New Commonwealth Bank Ad

Well it is true everything that is old is new again.

Just after WW2 my father Robert Earnest Henning
started working for the Commonwealth Bank. At first
he was a flight attendent on the VIP plane the bank
run. When that was put out of service he was moved
into head office in Martin Place, Sydney. He had
been the last flight attendent they had in service.
His new postion in Martin place was as a messanger.
His job to fill the inkwells (yes they had ink in
those days!) and of course change the blotters.
He had to make sure there were enough deposit slips
and withrawal forms etc. He also had to make sure
the floor remained neat and tidy and that all the
rubbish bins (where people threw their disregarded
slips were regularly emptied.) He had a name tag and
people would make enquires to him when they wanted to
know where to go in the bank as well as differnt
services around town if new to the area. Rather
like the floor walker on "Are You Being Served."

He eventually transferred to the Hurstville branch
when we moved to our house there, in the mid 1950's.
He still performed the same function.

He worked there as a messanger till they phased them
out completely in the late 1960's. When he was
moved back to the main branch in Martin Place, where
he remained a messanger till his retirement in the
early 1970's. He had been the last messagener to work
for the bank.

But wait the new ad says that the Commonwealth Bank
is now employing concierges a "new concept' in customer
service.

The idea being that customers who hold either a
Platinum MasterCard or Platium American Express card
can ring them on 131662 24/7 and be assisted with
'Lifestyle Services.' They direct the custonmers
on flight information, car rental and limo services,
source, purchase and delivery tickets to events that
they have information on. They have refferal to
restaurants and make reservations. They have
information on major counrty and city events,
festivals etc, and various other services.

This sounds just like an extended service of what my
father use to do, but he was only in a branch and was
available to ALL the customers not just the rich ones.