Firms Using the Virus Excuse

[Pothole]

bad company said:

markcoznottz said:

vikingaero said:

bad company said:

I made a complaint to my bank on 28 April. I’d visited a branch to withdraw cash but was initially prevented from entering. The woman at the door said entry was for essential stuff only and I should get the cash from the ATM. I told her that I needed a larger amount than the ATM limit. While still outside in the street in hearing of passers by I was asked how much I wanted and what I wanted it for!!! That was my complaint. Yesterday I got a text from the bank saying due to caronavirus they can’t deal with my complaint until around 23 June.

Is it me or is using the virus excuse just too easy?

I went to the bank on Thursday to pay in some cash that my Uncle owed me. It was the same experience for me. I was asked what I was here for. I replied to pay in cash. I was told that I could only use the paying in machines. Yes, that's what I was going to use. Stop shouting and presuming otherwise. There seemed to be no discretion from the staff and lots of shoutiness. Poor lady in front of me wanted to transfer some money. The bolshy NatWest lady said that she could do that online! How does a 80 something year old suddenly get online?

Humiliating experience going to a bank. Stuck in the dark ages. Gobbing about your business in front of all and sundry.

It wasn’t only horrible and breached confidentiality I’d say it put me in danger. It became obvious that I would be leaving the bank with a large amount of cash making a mugging target.

Hilarious. You were completely in control of that conversation. A simple "I'd rather not say within earshot of the whole street if you don't mind" would have solved your tiny problem. Are there lots of muggings between the bank and where you parked your car?

[bad company]

DoubleD said:

So apart from people who dont want to post a cheque, what reasons are there for needing to go into a bank?

In my case because I needed to withdraw a large sum in cash.

Before then I last visited a branch about 2 years ago when my mum died and I needed to take in original documents.

[bad company]

captain_cynic said:

technodup said:

ou wasted your and their time to complain about that? I used to be a complaints manager for a major bank and I'd have told you to fk right off. What sort of outcome are you looking for ffs?

It's a difficult time, reduced staff are trying to do their best/protect themselves, often with less than clear instruction from bosses/government etc and pointless complaints like that are only going to clog the system and make it worse for everyone.

This. A thousand times this.

Anyone who thinks this is bad customer service is the kind of Karen who constantly asks to speak to the manager.

If anything, hes cutting off the time wasters so he can spend time helping people with legitimate problems. Also you can tell someone to fk right off politely... Anyone with a modicum of training or experience dealing with the general public knows when and how to terminate a conversation.

He's also mentioned the biggest reason most of the whingers on this thread never get a good outcome from complaining... For them it's about whinging... Not getting an outcome. To complain effectively, have an idea of the solution you want and communicate it in a rational manner. If that outcome is just soothing your ruffled feathers I'd suggest seeing a therapist instead of calling the complaints line.

The only outcome I requested is for them to review their procedures and the questions they’re asking. That’s it.

[anonymous-user]

0a said:

TPSA7514 said:

And Santander don't
Hence why a smug Santander staff member got a rocket in her ear from my wife last week. Wife stood in queue to go into branch.
Clipboard Suzy asking people why they are there. Wife explains she needs to pay these cheques in and she knows that the cash tills inside allow that.
Clipboard suzy explains that she can do that at the cashtill outside - first up she may not have wanted to do that with people passing close by.Secondly - no you can't that branches cashtills don't take deposits on the cashtills outside
Clipboard suzy not happy when she is told that sometimes you need to listen and not presume

I paid a cheque in using the outside machine a few weeks ago at Santander.

I do wish people would think a bit more and stop being unpleasant and only thinking of themselves. The remaining staff in retail outlets do not have a nice job to do at the moment.

My wife went into town (15 miles) to pay in some cheques payable to ‘the personal representatives’ of her late mother.

She’d checked online and told it was fine. Got there and was told, quite politely that they couldn’t be put in because they weren’t in her name. Back home quite upset.

Made a complaint and got an apologetic phone call within 2days and was given £75 and it was confirmed they could t take the cheques.

