The name board
V. Subramanian

Working in the inspection department is normally considered monotonous with no scope for laughter and entertainment. But there are moments that are hilarious and relieve stress. Almost ten years ago, an inspection team of a bank from South India was sent to Delhi toinspect a particular branch. The branch was located in a multi-storied commercial complex. There were a few other banks and commercial establishments located on different floors of the building.

After identifying the branch with the help of the name board displayed prominently, the inspection team walked straight into the manager's cabin, and informed him about the inspection.

The manager, a young direct recruit, still new to the systems and procedures of the bank, received the team with nervousness and ushered the team members into the strong room for physical verification of cash. The strong room was filled with currency of all denominations and there was a huge cash balance. The inspection team painstainkingly, counted the entire cash running into several lakhs.

The team leader then called for the cash register to confirm the cash balance. As soon as the team glanced at the cash register it was in for a rude shock. The register contained the name of a different bank. Utterly dismayed, the team leader enquired if it was not the branch of `so and so' bank. The branch manager had the shock of his life and asked if the inspection team was not from his bank.

For a moment, there was a stunned silence everywhere. Then, all of a sudden there was a burst of laughter in realisation of the faux pas committed by the inspection team. Gathering courage, the team leader enquired about their bank's name board being displayed so prominently.

The young manager, visibly shaken by this incident, realised the cause for this comedy of errors. He said that the branch of the bank which the inspection team was supposed to inspect was actually located in the next floor of the same building.

A few days earlier, a gale had brought down the bank's name board and it had fallen exactly at the space provided for their bank. Their bank's name board had been kept inside for repairs.

After hearing the manager's story, there were peals of laughter all around.

(The writer is a senior manager with a bank in Bangalore.)

Source : Business Line Newspaper