Today’s subject is psychology at work.The subject can be understood better if I describe something which happened years back when I was working in the documentary credits department of a commercial bank in Cyprus.Among the many clients which we had at the bank there was somebody who was one of the best clients. This person was very strict and demanding. Most of my colleagues in my department were terrified when this client approached them for some banking transaction he wanted, because in most of the cases he would not be satisfied with the service he had from them with a result of an unpleasant situation, where my colleagues would be reported to management, although they did their best to serve the client.

This client came to me to serve him one day, and after that he preferred me for his banking business. He was always very pleased with the service I offered him, and if I was busy when he came, he was happy to wait for me to finish and take care of his banking business. When he visited the bank for some work, and it happened for me to be off work, he asked when I should be back and he came again later so I shall be at the office and serve him.

My colleagues were wondering what I have done to this man and he was so good with me, but with nobody else at the bank. In the end I disclosed to them my secret. In fact it was not a secret it was very simple:

This man had some psychological problems because his wife had been killed in a road accident, and what he actually needed was a piece of attention immediately he entered the bank. Just a few words like welcome my friend, or even welcome my crazy friend… You could tell him anything, it was enough for him to show him a little bit of attention, and he was calm and did his business in a decent way, he thanked and left.

When I explained to my colleagues the above, initially they did not believe me that the whole story was so simple. But after a little bit of consideration they accepted that what I told them was a fact…

This is psychology….

 

ANDREAS KAKOFENGITIS is Chief Executive of Bestservus Group, a qualified accountant and banker with long experience in the financial sector in Cyprus, England and Romania. He is also a humorous guy with a lot of stories to share.