Talking Di Things - My NCB Experience

My experience with NCB began when I took a year off after high school to “find myself,” so to speak. I soon realized that any kind of “finding” that was to take place would require funding and I ended up working full-time for an insurance company in New Kingston. Having only worked summer jobs where I was paid in cash, I was overjoyed when I received my first real paycheque after two weeks. The problem was that I had nowhere to deposit it. A quick co-worker survey revealed that the majority of them banked with NCB and that same Friday afternoon, I followed one of them to the Knutsford Blvd. branch. I explained to a very pleasant staff member at the information desk that I was interested in opening an account with NCB. I left that day with a list of everything I would need to save with NCB. Within two weeks (it took a while to get the job letter) I snuck out of the office at 10 am to avoid the lunch rush, all documentation in hand to open a new account. I left NCB that day the proud owner of a savings account and my first debit card. With the great staff at NCB, it only took me half an hour. My boss didn’t even realize I was gone.

Since then my account at NCB has grown with me. After university, came the whole notion of paying bills. I was so relieved when I was able to conveniently pay all of these every month using Internet Banking.

In-branch customer service is fast and pleasant; and I would love to see this customer focus matched and even surpassed by further utilizing online social media and networks. The Facebook presence is already excellent, and I enjoy the status updates and photos from all the events that they sponsor and participate in. At the same time, I see even greater potential for increased online presence with the “My NCB” section of the new website. I would recommend that a “My NCB Forum” be setup where customers can interact with each other, as well as NCB staff who would act as moderators. The forum would be an ideal way to build customer relationships, and to make us aware of new products and promotions as well as get honest feedback on service. Being a member of the My NCB forum could also have added benefits: giveaways, hearing about new products and services first, and I certainly wouldn’t mind a few discounts or special forum member loan interest rates!

When the new website launched in 2010, I was happy to see that it incorporated a customer feedback form. Congrats (and thanks) to NCB for including this feature. It really does make us feel as though our opinions are appreciated.

I’ve been banking with NCB for a long time, and I think 2011 is the year of the credit card. I’ll be filling out the online application form very soon.



See you soon NCB!

NCB is having a blogging contest

NCB TALK Di THINGS Blogging Contest is ON!.
Resurrected jamaicalinx to enter.
Wish me luck!

Put in my place

Working in the middle of Half Way Tree is a treat.

There's traffic to get to work, harassment on the road when I walk to get lunch and the pedestrian masses to deal with when driving home.
Yesterday I have to say I was properly put in my place while driving and it’s not in the way you would expect.

I was turning out of my office. The road was clear when I looked so I moved off. Lo and behold a bus comes tearing around the corner and starts honking at me to get out of his way. What was I supposed to do? Reverse? I sped up and managed to not be written off by this driver but with my luck being what it is, the traffic light just had to be red.

I look over to see the driver in the lane beside me cursing me. My windows were up so it was muffled, but from the gestures I got the message that he was a tad upset. Not to be rude (okay, maybe just a little) I took out my phone to Blackberry message someone about my near death experience. This light takes forever and I had a good 3 minutes to text.

Much to my surprise, the shouting to my left increased to the point where I could clearly hear the driver's ratings. The gist of it was "You think you better than people and only you alone have nice phone, watch this" and proceeds to pull out his brand new Blackberry STORM 9500. My poor curve couldn't hold a candle.
What else could I do but laugh? I cracked up right there on Half Way Tree Road with a line of traffic behind me as the light turned green and the driver, still "gesturing" drove off.

Driver, I doubt you're ever going to read this, but if you do just know you made my day.

Just in case you ignored that little insert Jamaica Information Service publishes every month in the Observer, let me help out by summarizing a few key points for you.
I present; your budget in a nut shell:
$1.05 Billion to be used by the Jamaica Social Initiative Fund (JSIF) to provide social services "to implement infrastructure development projects and provide basic social services in a number of communities ?
$79.3 million to sustain production of high quality marine resources to strengthening fishers' organizations ?
$1.2 Billion for the Montego Bay convention Centre
$55 million for Poverty Reduction Programme
$576 million allocated to Ministry of Health efforts to enhance Universal access to treatment and preventative measures for persons with HIV and AIDS
$964 million to Citizens Security and Justice Project
$24.7 Million for Hazard Management in Coastal Areas
$379 million to Office of the Cabinets Public Sector Modernization Programme II (anyone else wonder what happened to programme I?)
$34 million to Ministry of Foreign affairs for customized office facilities to accommodate staff, meetings and conferences with diplomatic and other visitors (seriously?)
$268 million to Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries for the Forestry and Wildlife Programme
$120 million from World bank into phase II of Reform Secondary education Project (ROSE) (creative, no?)

I can’t even add that up... But there it is; that’s where the government's money is going this year.

Now I know the Health programmes are extremely important given the AIDS epidemic and I whole heartedly support their funding. But a lot of the other social initiatives I’m not too sure about given Jamaica's situation.
If there isn't a turnaround in the economy, there will be even fewer jobs, if there are fewer jobs there will be more people who turn to crime as a means to survive. And when that happens, who will care what the Jamaica Social Investment Fund is doing to end Poverty? When the communities they need to enter have turned into war zones and become inaccessible. Doesn't the GOJ see that there would be less need for "Citizens Security" if there were more opportunity for its people?
The government really needs to rethink the economic before it tries invests so much in the social. I KNOW it’s necessary but the figures are just too much for me to wrap my mind around.
At this rate we'll have a generation new generation of beggars who speak the queens English.

