Banking - Discrimination???

woodbon

I have just paid an account on the internet, but as I submitted the payment I thought I clicked on the cancel button by mistake. To cut a long story short, I used the banks telephone system to check this. I managed to get 2 numbers transpossed and the system put me through to an 'advisor' . This guy had a strong accent and I had a job to understand him and gave him the wrong password 2 times by mistake. He told me he would have to cancel my telephone banking account and I would have to go to my nearest major branch 15 miles away to set it up again. I explained that this is not easy, as I cannot walk far, etc. and could it be done in writing. The answer of course is NO, for security reasons. I can still use the Internet but I just wanted a simple bit of information and a quick response. NO WAY. It would break security rules and be unsafe. I pointed out that I thought this discriminates against disabled people, and anyway the bank are quite happy to send out my debit card and PIN in the post. They also send my cheque book and statements compleate with account numbers. He said that someone may open post and see my phone banking number. I said they may take my credit card and PIN!!! Got nowhere, of course, but very frustrated I wont name them but they are in the news and have taken are taxes, to help them out and are up North. No prizes for guessing!!! Rant over. Does anyone else think this is discrimination or am I just mad at them Love Sue.

katekelly

woodbon wrote:

I have just paid an account on the internet, but as I submitted the payment I thought I clicked on the cancel button by mistake. To cut a long story short, I used the banks telephone system to check this. I managed to get 2 numbers transpossed and the system put me through to an 'advisor' . This guy had a strong accent and I had a job to understand him and gave him the wrong password 2 times by mistake. He told me he would have to cancel my telephone banking account and I would have to go to my nearest major branch 15 miles away to set it up again. I explained that this is not easy, as I cannot walk far, etc. and could it be done in writing. The answer of course is NO, for security reasons. I can still use the Internet but I just wanted a simple bit of information and a quick response. NO WAY. It would break security rules and be unsafe. I pointed out that I thought this discriminates against disabled people, and anyway the bank are quite happy to send out my debit card and PIN in the post. They also send my cheque book and statements compleate with account numbers. He said that someone may open post and see my phone banking number. I said they may take my credit card and PIN!!! Got nowhere, of course, but very frustrated I wont name them but they are in the news and have taken are taxes, to help them out and are up North. No prizes for guessing!!! Rant over. Does anyone else think this is discrimination or am I just mad at them Love Sue.

I think it's a case of "computer says Noooo"! Unfortunately banks, call centres and dare I say it (yes I will stand up and be counted!!!) hospital appointment clerks are only trained in doing as the computer tells them. If you want anything out of the ordinary they haven't got a clue as they are not employed to use their brains just their keyboards!! :x

Having said that I must say that the Halifax were very good when I had to ring them but then again I'm not a customer of theirs!!! After we moved house we kept getting automated messages from them for the previous occupier and at one point it was up to four a day. I tried to ring back on the number that was left but didn't get anywhere because that was an automated service too and I didn't know the information required to get to the next "stage" of the conversation. Eventually I rang our local branch and spoke to a girl who took as much information as possible and the calls ceased. She didn't even try to sell me their services-result!!!

woodbon

katekelly wrote:

woodbon wrote:

I have just paid an account on the internet, but as I submitted the payment I thought I clicked on the cancel button by mistake. To cut a long story short, I used the banks telephone system to check this. I managed to get 2 numbers transpossed and the system put me through to an 'advisor' . This guy had a strong accent and I had a job to understand him and gave him the wrong password 2 times by mistake. He told me he would have to cancel my telephone banking account and I would have to go to my nearest major branch 15 miles away to set it up again. I explained that this is not easy, as I cannot walk far, etc. and could it be done in writing. The answer of course is NO, for security reasons. I can still use the Internet but I just wanted a simple bit of information and a quick response. NO WAY. It would break security rules and be unsafe. I pointed out that I thought this discriminates against disabled people, and anyway the bank are quite happy to send out my debit card and PIN in the post. They also send my cheque book and statements compleate with account numbers. He said that someone may open post and see my phone banking number. I said they may take my credit card and PIN!!! Got nowhere, of course, but very frustrated I wont name them but they are in the news and have taken are taxes, to help them out and are up North. No prizes for guessing!!! Rant over. Does anyone else think this is discrimination or am I just mad at them Love Sue.

