The bottomless pit of bad service at our banks
Woe betide you if you’re visiting a bank branch. In fact if you don't heed the advice here and you DO visit a branch - as I did - you might be reduced to tears (see above)
Despite all the warm and fuzzy advertising that suggests banks and their customers will be roasting marshmallows over the fire place today, tomorrow and together, a good place to start delivering on these promises is by making things happen in those all important face-to-face in-branch encounters.
Red and Green
The two banks I visited over the weekend were the ABSA branch in Rosebank, and a Nedbank branch in the new shopping centre in Norwood.
In both branches I was made to wait extraordinary amounts of time (my banking foray began at 9am and concluded just before 12 o’ clock – midday. Can’t they make things simpler, do things better, get things done any faster?
The Customer Is Made To Wait
It seems to me that it boils down to terrifically bad customer service. I visited a nearby ABSA branch to take out a small loan, and after that 1 hour 30 minute negotiation I was told that I would be called the very next day, and ‘just come in and sign a contract’. Over the course of the next day I was in meetings, but received no ‘missed call’.
By Friday I had still heard nothing, and so at around 3pm I visited the person’s office who claimed she had called me. I said: “Well, since I’m here, let’s do it.” She then explained that I had to come in the next day. My guess is she had forgotten all about it.
On Saturday morning I arrived fairly early, and waited for a length of time. I brought along a book, and was able to move through at least two chapters while waiting.
Once I was called in, the lady assisting me made several trips through revolving glass doors to fetch other papers. At one point she handed me my credit rating (1, the best possible score) and upon returning I asked for another squiz at my credit record.
Disorganised
Her numerous trips around the building were apparently to gather all the necessary paperwork. Having sat down she said she must have left it somewhere, and then said: “I’ll quickly do another printout for you,” which she did on the spot.
Paperwork
Much paperwork and many signatures later, I was able to extract myself out of the bank and rush to the Bedbank bank branch before it closed.
Complicated
I had a very simply request at Nedbank: ‘please give me a balance’ sheet for my American Express credit card. Nedbank is AMEX’s South African service provider.
Steer Clear of AMEX Credit Cards
When I was abroad in South Korea I found it IMPOSSIBLE to check the balance on my credit card, and not for lack of trying. I tried at ATMs, I called the AMEX people in Seoul who said they could not provide me with my balance, I had to contact my branch in Seoul.
Redirect
They did helpfully redirect me to a website, which until the present time hasn’t been able to perform this function either. I logged on today and received this message:
We're sorry, your User ID could not be retrieved.
When I log in as a new user, I get this message:
We're currently experiencing technical difficulties. You can also call the 1-800-AXP-1234 for immediate assistance.
I recall the same message back in South Korea some years ago. Yay!
Even more disconcerting is once I returned to SA I paid off my card, and then attempted to cancel it altogether. Another obstacle!
Disconnected
I called a local call centre to discontinue my AMEX card, provided in exhaustive detail all the information (ID number, telephone number, address etc etc).
At the time I was on pay-as-you-go on my cellphone, but I recall that everything that needed to be communicated was. We were at the "Thank you” part of the conversation when my airtime ran out.
The card was never discontinued. I guess the credit card company thought: “Maybe he hung up because he suddenly changed his mind?” Actually, no.
Power to the People
In the Nedbank branch the advertising actually permeates the building. Don’t get me wrong: The advertising works. Remember the ‘Power to the People’ billboards that were equipped with solar panels that really did provide (solar) power to the people?
So I’m in the bank and a bittersweet symphony is lilting in the background, talking about not needing to stand in queues…while a poster shouts colorfully out at me: MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
Except the man in front of me is eventually so exasperated, he leaves the queue and the bank. Ten minutes later a red haired man behind me mutters something and walks off.
For about half an hour we’re all standing behind one individual, and then another employee joins her with a large packet of envelopes and forms. I inform her:
“If you have business with her, even if you are an employee of this bank, I suggest you join the queue. We’ve been waiting here a long time.”
The gist of the woman’s case (who has bottlenecked the queue) was that the bank had called her, claiming that a card had been delivered to this branch.
Trouble
She had gone to the trouble to come to the bank, only to find that no one knew where her card was. Thus an extensive search was underway once I arrived. Once again: disorganisation! terrible customer service!
When I finally stepped up to the enquiries desk, time rapidly running out to a 12:30 appointment, I said: “You know your bank is about ‘Making Things Happen’. You really should. I’ve spent the entire morning in this bank and another bank for very simple service, and it seems like nothing is happening, except bad service.”
She asked how she could be of service at this point. All I required was a printout, which mercifully took one minute, and then I left.
Tip:
A friend of mine who works and banks with Standard Bank says the last time he even entered a branch was over 2 years ago.
He does all his banking online, and says it makes things a lot simpler, better, and it's a lot faster too.
You can too, though the catch is, you have to visit your branch to activate this function, and it may require an additional visit to upgrade to higher functionality (beyond checking your balance).
Good luck, and take my advice: take a book along the next time you visit your local branch. You're going to need oodles of patience.
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