I went to the Seremban Keretapi Tanah Melayu station with my cousin to buy tickets for a trip to Penang via KTMB ETS (Electric Train Service).
The booking counter was open on July 2 for one day only and all tickets were available for that day only at the counter.
The counter opened at 10am and we arrived at 10.05am, only to find a long queue at the counter manned by a single employee.
It took us more than two hours to reach our turn. Many of those standing in queue were aged, retired people in their 60s and above. The service was slow and deplorable. To make matters worse, the station master was not even available.
I saw an officer in charge and I could smell cigarette smoke in the room while waiting for him to attend to me.
I told him about the problem at the counter and asked for an explanation.
His nonchalant reply was that there was not enough manpower and that it was normal.
I even requested him to follow me to have a look at the queue at the counter and see all the old people with walking sticks lining up.
But he did not budge from his seat or show any concern.
Having worked in a bank before, I managed the counter staff in my hey days and always kept an eye on the crowd and queue to ensure that the attendance time was quickened so that the speed and delivery were satisfactory.
This is the meaning of a service-oriented industry.
But I believe government departments don’t work under this framework as they prefer people to cater to their way of service.
I hope the KTM management see to the aged customers, still in their dreadful queue, and that this article would have served its purpose.
J.H.
Seremban, Negri Sembilan