After three decades in her present job, Rumpa Vichienwan is someone her staff know they can always bank upon. As manager of Bangkok Bank’s Sunthorn Kosa Road branch, she believes in being a hands-on boss and can often be seen assisting tellers manning the public counter whenever she can spare time from her own busy schedule.
"Banking is, in many respects, a service industry, so first impressions are often lasting ones," Rumpa observed. "Despite the number of years that have elapsed and the various positions that I have held, my passion to offer the best service to each customer has not wavered; on the contrary, I would say that it has actually increased.
"Being a role model for staff is a duty I take seriously. I do my best to instill in them the need to make the customer feel right at home the moment he or she enters the bank. When I evaluate people for promotion purposes, I often give high marks to individuals who have a natural talent for being service minded or those who put in the effort necessary to be so.
"While the financial stability of a bank is a big factor in a person’s decision to open an account there, he or she is more inclined to settle on a bank which also has service-minded staff. It is vital to make a depositor opening a checking account with us feel welcome and important even though the amount he’s lodging may be relatively small. I always tell my subordinates not to judge a book by its cover."
When a bank renders a sincere service to its customers, they will reciprocate by remaining loyal to it. Rumpa said she’s been taking care of the accounts of several generations of certain families, which she thinks of as a great honour. She has learned from experience that being sincere and accurate in one’s dealings are qualities customers hold in high esteem.
Now 55, Rumpa has fond memories of her early years in the job. Almost all the adults in her family worked in financial institutions and it was a career path she believed promised financial security. It was also considered a hip profession back then for young people starting out in life. Having so many friends and relatives in the banking sector made her feel confident that that she would have a willing ear to listen to any problems she might encounter.
To acquire a solid grounding in what makes banks tick , Rumpa got herself a bachelor’s degree from Ramkhamhaeng University, majoring in Money and Banking. Apart from being a people person, she said she was also highly motivated and inquisitive. She began her career at Bangkok Bank as a teller operator at the Urupong branch. Four years in that post taught her how to deal with all sorts of customers, gaining a better understanding of their businesses shed further light on how to proffer them a better service, she said.
Always eager to broaden her horizons, the vivacious young woman then successfully applied for an opening in the loans department. Here she gained much insight into the giving judicious credit to facilitate the growth of budding business ventures. Some of the start-up companies that she rendered services to back then fondly recall her kindness to this day. Personal qualities such as being goal-oriented and eager to learn new skills worked to Rumpa’s benefit as she slowly and steadily rose through the ranks, becoming head of the Sunthorn Kosa branch a year ago, after filling similar responsibilities at the firm’s Bang Yai and Rangsit branches.
There is always something to learn in even the most mundane of occupations, she said, but what is of greater importance is that employees learn to think out of the box. As a teller, she often questioned where the money that was being deposited, withdrawn or transferred was actually going. Through this process, one gradually understands how banks earn their money, she said.
Rumpa said there are times in a banker’s life when one has to listen to one’s gut instincts and lend a helping hand when a need arises. She recalled one occasion when an old client was having problems getting a cheque of his cleared on a day he needed to pay a supplier. After determining that the client had enough cash in his account and that the problem had to do with the issuing of the cheque, Rumpa took it upon herself to reassure the supplier by phoning him to explain the situation. Even though it was not her duty to do so, she said, she was glad to help.
Rumpa seems to have done very well for herself in what is still a very male-dominated profession. She has clearly proved her worth through her work. If staff show promise, management are there to support you up the career ladder, she said with conviction.
As to comment on next year’s launch of the Asean Economic Community (AEC), when regional economies will become more integrated, Rumpa said that in her opinion it is a step forwards. "We are living in exciting times.The AEC promises to transform Asean into a region with free movement of a number of services including a freer flow of capital and investment. I do believe that that should work towards making banks into stronger institutions," she said before excusing herself to assist a subordinate who seemed to be overwhelmed by a long queue of customers waiting to apply for ATM cards.
