“Continuous learning is the minimum requirement for success in any field”. Ann Frank
Who is an Errand Boy?
***This article was first published in 2018****
Errand boys or dispatch riders play very vital functions that complement the work of the drivers. What functions do they perform?
This is a quote from Merrian-Webster Dictionary…..”A person whose job is to run errands for important people. For example, He worked his way up from errand boy to regional sales manager”
According to wiseGEEK, An errand runner is someone who performs errands on behalf of another person or an organization. A number of industries have a need for errand runners, ranging from courier services which deliver documents and materials to personal assistants who do errands as part of their jobs. This position is often viewed as a temporary rung on the ladder to promotion, with people proving their mettle as errand runners and then going on to work in more important positions. People can also run errands as a form of temporary or short term employment”
Let me explain that in the context of banking, dispatch riders are usually responsible for delivering important documents and packages to other business concerns or other bank outlets. They are often tasked with ensuring that the documents reach their destination on time and in good condition . On the other hand, errand boys are responsible for running errands for important people in the organization. They are often tasked with picking up and delivering messages, packages, documents, and other items between offices or departments, or directly to other business concerns . They can travel by foot, motorcycle, or public transport.
While both dispatch riders and errand boys are involved in the transportation of goods and documents, their roles and responsibilities are different.
The Main functions of Errand Boys
Errand boys pick up and deliver messages, packages, documents and other items between offices or departments, or directly to other business concerns, travelling by foot, motor cycle or public transport.
This category of staff has quite recently been outsourced to other companies. They form an important chain in the service provision being carried out. Gone are the days when companies employed full time messengers. In some establishments, they double up as cleaners. Their work is therefore multi-tasked and a lot of trust and loyalty is expected from them.
In some places they are described as office boys. They are hired to open, clean, and close the office and engage in preparing tea, arranging files, handling telephone calls, relaying messages. Typical scenarios of errand boys are:
- Running errands for executives: This could include picking up lunch, coffee, or other items for executives during the day.
- Transporting equipment: Errand boys may be responsible for transporting equipment between offices or departments for example, computers, printers, or other office equipment.
- Assisting with office tasks: Errand boys may be responsible for assisting with office tasks such as photocopying, etc.
The “Extra-Curriculum Activities” of Errand boys
After winning the trust and confidence from the managers, some errand boys are made to perform functions not expected of them. We are all guilty of at least one of these:
- Sending them to do some shopping for us…. After all you cannot step out during office hours. Ha ha.. We are all seriously GUILTY.
- Adding personal parcels to the official ones to save us the cost.
- Using them to perform our private affairs when the official work is waiting.
- Using them to carry cash to customers. Hey…that’s serious!
In some organizations, some of the staff of the cleaning company stay behind to perform these functions and are paid an extra amount for the running of these errands.
The Advantage of Errand Boys
In modern times, outsourcing such basic functions unrelated to the core business is a cost-effective measure and reduces the strain on the wage bill. Some of them have been so hardworking that they have been able to upgrade themselves and become formally recruited as office clerks. There are numerous examples of such persons who have climbed the ladder to be managers of their establishments, while those who entered with the basic ordinary education certificates are still in their comfort zone, and stuck in the lower grades! Attitude is the key. No position is permanent.
The Limitations of Using Errand Boys
However, we must recognize the limitations to their use and prevent them being taken for granted. The implications are quite serious. For example,
- Some of them are allowed to handle cash…. It is when there is a problem that we recognize that certain jobs are out of bounds to them.
- They perform filing of documents. Serious! The banker’s duty of confidentiality is gone.
- Some complete deposit slips for customers…. The bad nuts can dupe the bank or customers by wrong postings.
- Some go to the extent of holding themselves out as officers or managers and go round the small local communities duping customers with promises of granting loans or sometimes collecting monies from them.
- Can you imagine the case of an errand boy who was called “Bank Manager” in town, while the manager was rather thought to be an office clerk? Mmmmmm, Things are happening. The real bank manager got furious when his customer mistook his position with that of the messenger!
No assumptions
The present crop of office or errand boys or cleaners are very literate, some with BECE or SSSE certificates. Some are computer literate and can work on the office software when they are given the least chance, but please never be tempted to give them that chance. It will spell doom one day. They read well and can make good use of the material or documents they handle, either for good or for bad reasons. It is important for banks to have a system in place to monitor the activities of errand boys and ensure that they are not engaging in any unethical practices. Banks can also provide training to errand boys to help them understand the importance of their role and the need to maintain high ethical standards.
Let us encourage them to upgrade themselves, not looking down on them and treat them as younger partners. After all, the bad ones can put poison or other unmentionable things inside the food you send them to buy for you. We should never be afraid of them. I know of one messenger/cleaner who found two bundles of cash in a teller’s trash bin and handed the cash over to her the following morning! Meanwhile the teller had suffered a sleepless night, wondering what caused her imbalance of the cash she had received the previous day. It takes an honest and trust worthy errand boy or cleaner to do this. God bless his soul and I will always use him as an example although he is dead and gone. May his godly soul rest in peace. For example, an errand boy at a bank in India helped a customer who was having a heart attack by rushing him to the hospital in his own car . In another instance, an errand boy at a bank in Nigeria returned a sum of money that was mistakenly paid into his account .
These are just a few examples of how errand boys have made a positive impact in the banking industry. It is important to recognize and appreciate the hard work of these individuals who often go unnoticed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alberta Quarcoopome is a Fellow of the Institute of Bankers, and CEO of ALKAN Business Consult Ltd. She is the Author of two books: “The 21st Century Bank Teller: A Strategic Partner” and “My Front Desk Experience: A Young Banker’s Story”. She uses her experience and practical case studies, training young bankers in operational risk management, sales, customer service, banking operations and fraud.
CONTACT
Website www.alkanbiz.com
Email:alberta@alkanbiz.com or [email protected]
Tel: +233-0244333051/+233-0244611343
