I broke an ashtray by mistake. The very same ashtray that I bought for 1E per 2 the day before from a supermarket. I got up early, went out for a cup of coffee and returned back to meet my friends.

I asked for the bill, the receptionist gave me the bill, wow what is that, extra 10E for the damages. Damages is the broken 50c. ashtray.

That destroys the whole weekend.

Shall I ever go to that hotel again? Of course not, and I will tell this story to everyone who thinks going to that hotel.

LOST CUSTOMER

COFFEE SHOP on the panoramic road between Cetinje and Kotor

The mountain road between Kotor and Cetinje is one of the most scenic roads that I have seen. Unfortunately the road is very narrow and curvy, very tiresome drive. There aren’t many places to rest on the road except that lovely coffee shop almost in the midway which is operating since 1881.

Great service, the old man serving good coffee speaks English and most important, one of the cleanest bathrooms that I have seen, far beyond the bathrooms of many famous coffee shops in Podgorica.

Don’t forget; Bathrooms are important part of customer service. They should be clean, well-lit, soap, paper towels etc., should always be available, and must frequently be inspected.

I will go back to this coffee shop and will recommend it to everybody.

Montenegro

Beautiful country, great coast, great mountains, nice people. One of the major incomes of the country is based on tourism, to develop tourism, Montenegro invested a fortune to CNN ads, expected number of tourists this year is 1.1. million, almost double of its population. Montenegro is inviting people (customers) to the country “but” forgetting some basic rules.

I am approaching to this matter purely on management and marketing point of view, through my experience.

Before coming to Montenegro I was living in Romania and I have a lot of friends in Romania as well as in my country, Turkey. They all want to visit Montenegro after hearing the things I tell them and seeing the beautiful pictures I sent to them.

Yes, they want to come, but how? They need a visa, since Montenegro is the youngest republic in our world, there aren’t Embassies yet. As a matter of fact I do not think that it would be feasible to open embassies in 193 countries when I consider the costs.

So, how are those people whom we invited through advertising on which we spent a lot of money, will be able to come either as a tourist to spend money or as a businessman who will invest?

OK, the ones I know get their visas because the ministry is very cooperative, but what about the ones who does not know anybody in the country?

A friend of mine for whom I got a visa that should be given in the airport, arrived a few days ago. Since the custom’s officer in the airport did not have receipts for the payments we had to go to a Bank which is 2 km away the airport but unfortunately the bank was closing after 14:00h. So, we went back, explained the situation and a very helpful officer said that if we paid him the amount he would deposit it to the bank. THIS IS WHAT IS CALLED A GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE. (By the way I am sure that it was done because my friend collected the receipt from the office on the way out.)

Please, be careful, Montenegro is loosing customers and do not forget, one unhappy customer tells his experience to 10 potential customers. Also, to gain back a lost customer costs seven times more compared to gain a new customer.

My suggestion would be to issue visas at the entry point by the immigration officers who are properly equipped and informed.

Banks are service companies and biggest retailers

I have moved to Montenegro on January 15, 2007.

As an expat one of the first things you do is to have an account in a bank, and you generally go to an international bank assuming that you get good service and can do international transactions easily. So I have chosen the bank with this big name, and following is the story.

4th week of January I go to the bank and ask them to have an account through which I can have a debit card to use the ATMs and make international transfers. But the answer was, no, it is ILLEGAL here to have debit cards for foreigners??? Illegal????? Yes because some foreigners had misused the system, so NO. Well then it is not illegal, it is a bank policy, YES. OK then forget about my account, but my secretary told this guy that I was the manager of so and so company etc., and he said he would ask to his boss. I wonder what would have happened if I asked for a CREDIT CARD, I do not even want to think of it. But the boss was not available so he said he would call us later in the day.

I got a call a week later and was informed that I could get a card. Wowwww what an honor I could get a card but I had to go to the bank again to have another account. OK I go. I will get my card soon they say, today February 22nd and still no card. OK I wait.

I need to transfer some money to abroad, so I go to the bank again with my secretary (by the way no body speaks English in the branch) I deposit the amount (waiting in the line for about 15 minutes), I tell them I need to make a transfer, NO! Why? I need another account??? “Give my money back and call the manager”, is my response. The lady in the counter had almost throw the money to my face, a very bitter face and tone, I did not understand what she was saying but I was sure that she wasn’t pleased.

A young lady comes claiming that she is the boss, I try to explain the situation, she checks my account, YES I have the necessary second account that I can make the transfer, OK let’s do it. No you have to come at 12:45 (it was 11:50), why? “Because the person in charge is in vacation”. So now I will go there again because I have to make this transfer.

This is how I am treated in the world where everybody is looking for customers, and who is making the money? Me? No, the bank. This was a much unexpected situation under such a big international name.
13:15 – I was in the bank at 12:45 and mission of transferring money has been accomplished. Poor lady, probably she never saw a customer like me and apologizing all the time and I tried to explain her that I wasn’t against her and it wasn’t personal, it was just the SYSTEM.”

And you think that the story ended here, no way.

My salary was deposited to the bank and in order to get the money I had to open a 3rd account. The reason is not clear to me, but tired of all this, I did. I also had my debit card. How lucky I am.

When they asked 35 Euros for the debit card I was DONE.

I just left every document they gave me, account cards, debit card and the rest and asked my money back.

Banks are service companies, they must make the life of the customer easy, in many cases service is more important then the cost.

People working in the front line, cashiers, tellers are the most important people since they have the first hand contact with the customer, they must be trained very good and they must represent the vision of their company. These are the people that are representing and labeling the company.

I will not go to this bank again and I will not suggest it to anyone.