Appraisal time...

It is biannual, but may not always be as productive. Sounds like some crop. But it is not. It happens in sept and March for each financial year and it's called PCMS(PERFORMANCE & COMPETENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM) or appraisals in layman's terms. It’s a bargain with the appraiser to fetch u the score. Score against the goals you were supposed to perform and the competencies u were supposed to demonstrate. It’s a ritual and I have to follow it. It's as inevitable as me appearing for CAT every year (not always....),controversy over cricket telecast rights in India, Salman taking off his shirt or Mallika showing her skin. All these things demand my attention, except the salman getting naked of course, for one reason or the other.

From financial point of view last few days were tough for me. Nothing like that I was bankrupt or something. But it has a bank involved in it. Bank One.... as JPMorghanChase subsidiary. It all started with me opening a checking account with this bank. No other option as only Bank One allows to open an account without Social security number (SSN). The fat fellow behind the desk goofed up my address. This was where the seeds of my rollercoaster ride with Bank One a/c were sown. I stepped out with a Bank One ATM card valid for a week completely unaware of the plight of my account and my sufferings along. USPS (United States Postal Service) delivered the Bank One debit card at my door steps. I was happy :) Not for long.....

One of those regular weekdays' lunch. Here I was paying for my Chicken sandwich combo at the KFC. The fellow behind the counter gave me the bitter look as if he has tested shit when he returned me my card with a slip reading "Error in Card Number". What the hell..!! All these sequence of events were repeated the next day with one difference. The venue was Pizza Hut.
All these bitter looks and "Error in card Number" continued till USPS stepped in again to reveal the reason. Bank One threatened to block my card in 7 business days if I fail to provide my address proof. The last line of the letter read "Your relationship as a valued customer is important to us". "Valued customer" my foot. The later dated 22 Feb and thanks to USPS, it was 4 March when I received it. If there were not to be those American Express Traveler's checks, what would I have done. Thank you American Express..!!

Few more days of misery, three odd visits to the bank office, two faxes to the main branch, and one reset of pin number later there I was stepping outside of the bank, powered with the new debit card, ready to take on the KFC, the Pizza Hut fellow and the rest of the world.

At the end of all this or so what I think, One question comes to my mind. Shouldn't I be the one apprising the Bank One employee who goofed up my address?