Banks - Who Else hates the Poor Customer Service?
Discussion
Is it me or does anyone else want to scream when dealing with banks ?
I can never get though to my so called "Manager "
The Bank Fecks Up and yet I can never get through.
When customer services answers they inform me that the name of the Branch manager is not given out because the managers change so often in todays business (e.g they get sacked )
Lets just say this is my expereince with a certain Horse:
W
s Like every other industry, they're cutting staff. Customer service is less of a priority as the staff are told to sell products… and of they don't meet their targets, then they get a ticking off - they don't get bonuses for good customer service.
I notice that one bank (nee Midland) is now cutting the Saturday service and closing 30 minutes earlier than they once did...
I notice that one bank (nee Midland) is now cutting the Saturday service and closing 30 minutes earlier than they once did...
It's sickening - I agree. When I needed the bank, years ago, they didn't give a monkey's toss about me. Nowadays, they need me so they're all creepy crawly, brown nosing. As such, a couple of years ago I deliberately changed banks, citing it was because they treated me abismally during the tough times so I'm going to gave them the elbow during the good times. Now that felt good!
About that horsey one....
If I 'phone them I have to speak to the other side of teh world. If they 'phone me they expect me to be here, or at least 'phone them back, and listen to them trying to convince me to have a "review".
When I want a "review" I'll ask for it! And that's unlikely if we can't understand each other, becuase I'm not talking to people about money matters unless I am sure what I'm doing!
If I 'phone them I have to speak to the other side of teh world. If they 'phone me they expect me to be here, or at least 'phone them back, and listen to them trying to convince me to have a "review".
When I want a "review" I'll ask for it! And that's unlikely if we can't understand each other, becuase I'm not talking to people about money matters unless I am sure what I'm doing!
This was quoted a time ago and sums up the "service" that banks give and thusly your reply to them......
Dear Sir:
I am writing to thank you for bouncing my check with which I
endeavored to pay my plumber last month. By my calculations some
three nanoseconds must have elapsed between his presenting the check
and the arrival in my account of the funds needed to honor it. I
refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my entire
salary, an arrangement, which, I admit, has only been in place for
eight years.
You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of
opportunity, and also for debiting my account by $50 by way of
penalty for the inconvenience I caused to your bank. My thankfulness
springs from the manner in which this incident has caused me to
rethink my errant financial ways.
You have set me on the path of fiscal righteousness. No more will
our relationship be blighted by these unpleasant incidents, for I am
restructuring my affairs in 2002, taking as my model the procedures,
attitudes and conduct of your very bank. I can think of no greater
compliment and I know you will be excited and proud to hear it. To
this end, please be advised of the following changes.
I have noticed that whereas I personally attend to your telephone
calls and letters, when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the
impersonal, ever-changing, prerecorded, faceless entity, which your
bank has become. From now on I, like you, choose only to deal with
a flesh-and-blood person. My mortgage and loan repayments will,
therefore and hereafter, no longer be automatic, but will arrive at
your bank, by check, addressed personally and confidentially to an
employee at your branch whom you must nominate. You will be aware
that it is an offense under the Postal Act for any other person to
open such an envelope. Please find attached an Application Contact
Status, which I require your chosen employee to complete. I am sorry
it runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much about him
or her as your bank knows about me, there is no alternative. Please
note that all copies of his or her medical history must be
countersigned by a Notary Public, and the mandatory details of
his/her financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities)
must be accompanied by documented proof
In due course I will issue your employee with a PIN number which
he/she must quote in dealings with me. I regret that it cannot be
shorter than 28 digits but, again, I have modeled it on the number
of button presses required to access my account balance on your
phone bank service. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of
flattery.
Let me level the playing field even further by introducing you to my
new telephone system, which you will notice, is very much like
yours. My Authorized Contact at your bank, the only person with
whom I will have any dealings, may call me at any time and will be
answered by an automated voice service: Press buttons as follows:
1. To make an appointment to see me.
2. To query a missing payment.
3. To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there.
4. To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping.
5. To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to
nature.
6. To transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home.
7. To leave a message on my computer, a password to access my
computer is required. Password will be communicated at a laterdate
to the Authorized Contact.
8. To return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through 7.
9. To make a general complaint or inquiry. The contact will then be
put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering
service. While this may on occasion involve a lengthy wait,
uplifting music will play for the duration of the call. This month
I've chosen a refrain from "The Best of Woodie Guthrie: "Oh, the
banks are made of marble, with a guard at every door, and the vaults
are filled with silver, that the miners sweated for."
On a more serious note, we come to the matter of cost. As your bank
has often pointed out, the ongoing drive for greater efficiency
comes at a cost, which you have always been quick to pass on to me.
