The Crisis behind the Mask

Kamal Baruah *

I wonder, we are projecting ourselves as the Hollywood cartoon romantic wild man “The Mask” (1994), when a bank employee Jim Carrey is transformed into a manic superhero when he wears a mysterious mask. You got to be careful for the challenge now.

The other day I was attending a senior citizen at my desk. He looked round with satisfaction and tried to express his gratitude in the difficult period of lockdown. He said a few line behind the mask which I could follow only a half but the silver lining of the talk is that he was a happy customer despite his face expression was missing.

All I could understand for his pleasure of getting the required denominations of currency. Incidentally I failed to respond in kind as I was also a masked man.

Everyone outside is forced to wrap up his/her face now for the fear of infecting from Corona. Amid threat of invisible disaster from the life threatening pandemic, we must not give up hope.

While public get panicked, service workers are the first to deal with it. Doctors, nurses, medical workers and Police have performed yeoman service for the humanity. Although business activities are closed down, essential services like banking are continued unhindered.

The growth of consumerism has led organizations to improve their service. Service industry talked the benefits of a smile in customer service strategies as it provides direct one-to-one interaction. Thereby every single person in a business places the customer as their priority.

After all, employees are at the forefront of the customers’ experience. They set the tone of every deal and leave a lasting impression. In fact, an employee’s smile may be the most significant part of a transaction.

Service with a smile is the new mantra of success and customers’ experience is the best business strategy. It was the happy experience of friendly employees and excellent service that made it all. When a customer smiles, it means the business is on the right track.

It’s the spark that ignites a great customer service experience. But with this Covid-19 environment, now smiles can be challenges as masked man are surrounded.

There are customers all over the day and banking employees get stressed out because of so many customers to serve. But If you are looking to brighten your day, you ought to smile.

As psychology relates – every smile throw a little feel-good factor to brain, body and the people around that activates neural messaging and benefits health and happiness too. Even in the most difficult service situations, a smile triumphs. Also it actually changes the tone of voice if one smiles on the phone.

People around the world now stay indoors after the virus outbreak. My EDC (every day carry) is added a few numbers in office bag. They are few napkins, masks & gloves and a bottle of hand sanitizer. The most important thing is not to forget the vehicle pass otherwise one could be penalised by Police behind confiscating vehicle too. Many people continue to flout the coronavirus regulations.

No matter how law-abiding you are, chances are you will be pulled over by police. They stopped my car and asked where I am going although I pasted stickers for essential services. I couldn’t understand as it’s nearly impossible without lip reading.

The worse fears have been realized after I raised my ID Card. I was so frightened that the Police officer pulled down his mask and finally forced his frozen face to smile “Sticker alone is not enough”. The reason behind the mask was in fact necessary on that fateful day.

PPE kit like face shield (masks) and gloves irritate us often at work. Some of my colleagues don’t dare to wear head cover and overall. But there are difficulties as we have to rub hands and fingers with waterless sanitizer to the palm until waterless hand sanitizer is absorbed.

That takes a couple of minutes to attend for another service. So I decided to remove all my kit and work at a distance. Would there be a more beautiful place if we all would smile more at ourselves and at others?

A big challenge is ahead for the service industry behind the mask.