What is it with banks?
Discussion
I've been conversing with Mrs TeamD this morning regarding her attempts to contact our bank, so far they have been in vain. Fine, someone answers the phone but they are unable to deal with the matter so they have to leave a message for someone who can and todate she's be trying to get hold of the buggers for 3 days. It's getting bloody silly. I can see a shouting match brewing again because I pay for a service, a service that they are not delivering even to their own documented code of practice (e.g. 3 hour window for a callback). If I was as crap at providing a service to my customers then I'd be on the streets with a dog on a string, what is it with customer service nowadays? Has it just ceased to exist? 
TeamD said:
what is it with customer service nowadays? Has it just ceased to exist?
It's been missing since some bright spark decided to cut all direct phone line numbers to local branches and replace them with automated systems or off shore call centres. No personal touch, no customer care.
Don't talk to me about banks. A certain Scottish bank royally fecked up transferring funds for a house purchase a few weeks ago, putting me in breach of contract for several days. I was lucky not to lose my deposit.
I had to spend 5 hours on the phone to them one day, talking them through everything and doing everything for them. I'd call the next day and be told all is well. Then I'd check this and find I was back at square one again. This went on for days, with me having to do everything. The solicitors were having a hard time believing the bank was really that incompetent.
I had to spend 5 hours on the phone to them one day, talking them through everything and doing everything for them. I'd call the next day and be told all is well. Then I'd check this and find I was back at square one again. This went on for days, with me having to do everything. The solicitors were having a hard time believing the bank was really that incompetent.
I almost wonder whether they do it deliberately. The whole reason for talking to them in the first place is to prevent a possible issue becoming a problem. But because they're so useless the problem occurs and they send you a letter telling you to contact them, which you can't because otherwise you wouldn't have had a problem in the first place. I give up!
Yep I have our Business Bank with a certain establishment that has a black horse as it's logo. I had a business manager that I had a mobile phone number for. They hae recently made changes to who you have as a business manager and I now have to contact an 0845 number and it regularly takes 3 days to speak to my new contact. I am not particularly impressed and if it wasn't for the fact that he always provides the assistance I need (when I get to speak to him) I would probably look elsewhere.
alloypearltam said:
Yep I have our Business Bank with a certain establishment that has a black horse as it's logo. I had a business manager that I had a mobile phone number for.
A couple of years ago my business manager would phone me up and ask if there was anything he should worry about if something unusual happened, never received any snotty computer generated letters or anything, then all of a sudden he vanished and was replaced by bean counting clones without any power to order you a cheque book let alone anything else, in fact the first halfwit that got dropped into the job I recognised as some telesales monkey that kept pestering me to buy life insurance!
kerfuffle said:Here too!! I got a nasty letter this mornning for supposedly being o/d yesterday. Seems they've decided to move to "real time", because I made a transfer from savings account (same bank, same branch!) during the course of the day so, in my book, I'm not overdrawn! But from their perspective I should be on the phone to a member of the Senior Manager's team!!!! I can't get a bleedin' 'phone number FFS!!!!!
Don't talk to me about banks.
My Reply said:
I am in receipt of your letter of 1 December.
I am staggered at the swift action on your part.
It would appear that my account works in real time now. No longer does the account run on a day by day basis, but, should I go overdrawn during the working day you wish to apply charges and interest.
By the close of play, which traditionally has fallen at 15:30, whether GMT or BST applies on the outside, in British banks, the account was placed in credit. Yet you deign to inform me that you have been magnanimous enough to make payments as arranged before the day is even complete and not apply charges.
I welcome this move to a modern style. I trust it is reflected in any third party cheques which I deposit becoming cleared funds in real time and that interest will be accruing on my deposit account on a second by second basis? A rhetorical question, please do not feel the need to waste time responding.
As an additional point, the last time I attempted to “give one of your team a ring” as you suggest I might like to do, albeit on some trivial matter about how I could run some aspect of my account, I had the devil of a job. This, in the days of modern communications. Do you know how easy you make it to contact? Could you not have taken a step backwards when you brought in this new system of penalising customers in a real time computer world by letting a real person have a real time old fashioned telephone, with a number that I can dial?
Interestingly it also appears that Wiltshire is now in Birmingham from your invitation to write to you at Salisbury Branch in Sheldon. I shall no longer be surprised by your future actions if I remain your customer!
Somebody, somewhere within your organisation will be making plans to get “customer feedback” on your services. The least that I ask is that you pass these views on as an indication of how a client may continue to feel alienated by the bank’s attitude, and continue to move to services and products elsewhere.
Yours faithfully
Hmmmm, ten to four and still no sign of a callback. Strangely enough our branch in the midlands had computer problems today aswell (Like I really believe that old chestnut) so they couldn't properly credit the cheque that was paid in today, so if not today then when? They're taking the p1ss!
I've got an account with a certain horsey themed high stree bank.
When I went to the States, I told them in advance and they still blocked my card until I'd phoned up their security to verify it.
Then a few weeks later, they blocked my card, because I used it in Farnborough and Basingstoke (about 13 miles away) with an hour.
I got them to unblock it, and lo and behold it was blocked the next time I used it. Feckwits.
Only reason I don't change is EVERY bank I've ever had has fecked up at one time or another.
When I went to the States, I told them in advance and they still blocked my card until I'd phoned up their security to verify it.
Then a few weeks later, they blocked my card, because I used it in Farnborough and Basingstoke (about 13 miles away) with an hour.
I got them to unblock it, and lo and behold it was blocked the next time I used it. Feckwits.
Only reason I don't change is EVERY bank I've ever had has fecked up at one time or another.
beano500 said:
By the close of play, which traditionally has fallen at 15:30, whether GMT or BST applies on the outside, in British banks, the account was placed in credit. Yet you deign to inform me that you have been magnanimous enough to make payments as arranged before the day is even complete and not apply charges.
Just as a heads up, BST also means Brazil Standard Time.
beano500 said:
I welcome this move to a modern style. I trust it is reflected in any third party cheques which I deposit becoming cleared funds in real time and that interest will be accruing on my deposit account on a second by second basis? A rhetorical question, please do not feel the need to waste time responding.
I suppose one of the things you need to remember is that banks' customer service people are treated really badly by the companies they work for so shouting at them doesn't usually work because they just don't care. In fact, if you shout at them they are less likely to 'go the extra mile' for you. I used to work on a customer support desk in financial services and the problem that's causing the client to shout at you is usually not your fault.
silversun said:
I suppose one of the things you need to remember is that banks' customer service people are treated really badly by the companies they work for so shouting at them doesn't usually work because they just don't care. In fact, if you shout at them they are less likely to 'go the extra mile' for you. I used to work on a customer support desk in financial services and the problem that's causing the client to shout at you is usually not your fault.
Yes, but isn't that what they're paid for (in part at least?) to sort out your agro with their employer. Part of which is dealing with your frustration at their ineptitude.
I too used to work in customer support, which is precisely why I am so frustrated. They should be running around like headless chickens having blown all their SLAs (or whatever their equivalents are) out of the window, but they're not. They just don't give a sh1t, but they'll be sending me a letter inviting me to contact them if one of my cheques bounces, you can be sure of that, they won't be shy about charging me money will they? So now I have to consider escalating the matter, that's really going to work isn't it?, the 2@ will really dig their heels in and be as unhelpful as possible. Christ! All I want is a callback, what's so difficult? The last monkey I had to deal with even broke the golden rule of customer service and told me, "Well you're not the only customer I have...".
>> Edited by TeamD on Friday 2nd December 16:32
>> Edited by TeamD on Friday 2nd December 16:32
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