Back on to the drawer who said the cheques should be bankable, as wife is executor and has probate etc. but they’d reissue in her name for a total of £140 in fees!

Back on to Santander online who agains say she should be able to pay them in.

Back to bank with online message printed off, straight in and cashed.

So, hassle and 60 miles of driving against £75 compo.

[DoubleD]

bad company said:

DoubleD said:

So apart from people who dont want to post a cheque, what reasons are there for needing to go into a bank?

In my case because I needed to withdraw a large sum in cash.

Before then I last visited a branch about 2 years ago when my mum died and I needed to take in original documents.

Could you not bank transfer the money to who ever you need to pay?

[bad company]

DoubleD said:

bad company said:

DoubleD said:

So apart from people who dont want to post a cheque, what reasons are there for needing to go into a bank?

In my case because I needed to withdraw a large sum in cash.

Before then I last visited a branch about 2 years ago when my mum died and I needed to take in original documents.

Could you not bank transfer the money to who ever you need to pay?

No. I needed cash this time.

[DoubleD]

bad company said:

DoubleD said:

bad company said:

DoubleD said:

So apart from people who dont want to post a cheque, what reasons are there for needing to go into a bank?

In my case because I needed to withdraw a large sum in cash.

Before then I last visited a branch about 2 years ago when my mum died and I needed to take in original documents.

Could you not bank transfer the money to who ever you need to pay?

No. I needed cash this time.

I just cant think of a situation where you have to pay someone with just cash.

[Scootersp]

DoubleD said:

I just cant think of a situation where you have to pay someone with just cash.

Where you want to buy something and they demand cash (as it's difficult to get out of the bank right now!)

[DoubleD]

Scootersp said:

DoubleD said:

I just cant think of a situation where you have to pay someone with just cash.

Where you want to buy something and they demand cash (as it's difficult to get out of the bank right now!)

And why would they need large amounts of cash?

[Pothole]

DoubleD said:

And why would they need large amounts of cash?

Nobody said they needed it, but presumably the buyer needs the goods and/or services offered and the supplier has asked for cash. Stop being obtuse.

[DoubleD]

Pothole said:

DoubleD said:

And why would they need large amounts of cash?

Nobody said they needed it, but presumably the buyer needs the goods and/or services offered and the supplier has asked for cash.

Well it sounds to me thats its more likely that people are just stuck in their ways.

[julian64]

bad company said:

Roofless Toothless said:

Try going to the GP and having to explain your medical condition to the receptionist in front of a full waiting room. Both unacceptable practices, virus or no virus.

I haven’t been to a doctor since this all started but generally you can just decline to give the receptionist that information. You don’t have to.

I feel you two are in for a seismic shock about the changes coming to your local GP Surgery.

[technodup]

bad company said:

The only outcome I requested is for them to review their procedures and the questions they’re asking. That’s it.

Which they won't, because the questions are part of the financial crime regulations.

How they are asked is something else, but in these times I think a bit of come and go is appropriate. And btw, asking questions cannot put you in danger. Answering them on the other hand... I feel sure this situation could have been handled better on both sides.

We used to have a right laugh at some of the complainers, often getting colleagues to listen in to their dribble. They'd be unaware they were performing to an audience. We called them screamers but probably these days Karen is more apt.

[Pothole]

DoubleD said:

Pothole said:

DoubleD said:

And why would they need large amounts of cash?

Nobody said they needed it, but presumably the buyer needs the goods and/or services offered and the supplier has asked for cash.

Well it sounds to me thats its more likely that people are just stuck in their ways.

How does that address the OP's point, exactly?

[Notreallymeeither]

gazapc said:

Just tried to phone up the AA call center about breakdown renewal... 'Due to Covid we are only open weekdays 9-5, and no longer at weekends'.

How hard is it to set up staff to handle calls from home? Some of us still have to work during the week. It's not like it's been going on for two months or anything...

There are huge data protection issues with call centre staff having access to customer information in an unrestricted area (like their front room or bedroom).

