SMS Alert at 03:57 AM - Customer Service at Banks

Bank -1: There was a time when a telegram came home, elders would get jittery. The worry was it invariably carried urgent, negative news!!

These days we don't get negative news often, as most of news is negative! Plus, telegram is no longer the vehicle to carry any urgent, negative information. It could be a call or a text message, on the cell-phone.

The world goes to bed on a Sunday (late) evening, fearful to sceptic of 'the week ahead, at work'. This may change in a place such as Middle East, where the equivalent of Monday morning is actually Sunday morning, being the first day of their working week!!

(A friend in India even sent an Urdu couplet on the pain of Monday morning, few hours back)

So, for me the feeling 'I need not rush to work on a Monday-morning' is almost blissful! (Living my dream.... !) Hence it is of great importance that I 'dictate' the schedule for Monday :) Super-luxury, is it not?!

Against this background, I was rudely woken up from deep sleep at 03:57 hrs., this morning by a SMS alert!!! It had the effect my ancestors would have had when post-man walked in with a telegram! So got up to check the 'bad news’!!!

The news or the message was, 'Dear customer, as per RBI mandate from 1-Dec-2013, for shopping with Debit cards at retail outlets, use your ATM PIN. For details, visit, (bank website)'. 

4 AM is 'brahma muhurtam', when the spiritual aspirant would go spiritually deeper... I had no choice but to relaxed, and not angry... 

May be RBI should inform the banks not to bother customers @ 'brahma muhoortams' also, please!!

I have my accounts with 'top' two private banks in India!! Can't say the same about their customer service. 

Bank -2: The other leading private sector bank sent a text message, yesterday afternoon- 'Alert from XXXX Bank. Next EMI of Rs XXX on your loan account ### due on 05 Dec-13. Solicit your cooperation for payment on due date'. 

To avoid all the soft collection hassles, I had given standing instructions. Can I ever be more cooperative?  

And, in both the banks (top 2 private banks in India), I am their top-tier banking customer ! Even if you are a good customer with the bank, no guarantee of peace :)