When being denied is a good thing - Credit

It was actually a relief today to see “declined” on a recent credit card application. I don't really need one but I have to say the thought was appealing. After the initial depression and general self loathing, “why me-ing” and cursing the skies for the 4 hours of my life (2 hours to fill out the application online and 2 hours to get it signed at the bank) I realized that denial was actually a good thing. It literally meant that I am terrible at managing debt; in other words I'm not IN debt to begin with.

A great way to get approved for a new credit card is to have an existing credit card, loans to be repaid or a mortgage. (I will not even get into the hell that is higher purchase, the banks LOVE that one)You know, general owing of money, to be paid back in increments.

Simply put:
Existing debt.

So what happens to the people (myself included) who genuinely need a way to buy things in between paycheques, knowing they don't live above their means and are just seriously (saving as we all need to be doing right now) and can and will pay their balances in full at the end of the month to avoid the death trap that is interest? Or those who (god forbid) want to catch up to the rest of the modern world and say... by something online? Or just the people who are tired of waiting for cash in had at the end of the month when EVERYONE ELSE has cash too and you can't find a parking spot at the supermarket? They get denied, because they're bad at managing their debt.

Jamaica, don't let anyone fool you, having a credit card / good credit just means you are excellent at managing your debt. It means you're really good at owing a lot of people a lot of money then paying them more money than you owe at a later date. (Sort of like Jamaica, who has never defaulted on a loan, even in the midst of a recession, we will pay the IMF and the World Bank so help us GAS TAX!)

p.s

You probably shouldn't apply for a credit card if you have done or do more than 3 of the following:

Have no job (apparently this one is not as obvious as you might think)
Used one credit to pay off another credit card
Been denied for a credit card more than 3 times (they're obviously trying to tell you something, take a hint)
Have the “as rent pay money done” syndrome
Like to party (yes I'm serious)
Surf online sites lusting after items you cant afford more than three times per week
Currently owe your mother, your best friend and your second cousin (or any combination of 3 friends or family members) money

Disclaimer:

This is in no way financial advice, if you screw up your credit, its on you.

Blackberry ... Oh Blackberry

In a recent article published by the Jamaica Gleaner, the author warns of the top 5 addictions parents should be wary of when it comes to their children. Drugs and alcohol were included of course. Then they started to push it a little. I mean... video games? come on! And the greatest evil of them all:

Blackberry smart phones.

The nations children, addicted to a phone. Lets consi... excuse me I've just got see who pinged

Sorry blackberry message

Now as I was saying, the CHILDREN are addicted to blackberries.

Yes our children are barely having a conversation in public because their heads are hung low, hands seemingly together in prayer holding a $30 - $50 thousand dollar phone. Or walking down the supermarket isle trying to ... 'scuse me again.


My apologies facebook alert.

Where was I? ah, yes supermarket. Those children determined to make the headline news with the title "Manslaughter by Supermarket Trolly" because they won’t look up for a moment to see that there are other people in the isles ACTUALLY trying to shop!

Or worse ... Hold on a minute... Text

Sorry

Or worse, trying to type an entry on a blog but can't even get it done bec...

Geez… okay
E-mail came in from work, so sorry the reply will only take 2 minutes

Right.

Because the phone alerts you to everything that could possibly be happening to everyone, in every way, in all aspects of their lives.


Yeah Jamaica, our children are really addicted to Blackberry

Sexual Harassment

In addition to random information on the things wrong with the wonderful island of Jamaica, this blog will promote a more positive side to things and look at the issues facing Women locally and internationally.

First on the agenda: Sexual Harassment

Most Jamaican women and quite a few men have been sexually harassed. Surprisingly, not many Jamaicans know what exactly sexual harassment is. By nature, we are a very "touchy-feeley" society and most everyday social interactions actions are not sexual harassment. What the public is concerned with now is the problem of sexual harassment in the workplace.
Fact of the matter is, most men don't think there is anything wrong with pictures of half naked women in their cubicles, sending pornographic material in e-mails or being just a little too physical with a co-worker.

I feel that the best way for men Jamaican men to understand sexual harassment is to consider the following:

How would you like it if one day a woman came into the office and put up a picture of a man sitting at his computer working... nothing wrong with that right?

Behind this man however are two huge gorgeous male Adonis' buck naked holding their erect members.

Offended yet gentlemen?

You really didn’t ask to see that did you? Bet you'd find it pretty offensive too. Probably did not want that AT ALL.

The official definition of Sexual Harassment is "unwelcome sexual advance, requests for sexual favours, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, when submission to or rejection of this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment, unreasonable interferes with an individual's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment"

Simply put; if its sexual, and it makes you uncomfortable i.e. you don't consent to it, its sexual harassment. Key words here are UNWANTED and UNWELCOME

Sadly in Jamaica, there are no laws against sexual harassment. It's up to individual companies to provide their own polices to regulate employees.

The good news is that a policy has been drafted !

That’s right, sexual harassment is going to be illegal (thank whoever you pray to) and will be made legislation by next year.

So be careful what you say to the co-workers okay?

Gentlemen, make sure that the feelings are mutual before you cross a line that might land you in some trouble very soon.

That goes for you too ladies, this goes both ways.