Most call centres I’ve been in are v restrictive - you can’t have mobile phones to stop you photographing customer details, you can’t take pen and paper in so can’t write any customer details down, you need to shred all notepads at the end of every shift etc.

Would you want that nice lady from the call centre to be showing her husband all your customer data whilst they are sat watching cash in the attic?

It’s a lot more complicated than just saying “here’s a laptop and a phone and get on with your job”.

I agree it’s annoying though.

Edited by Notreallymeeither on Wednesday 27th May 16:39

[Pothole]

Notreallymeeither said:

There are huge data protection issues with call centre staff having access to this information in an unrestricted area (like their front room or bedroom).

Most call centres I’ve been in are v restrictive - you can’t have mobile phones to stop you photographing customer details, you can’t take pen and paper in so can’t write any customer details down, you need to shred all notepads at the end of every shift etc.

It’s a lot more complicated than just saying “here’s a laptop and a phone and get on with your job”.

I agree it’s annoying though.

I have access to lots of pretty sensitive information from my work supplied laptop. I'm guessing because we don't deal with financial details we have more leeway. That said, I used to take calls for British Gas from home and the only security specification was that we had to connect to the hub with a cable, not wifi. As I lived on an old farm about a mile from the main road that was a bit laughable, too.

On the pen and paper point, also when I was at British Gas we had personal white boards and pens and had to wipe after each call. Nowadays I don't write anything down but my H drive is full of notepad pages...

[DoubleD]

Pothole said:

DoubleD said:

Pothole said:

DoubleD said:

And why would they need large amounts of cash?

Nobody said they needed it, but presumably the buyer needs the goods and/or services offered and the supplier has asked for cash.

Well it sounds to me thats its more likely that people are just stuck in their ways.

How does that address the OP's point, exactly?

He wouldn't have been at the bank to have an issue in the 1st place.

[bad company]

julian64 said:

bad company said:

Roofless Toothless said:

Try going to the GP and having to explain your medical condition to the receptionist in front of a full waiting room. Both unacceptable practices, virus or no virus.

I haven’t been to a doctor since this all started but generally you can just decline to give the receptionist that information. You don’t have to.

I feel you two are in for a seismic shock about the changes coming to your local GP Surgery.

Are you saying that you have to explain your medical condition to the receptionist? My understanding is that if you request an appointment you’ll be triaged by a nurse on the phone first.

[Pothole]

DoubleD said:

Pothole said:

DoubleD said:

Pothole said:

DoubleD said:

And why would they need large amounts of cash?

Nobody said they needed it, but presumably the buyer needs the goods and/or services offered and the supplier has asked for cash.

Well it sounds to me thats its more likely that people are just stuck in their ways.

How does that address the OP's point, exactly?

He wouldn't have been at the bank to have an issue in the 1st place.

Maybe, but:

The "issue" was mostly of his own making and seriously overdramatised.

He wasn't mugged so his panic about being made a target was bks, pretty much.

He could have made the situation outside the bank better but instead he stayed passive, allowed himself to be bossed about then felt a bit inadequate and emasculated when he got home so came on to rant and phoned the bank to whine.

You have a fair point, he could have avoided the situation by arranging a more remote, less "risky" payment method, but that would have involved forethought and more fortitude than he's displayed so far.

[bad company]

Pothole said:

Maybe, but:

The "issue" was mostly of his own making and seriously overdramatised.

He wasn't mugged so his panic about being made a target was bks, pretty much.

He could have made the situation outside the bank better but instead he stayed passive, allowed himself to be bossed about then felt a bit inadequate and emasculated when he got home so came on to rant and phoned the bank to whine.

You have a fair point, he could have avoided the situation by arranging a more remote, less "risky" payment method, but that would have involved forethought and more fortitude than he's displayed so far.

No I wasn’t mugged but the danger is comparable to the perceived danger of my passing a virus to the bank staff.

I wasn’t passive. I declined to answer the reason I was withdrawing my money.

There wasn’t an alternative, I needed cash.

Keep trying.