Let me repay your kindness by passing some costs back:
First, there is a matter of advertising material you send me. This I
will read for a fee of $20 per page.
Inquiries from the Authorized Contact will be billed at $5 per
minute of my time spent in response.
Any debits to my account, as, for example, in the matter of the
penalty for the dishonored check, will be passed back to you.
My new phone service runs at 75 cents a minute. You will be well
advised to keep your inquiries brief and to the point.
Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an
establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement.
May I wish you a happy, if ever-so-slightly less prosperous, New
Year?
Your Humble Client,
Dear Sir:
I am writing to thank you for bouncing my check with which I
endeavored to pay my plumber last month. By my calculations some
three nanoseconds must have elapsed between his presenting the check
and the arrival in my account of the funds needed to honor it. I
refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my entire
salary, an arrangement, which, I admit, has only been in place for
eight years.
You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of
opportunity, and also for debiting my account by $50 by way of
penalty for the inconvenience I caused to your bank. My thankfulness
springs from the manner in which this incident has caused me to
rethink my errant financial ways.
You have set me on the path of fiscal righteousness. No more will
our relationship be blighted by these unpleasant incidents, for I am
restructuring my affairs in 2002, taking as my model the procedures,
attitudes and conduct of your very bank. I can think of no greater
compliment and I know you will be excited and proud to hear it. To
this end, please be advised of the following changes.
I have noticed that whereas I personally attend to your telephone
calls and letters, when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the
impersonal, ever-changing, prerecorded, faceless entity, which your
bank has become. From now on I, like you, choose only to deal with
a flesh-and-blood person. My mortgage and loan repayments will,
therefore and hereafter, no longer be automatic, but will arrive at
your bank, by check, addressed personally and confidentially to an
employee at your branch whom you must nominate. You will be aware
that it is an offense under the Postal Act for any other person to
open such an envelope. Please find attached an Application Contact
Status, which I require your chosen employee to complete. I am sorry
it runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much about him
or her as your bank knows about me, there is no alternative. Please
note that all copies of his or her medical history must be
countersigned by a Notary Public, and the mandatory details of
his/her financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities)
must be accompanied by documented proof
In due course I will issue your employee with a PIN number which
he/she must quote in dealings with me. I regret that it cannot be
shorter than 28 digits but, again, I have modeled it on the number
of button presses required to access my account balance on your
phone bank service. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of
flattery.
Let me level the playing field even further by introducing you to my
new telephone system, which you will notice, is very much like
yours. My Authorized Contact at your bank, the only person with
whom I will have any dealings, may call me at any time and will be
answered by an automated voice service: Press buttons as follows:
1. To make an appointment to see me.
2. To query a missing payment.
3. To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there.
4. To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping.
5. To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to
nature.
6. To transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home.
7. To leave a message on my computer, a password to access my
computer is required. Password will be communicated at a laterdate
to the Authorized Contact.
8. To return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through 7.
9. To make a general complaint or inquiry. The contact will then be
put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering
service. While this may on occasion involve a lengthy wait,
uplifting music will play for the duration of the call. This month
I've chosen a refrain from "The Best of Woodie Guthrie: "Oh, the
banks are made of marble, with a guard at every door, and the vaults
are filled with silver, that the miners sweated for."
On a more serious note, we come to the matter of cost. As your bank
has often pointed out, the ongoing drive for greater efficiency
comes at a cost, which you have always been quick to pass on to me.
Let me repay your kindness by passing some costs back:
First, there is a matter of advertising material you send me. This I
will read for a fee of $20 per page.
Inquiries from the Authorized Contact will be billed at $5 per
minute of my time spent in response.
Any debits to my account, as, for example, in the matter of the
penalty for the dishonored check, will be passed back to you.
My new phone service runs at 75 cents a minute. You will be well
advised to keep your inquiries brief and to the point.
Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an
establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement.
May I wish you a happy, if ever-so-slightly less prosperous, New
Year?
Your Humble Client,
beano500 said:
About that horsey one....
If I 'phone them I have to speak to the other side of teh world. If they 'phone me they expect me to be here, or at least 'phone them back, and listen to them trying to convince me to have a "review".
When I want a "review" I'll ask for it! And that's unlikely if we can't understand each other, becuase I'm not talking to people about money matters unless I am sure what I'm doing!
The "review" is basically a method by which they get you into the bank and then sell (or attempt too) you their products. As I stated before, the staff are urged to sell the products as if they meet their targets they get a bonus.
In terms a going to a branch cashier, my advice is to go for the older generation. They tend not to be swayed by the "sales bonuses" and give a better service.
Having used the cashier services a lot recently, I would also stress that if you do have an issue, then ask the cashier for their advice and help and you will get it. I've seen far to many customers start shouting about poor service and trying to involve other customers when the cashier has only followed procedure… put yourself in the cashier's position - who would you help..?
