Holiday Barrelling up Fast!
Problems at the Bank
As time passes, I get increasingly frustrated at what is euphemistically called ‘Customer Service’ in this country. It has always been mediocre when compared with overseas but now has reached the point where it has become a contradiction in terms.
The latest spat involves our favourite folk - the bank. Apart from the surly demeanour of the many of the tellers, one has to bellow through tank-proof glass so they - and the rest of the surrounding 100 metres - can hear what you are saying. This inch of armour plate seems to also insulate them to the point where not only is the bank’s money safe but also their physical selves. They can be as offhand as they like behind it without the sltightest chance that they will be pulled over the counter by their collars.
I digress.
Acting on ‘Professional advice’
Two months ago, and after two SMSs telling me I had to update my FICA (anti money laundering legislation for those not local) I asked a teller at the local branch what I needed to do. She replied that as they had all my details, nothing further need be done and I could safely ignore it. Two furhter months and a further SMS later, last Monday,. I found my account frozen.
To cut a long and tedious story short, it took several visits to the bank, my bookkeeper - several visits to SARS, and numerous phone calls to get the lock lifted. Only on Friday evening. Now I could use my internet banking once more and clients could pay in. The lady in charge of Nedbank’s upliftment, escalation, exfoliations and desquamation is called Benita.
‘Thank you Benita - now is this unlocking for good?’
‘Yes Mr. Evers’.
This morning - Wednesday - the account was again written in red. An email with 42pt red font was sent to the aforementioned, together with a firm phone call. ‘I’ll ring you back’ she said.
An hour later I was informed that it had been lifted and had been reimposed over the weekend because it had only been a temporary unlocking. Despite that answer to the opposite to my question last week. I swear these people say the first thing that enters their heads.
Now, I understand that bank customers have far worse problems but the point that I am making here is that at no time did anyone say ‘I’m sorry’. No-one took responsibility for this cockup. I was given erroneous advice by an employee and no-one apologised - and this from a bank that has acres of trumpeting about their ‘Service Award’.
I do get the occasional apology - but it is always from a person who is not to blame for whatever fiasco has occurred. The idiot, ‘couldn’t give a toss’ employee who is to blame never apologises to you face to face.
Another Tyred Story
My neighbour bought two Goodyear tyres from the local Hi Q yesterday. He then noticed a steering vibration and changed several bits, including the shocks to try to remedy the problem, to no avail.
Today, he went back to Hi Q and asked them to run the wheels on the balancer. Both tyres had a flatspot.
Now, instead of simply replacing the faulty tyres with an apology, they told him that they would send them back but in the meantime, he would have to buy two more tyres. In a week or so, he might get some sort of a refund. Needless to say it will be the last tyres from Hi Q and the last Goodyear tyre.