I think it's a case of "computer says Noooo"! Unfortunately banks, call centres and dare I say it (yes I will stand up and be counted!!!) hospital appointment clerks are only trained in doing as the computer tells them. If you want anything out of the ordinary they haven't got a clue as they are not employed to use their brains just their keyboards!! :x

Having said that I must say that the Halifax were very good when I had to ring them but then again I'm not a customer of theirs!!! After we moved house we kept getting automated messages from them for the previous occupier and at one point it was up to four a day. I tried to ring back on the number that was left but didn't get anywhere because that was an automated service too and I didn't know the information required to get to the next "stage" of the conversation. Eventually I rang our local branch and spoke to a girl who took as much information as possible and the calls ceased. She didn't even try to sell me their services-result!!!

Yes, I think you are right. Trust me to get confused over numbers!!I HATE PIN NUMBERS; am I the only one :oops: Sue

annic4363

woodbon wrote:

katekelly wrote:

woodbon wrote:

I have just paid an account on the internet, but as I submitted the payment I thought I clicked on the cancel button by mistake. To cut a long story short, I used the banks telephone system to check this. I managed to get 2 numbers transpossed and the system put me through to an 'advisor' . This guy had a strong accent and I had a job to understand him and gave him the wrong password 2 times by mistake. He told me he would have to cancel my telephone banking account and I would have to go to my nearest major branch 15 miles away to set it up again. I explained that this is not easy, as I cannot walk far, etc. and could it be done in writing. The answer of course is NO, for security reasons. I can still use the Internet but I just wanted a simple bit of information and a quick response. NO WAY. It would break security rules and be unsafe. I pointed out that I thought this discriminates against disabled people, and anyway the bank are quite happy to send out my debit card and PIN in the post. They also send my cheque book and statements compleate with account numbers. He said that someone may open post and see my phone banking number. I said they may take my credit card and PIN!!! Got nowhere, of course, but very frustrated I wont name them but they are in the news and have taken are taxes, to help them out and are up North. No prizes for guessing!!! Rant over. Does anyone else think this is discrimination or am I just mad at them Love Sue.

I think it's a case of "computer says Noooo"! Unfortunately banks, call centres and dare I say it (yes I will stand up and be counted!!!) hospital appointment clerks are only trained in doing as the computer tells them. If you want anything out of the ordinary they haven't got a clue as they are not employed to use their brains just their keyboards!! :x

Having said that I must say that the Halifax were very good when I had to ring them but then again I'm not a customer of theirs!!! After we moved house we kept getting automated messages from them for the previous occupier and at one point it was up to four a day. I tried to ring back on the number that was left but didn't get anywhere because that was an automated service too and I didn't know the information required to get to the next "stage" of the conversation. Eventually I rang our local branch and spoke to a girl who took as much information as possible and the calls ceased. She didn't even try to sell me their services-result!!!

Yes, I think you are right. Trust me to get confused over numbers!!I HATE PIN NUMBERS; am I the only one :oops: Sue

Hi there

As A customer services manager, may I give you some advice?

First and foremost the behaviour of your bank is not acceptable. Unfortunately more and more banks now use calls centres off shore. The staff there are trained up to a point but they are scripted and have no discretion to go beyond that at all.

So I would suggest that you do the following:

Firstly, send an old fashioned 'snail mail' letter to your bank. This should be addressed to the Customer Services Director personally. If you mark it 'Private and Confidential' they may even open it!

If you can afford to I would send it Recorded Delivery or even better Special Delivery. This means that they have to sign for it and thus accept that they have received it. One word of warning you will need a proper street address as it is not possible to send letters which need signing for to a P O Box.

I would lay your problem out very clearly - as you have here. I would also give them an idea of how you would like the problem to be resolved. The big mistake lots of people make when complaining is that they are so angry that when they write the letter they don't give the company any 'wiggle room'. If you make a reasonable request and can back it up most companies will respond favourably.

Finally I would give them a reasonable deadline about when you expect a reply. 10 working days for an example.

If none of this resolves this for you I would take your complaint to the banking ombudsman who can help with this.

I hope that is of some help. If you would like more advice please send me a message!

Good Luck!

Chat soon

Annie

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