Don't get me started on the horsey bunch!
The current encumbant of that lofty position, Business Account Manager, has taken to mounting raids on my wifes personal accounts should the business account go even pennies overdrawn for all but a notional period of time, i.e. I had credited cash to cover the minor shortfall which cleared immediately and therefore negated the exercise entirely. Needless to say, I am in the process of trying to find another bank, anyone got any advice about BoS?
The current encumbant of that lofty position, Business Account Manager, has taken to mounting raids on my wifes personal accounts should the business account go even pennies overdrawn for all but a notional period of time, i.e. I had credited cash to cover the minor shortfall which cleared immediately and therefore negated the exercise entirely. Needless to say, I am in the process of trying to find another bank, anyone got any advice about BoS?
Unfortunatley we use BOS business banking - to$$ers of the highest order. Especially those based at Cockspur St, London.
Allowing OD to lapse without initially notifying that it's up for renewal, then charging £300 to reinstate, losing cheques etc, etc.
Personally I use Natwest.
Admittedly it costs £16 per month for the privilege but when I have ANY sort of problem my account manager deals with it.
The free Green Flag and Travel Insurance makes up for the annual fee of having the acount.
Allowing OD to lapse without initially notifying that it's up for renewal, then charging £300 to reinstate, losing cheques etc, etc.
Personally I use Natwest.
Admittedly it costs £16 per month for the privilege but when I have ANY sort of problem my account manager deals with it.
The free Green Flag and Travel Insurance makes up for the annual fee of having the acount.
no problems with mine. in fact, i've gone into overdraft by mistake 3 times without any charges - just a letter reminding me not to do so.
at the end of the day, if you're not happy with the service, then open an account with another bank and MOVE!!
edited to add: Natwest Premier customer
>> Edited by fido on Tuesday 17th May 10:43
It's true, service is generally awful. My biggest problem with them is that they seem more determined to screw you over by blasting jargon at you to dupe you into entering 'credit arrangements'.
Then you ring them up and get someone for whom English is clearly a second language, reading off a sheet.
So I've found a way around it.
Minimise the concept of banking - ie somewhere you put your money, as opposed to in a box under the bed - money goes in, money goes out.
Most importantly though, money either exists or it doesn't. That acreage of text you get given is basically trying to baffle you into spending money you haven't got so the bank can charge interest in your overdraft, charge you for services, give you things you don't want and charge you for them.
So, use cash machines or over-the-counter services to get money out. Pay money in with their machines. Ignore any letter that isn't a statement. Most importantly, don't expect any money out of them other than what you've got.
Banks are not there to help you - you've got to use them for what you can get. As soon as you start to believe that they can help you, they've got you, unfortunately.
Then you ring them up and get someone for whom English is clearly a second language, reading off a sheet.
So I've found a way around it.
Minimise the concept of banking - ie somewhere you put your money, as opposed to in a box under the bed - money goes in, money goes out.
Most importantly though, money either exists or it doesn't. That acreage of text you get given is basically trying to baffle you into spending money you haven't got so the bank can charge interest in your overdraft, charge you for services, give you things you don't want and charge you for them.
So, use cash machines or over-the-counter services to get money out. Pay money in with their machines. Ignore any letter that isn't a statement. Most importantly, don't expect any money out of them other than what you've got.
Banks are not there to help you - you've got to use them for what you can get. As soon as you start to believe that they can help you, they've got you, unfortunately.
There is another way 
Seriously, I was expecting the usual bollox when I needed to sort out a (5 figure) overdraft recently
Made an appointment (next day) went in at lunch explained the situation to a real person, was given a few options. Explained why I thought option 1 was the best, manager agreed, walked out with enourmous overdraft facility within 30 minutes
Even the coffee was OK
Seriously, I was expecting the usual bollox when I needed to sort out a (5 figure) overdraft recently
Made an appointment (next day) went in at lunch explained the situation to a real person, was given a few options. Explained why I thought option 1 was the best, manager agreed, walked out with enourmous overdraft facility within 30 minutes
Even the coffee was OK
TeamD said:
anyone got any advice about BoS?
Our family has been with the BoS for over 200 hundred years, YES since 1804 actually, and had nothing but god service, although one has occasionally have to kick the lower orders hard until they realise one is a customer.... now part of racist halifax group and thusly getting worse though!
Small point people, but going overdrawn without prior arrangement is technically theft - you are spending money that is not yours.
Having nosed through this thread I wonder how many people have actually read the small print when they opened their accounts..? For example if you want to withdraw over £1000 then you are required to bring in extra identification...
Having nosed through this thread I wonder how many people have actually read the small print when they opened their accounts..? For example if you want to withdraw over £1000 then you are required to bring in extra identification...
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