Schedule B Common Ruses Used by Branch Managers

SCHEDULE B

being a partial list of some of the common ruses used by Branch Managers, Cashiers and others trying to avoid using the BB Bank’s funds for the purposes that they were supposed to use them, with the Inspectors’ remarks.

1. “I’m sorry but I can’t take on any new commitments just now.”
   The Inspectors found it interesting that this is still one of the most common excuses and the most hackneyed. It is also one of the silliest as it implies that the funds entrusted to the particular Branch Manager using this excuse are indeed his own and its use also carries with it the insinuation that the BB Bank is somehow short of funds!
2. “I’ll have to think over this proposal.”
   This one runs a close second and is mostly used quite dishonestly. The Inspectors found that invariably the Branch Managers using this excuse had no intention to at all think over the proposal in question — as their track record clearly showed and in fact as some Branch Managers quite candidly admitted during their interviews. Some are supposedly still “thinking over” the request for funding — four years later!
3. “I think that other Branches should fund this particular enterprise, not mine.”
   This brush-off is becoming quite common and again ignores the Aims and Purposes of the BB Bank. It also shows an uncaring disregard for the solid groundwork of the individuals putting forward the particular investment proposition. The Inspectors noted that Branch Managers who said that they did not wish to invest BB Bank funds in innovative enterprises, for instance, were nevertheless quite content to be rather free with the BB Bank’s funds in other enterprises which were more questionable but where other, personal considerations might have played a part in their decisions.
4. “I’m sorry but I don’t discuss business outside my set hours.”
   The Inspectors often wondered whether the Branch Managers who used this excuse were as careful to enjoy the perks of their position only during set hours, too!
5. “I’m afraid that I can only make a modest investment in your enterprise.”
   This was used by a number of Branch Managers and Cashiers. It was also found to be untrue. In fact, in one particular case, a larger investment, besides earning handsome dividends for the BB Bank, would have helped to pay for important outgoings like salaries for hard-working and dedicated staff in the enterprise that was requesting funding and thus would have allowed further profitable research and development and expansion. In a few cases, the Inspectors found that the funds that could have been invested (or could have helped to alleviate grave financial difficulties in a going concern) were instead lost through bad tax-management strategies and other wasteful