User Shares Pic Of SBI's Empty Branch In Working Hours, SBI Expresses Apologies, Netizens Question Service Quality

Lalit Solanki, a CA based out of Rajasthan, expressed his ire via a post on X on May 30 and shared a now deleted picture of a branch of SBI with no staff present in the premises

SBI expressed apologies for the matter, however, the lender urged the user to remove the photo as it went against the norms to conduct photography inside the bank premises ( Image Source :Getty )

Public banks don’t enjoy a good reputation for their services. While the state-run lenders have been actively trying to revamp themselves and gain the public’s trust, a recent post by a user in Rajasthan showed that the banks have yet to go a long way in truly improving the experience for customers. 

Lalit Solanki, a Chartered Accountant, based out of Pali, Rajasthan, expressed his ire via a post on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) on May 30 and shared a picture of a branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) with no staff present in the premises. The user’s photo (now deleted) showed empty chairs inside the bank.

It was 3 PM, and the whole staff was on lunch.

Irony, on one side #SBI says we don't have any lunch break and the whole staff was on lunch collectively.

Dear @TheOfficialSBI , even the world can get changed completely but your services can't.

— Lalit Solanki (@lalitmali03) May 31, 2024

Solanki in his post explained, "It was 3pm, and the whole staff was on lunch. Irony, on one side #SBI says we don't have any lunch break and the whole staff was on lunch collectively. Dear @TheOfficialSBI, even the world can get changed completely but your services can't."

Responding to his post, SBI expressed apologies for the matter, however, the lender urged the user to remove the photo as it went against the norms to conduct photography inside the bank premises. “We regret the inconvenience caused to you. However, please note that photography/ videography inside branch premises is prohibited due to security reasons. You may be held accountable if these are misused. Therefore, we recommend you to remove these from the social media sites,” the bank said.

We regret the inconvenience caused to you. However, please note that photography/ videography inside branch premises is prohibited due to security reasons. You may be held accountable if these are misused. Therefore, we recommend you to remove these from the social media sites

— State Bank of India (@TheOfficialSBI) May 30, 2024

However, as the post went viral, Solanki removed the post. He later tweeted, "No one have problem lunch. Problem is with work culture, jab marji to tab lunch break chalte hai. SBI have rule, there is no lunch break, instead employee should take lunch break in rotational basis so there is no impact on service, but nhi sabhi ko ek sath jana hai."

Netizens commented on the posts and questioned the service quality of the bank. One user wrote, "Irresponsible staff. Pathetic service from SBI try to improve your services."