One afternoon my girlfriend and I waited at a Bank of China branch for one hour 55 minutes (from 11:40 am to 1:35 pm) to complete a simple transaction. The staff seemed incapable of understanding the basic concept of good banking - or indeed any service-based business - and that is that the customer comes first.

I am a retired Scottish banker working in China, so I think I am qualified to speak about "good banking". Interestingly, apart from my Chinese girlfriend and I, the only other two people who complained were other foreigners, although I could see the frustration on some Chinese faces. Why don't Chinese customers complain? It can't be fear, so it must be the knowledge that nothing will be achieved by it.

The "I just don't care" attitude is an insult to any business. Perhaps that is "normal" in China's banking industry, but I hope that Chinese customers start using their "service" power and force bank employees to adopt a more modern outlook and approach.

Mike Cottrell, via e-mail

Readers' comments are welcome. Please send your e-mail to opinion@chinadaily.com.cn or letters@chinadaily.com.cn or to the individual columnists. China Daily reserves the right to edit all letters. Thank you.

(China Daily 07/25/2011 page9)