MY BANK HAS TIME FOR ME

Last week, a friend posted on his Facebook wall on why he was giving that particular Bank a thumbs up. He expressed how he had moved from one bank to the other for various reason and as to how come he had to settle with this current and particular branch he was applauding.

Scrolling down on my Facebook timeline, I saw his post and immediately I got identified with what he had posted just because I also saved with that particular bank. Usually, I wouldn’t have read through that quite a long post but for this I decided to read till the last word.

In one of the paragraphs, he mentioned something with reference to the bank assigning him a relationship manager on standby should any issue relating to his account come up. This paragraph drew my mind back to an email I also received from this same bank sharing contact details of who my relationship managers were with specific details to the branch I was having my account with.

I applied for a renewal of my visa international card which had expired some months back and I was called it had been done so I needed to come pick it up. I ask if the card could be sent to my current location since I had relocated to a new city. It was agreed on and in a couple of days it arrived at the branch I asked it be sent to. Card was pick and necessary documentations were done and was alerted that I could activate and use my card after thirty minutes.

Later that weekend I had to make a trip down south for an important engagement. Knowing I had the card activated, and of course cash in my account balance, I wasn’t bothered because I knew I could fall on my card should the need arose for any withdrawal on my account. Now to the moment of truth, it was at one point in one of my hangouts, I decided to go withdraw some cash to hold on to and some for my return back to base. My first two attempts proved futile. Disappointment was written all over my face but I had no option than to just put my card in my pocket and head home straight.

The next day was a Sunday and had to go to church. I woke up and made preparations and off I was on my way to church. All along I still had some cash on me that could take me through the day. My only worry was what was going to take me back to base and as usual on the road chop buying. I then remembered with reference to my friend’s post that, I had received an email a few weeks back from my bank introducing to me some contact details of my branch’s relationship manager and some other branches. I took out my phone, went straight into my mail, scrolled through and voila, I found that email. Quite sceptic as I was then, I decided to test the system.

I picked the number specific to my branch and called one of the numbers. And oh yes on a Sunday afternoon. The call went through, ringed a few times and it was picked. This relationship manager sold some quality phone etiquette and desire to hear me out. One question after the other, I was been briefed what the problem could be, this relationship manager of a person, took me through various steps in trying to help me out. Unluckily for both of us, it wasn’t working so my bank details and other details were taken. I was asked to be given a few minutes and I was assured I was going to be sorted out whatever the problem. I agreed and held on patiently.

Then the call came, “hello Kofi, I think we have identified the problem and our card unit has fixed it and you can go ahead to use your card. Sorry for any inconvenience this might have caused you”. I was overly impressed and actually really appreciated the time and effort I was provided and to think it was a Sunday and everything was left behind for my ’little’ problem to be solved, is what amazed me.

Well I am sure you’ll be wondering or as well yearning to know which bank I am talking about, don’t worry, I am about telling you. It is GUARANTY TRUST BANK affectionately known as GT Bank. This bank over the period I have had an account with, has always tried to be innovative to be ahead of the park and for some of these little things, I applaud them. Maybe you might want to join them and as well patronize their services. No wonder why I won’t hesitate to ask that question, ‘WHY WONT YOU RATHER BANK WITH THEM?’

When your First Yawa Stares You in the Face

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I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter.

I am sure you will be wondering what will be coming up in this post especially if you have visited my blog on the previous posts, we'll this time might be a little different. In as much as I will always want to chip in some food for thought or motivation here and there, I also have some real life issues that trust me, some of you readers share. Well I don't mind putting mine here so those of you who relate to it can have some laugh if not more of some sort. At least ahiaa is life as we say it Ghana.

It was a fine Friday evening to fast forward it. The early hours of the day went perfect and even had some free banku lunch sponsoring spree from a colleague. I decided not to go out that evening despite the numerous calls from my folks to get out and chill small.

Clouds and Sun

As a social media enthusiast, I participated in a debate online, to be specific a twitter debate, hmm the topic was on sex education and it's implication on society as well as its perception among the various age limits. It was a fruitful one with people sharing various information and sentiments on the subject matter. I really learnt a lot and even had a banter with one of the participant on something that we both didn't agree on. There were a few exchanges on what one thought was the case and others thinking otherwise. All in all it was a good session which ended in some folks with the fastest fingers and connectivity winning some airtime credits.

So I organized my playlist of tunes I will be enjoying at home as I had decided not to step out on that TGIF evening, stepped put to the convenience store nearby to grab some fruit juice to chill out the night all by myself. The fun started for me and I was really getting into the groove to enjoy my alone time at home, and BOOM ( As my personal favorite Piers Morgan of Arsenal) would express anytime his team got a goal in the EPL, the Electricity Company of Ghana did their thing. Dumsor was here in my face, my lights were taken off. The whole neighborhood was shrouded in darkness. To some extent I was so pissed, I made some comments that trust me cant be shared here, if you want to know the few I said, link up with me some where at the corner so I tell you...lol! 

After waiting in the dark room hoping the lights would be brought back, as the minutes ticked, all hope of it been restored proved futile, hence an action for the non-Friday outgoing man stucked at home to take a decision and act on it fast. With less options at my disposal, i concluded in going out then. I then dressed up, took my cards to make some withdrawals when I hit town fully and spotted an ATM. And that was the beginning of more misery for me on that night.

I then stepped out at about 8:30pm, the exact location I had no idea. Jumping into a taxi, I concluded in going to the N'Joy Hotel to trill myself to some cocktail and salad meal as I enjoyed their wifi services to kill the time. They have some good meals there trust me. They are located in Sakumono near the popular Fridays entertainment center and the Sakumono Community Clinic.

Luckily for me, some few steps to the hotel, I spotted my mother bank's ATM. I hurriedly approached it to cash some money.

SkyLine- Accra Ghana

Now the moment of truth beckons. I started the process by keying in my pin and it was verified for me to proceed to the next step. Since I had a fair idea of how much my current balance on the account was, I straight away proceeded to press the Withdrawal button. The machine then asked me to key in the amount I wanted to withdraw. After going through all the 'wahala'(trouble), hoping to see cash come out of the till, BAM.....in my face was the notification on the screen of the ATM, "Sorry your card has Expired, kindly contact any XXX bank branch or the nearest branch available to apply for a new one".

Immediately, my heart stopped beating for a second, disappointment drew all over my face at once. Thereafter I started to ask myself so many questions, like how come I never checked when my card was to expire, but at least the bank should have also sent me a notification about my card's expiration date, so if I had taken a lady out, was that going to be my disgrace and a whole lot more that I will have to pull breaks on.

So with that much disappointment, I gathered myself briefly, then decided to go home like that, luckily I had transportation money that could take me back to my house. After a while I got over it though and now started teasing myself as I walked on the short path to my house that became a very long one all by myself.

Well, it thought me some lessons, that has been recorded in memory because trust me I will not want this to happen a second time. I might not be that second time lucky to even have transportation back home.

This has been my recount of the very Fisrt YAWA of the year 2014 for me. Hope you had fun reading. As always, thanks for stopping by my blog.

YAWA- can be refered to a misfortune....it's a slang used in Ghana.

ATM.....trust me everyone of you reading knows what it is and means.