London Spectade
National
National
SOUND-BITES
SOUND-BITES
6 International
Kees - computer department:
Jan - credit control
Hans - documentary payments
department, Rotterdam
Bart - off-balance administration
Timo - Rotterdam office
Robert - payments info service
Karin - money markets back
office
Eric - payments info service
Carolina - corporale relations
Johan - financial markets
Ton - production help desk
'There's been no expense spared
to get the message across and
that gives me a bit of an odd feel-
ing. We've just been through a
whole reoganization and every-
one is talking about cutting costs
all the time, so it seems strange to
have an event like this at this
time...'
'This is pretty unique. I thought
it was going to be about the
Strategie Action Plan, but this is
great...'
'1 think the general attitude in the
bank was anything but client-
oriented, and those people who
were tended to leave because
their approach didn't fit. Now we
really need people like that. I'm
optimistic - partly because I
work in Rotterdam and we have
a very clear cliënt focus anyway-
but I also think it will be hard to
change mentalities, especially of
older people...'
'The rumour was CBS was going
to become a separate entity with-
in the group. That would be great
because then we could really
position ourselves as wholesale
bank in the market...'
'The music was great...'
ISSUE 34/17 OCTOBER 1994
Simon Jones House-style designer does the business
The London branch clearly put a lot of work into making the
presentation a hit. GM Gijs van der Schrieck opened the show
with a hint of what was to come before Jones talked staff
through the step-by-step process of designing a new house-
style. Says Pamela Green: 'When you hear what goes into de-
veloping something of this kind, it really comes alive. Per-
sonally, I always liked the existing logo and I think people
must have been wondering why we're changing. After Simon
Jones' presentation, we all understand it and we'd be able to
explain it to any cliënt who asked.'
It had been decided to split the video film specially made for
the foreign offices into three sections. The first part on pos-
itioning rounded off Jones' talk on the new visual client-
orientation and quality focus and led neaüy into Bob Cooper's
presentation of a client's needs and expectations. F&A chief
Ab Gillhaus had been volunteered to explain his require-
ments as 'internal cliënt' and he put his message across with
a lot of humour, getting a real laugh when he admitted the
Dutch way isn't always the best for everyone: 'English people
tend to qualify as rude what we call an "honest and clear
attitude, based on mutual respect". But the English way, the
sophisticated, maybe better way, will do nicely, thank you.'
Real gratitude was also on the agenda for security supervisor
John Clarke. He was the recipiënt of a new Client Service
Award inaugurated to mark the start of the branch's quality
drive. His nomination had been unanimous and he was 'sur-
prised, but delighted' to have made such an impact on his
'clients' throughout the building. Rik van Slingelandt's film-
ed talk took staff into the signing of mission statements -
people from each floor of the building endorsed the pos
ters, which will be framed and hung as a constant reminder
of what the bank wants to be.
'Management should keep us
more informed, so this is great...'
'The presentation was great but it
was tough for me to come to-
night because we've just heard
we're going to lose half our col
leagues. Oh yes, almost all of
them are here, even though
they're not feeling particularly
happy at the moment. They've
stifl come...'
'I've only worked here two
months, so I haven't had time to
really get into it all. Is there such
a thing as a Rabo-feeling...?'
All the foreign offices used an individual approach to the
kick-off presentation, but London's proved spectacular.
Twin giant sereens were brought in to show the video,
Simon Jones, the new house-style's designer, dropped
by to explain the thinking and concepts behind the
bank's changing visual image, and Whitbread's
treasurer Bob Cooper was there to teil the branch's staff
what he, as a dient, expected from them. The overall
result was 'a very, very slick event.'
'I thought it would be about the
new drive towards client-orien-
tation because we've already
been working on that a lot in our
division. We've done things like
making sure the phones are al
ways covered, even at lunch time,
so there's always someone there
to take clients' calls...'
'What can I say- I've had a won-
derful time...'
'It was pretty impressive, but it's
still only a slogan. What we've
got to do now is make it hap
pen...'
