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| i am bottom right cat beard at the moment. |
i've been having ridiculous customer service issues at the bank lately. it truly makes me wonder if i'm a really really difficult demanding customer. but i feel like i'm not asking for much, all i want is for what needs to be done, done, straight forward styles. i don't care if it's with a smile or extras, treat me fairly, don't waste my time or assume i'm a moron. seems reasonable no?
i was trying to renew my mortgage, but unfortunately i wasn't able to do it on-line because i have a variable mortgage rate. so i had to make an appointment to go into a branch. fine, no problem. my mortgage is with a big canadian bank i will not name, because i don't care to be sued for defamation, and i also don't care to advertise for them. the first part of the meeting went ok, then i tried to negotiate the posted mortgage rates (2.99% 4 year fixed) for my renewal because i had been approved for a slightly better rate from ing direct (2.79% 3 year fixed). it was 0.2% lower interest rate, not a huge difference, but i would be saving over $16/month which really adds up, that's $200 of hard earned money a year! why would i want to give that extra money back to the bank that's already making a lot of interest off of my mortgage and fees? i'd rather buy shoes.
this is when things started to get bad. my personal banker lady lost her shit. completely. she stood up, started waving her arms around and raised her voice, and told me i should just go take my business to ING direct, they can offer lower rates because they have no customer service/employees and i would have to deal with computers and waiting on hold on the phone, and never have service from actual people. (holy shit! that's actually precisely what i want!! fyi i didn't say that out loud.) i told her i would prefer to stay with -----bank because it's less paperwork and notary fees than than if i transferred my mortgage, and i've been a customer at the bank for over 20 years, but i would still like the lower interest rate if possible. well that was the end of the meeting, we fake smiled at each other, i shook her hand and she didn't even offer to submit the lower mortage rate that i wanted to the main office to see if they would approve it.
also just a note on her character, when i first came in for my noon appointment, i walked towards her office just as she was coming out and was in the process of putting on her jacket to head out for lunch. she had obviously forgotten about our appointment. i was like- um, i think we have an appointment. so she told me to go back to the lobby (10 ft away) and sit and wait for her and before my ass actually touched the chair, she called me back to her office. she had made me go back to the lobby for like 8 seconds. wtf power trip much??? not to mention that she had all these plaques and certificates all over the place for 25 years of excellent service and customer service awards. i guess it's not too hard to get those awards when there's only like 6 people at the branch. also, she wouldn't switch to in english during this appointment, even when i was struggling to come up with all the technical mortgage related words in french and all of our previous meetings had been in english. she must have been really pissed that someone scheduled her this meeting during her lunch break.
anyway, i ended up calling the 1-800-bank number to see if this mortgage renewal/rate negotiation could be done over the phone. i didn't call to complain about the crazy banker lady because i didn't want to get her into trouble, she's had over 25 years of service, just let her retire. i don't care. maybe she was just hungry from missing lunch and having a bad day, it happens. i spoke with a super friendly nice guy who was really helpful and fantastic. (or so i thought) he said he could renew my mortgage over the phone but couldn't give me the lower rate over the phone, and i would have to go into my branch. i told him why i didn't want to return to my branch he apologized profusely for what happened, said i should file a complaint and offered to transfer me & my accounts to another branch, ok fantastic, sold! he said he transferred my accounts, and i now i have a new branch! yay! success! i'm happy! (24 minute call)
fast forward a couple of weeks, i've been extremely busy and haven't been able to make time to go into the bank until now, i call and manage to snag a last minute appointment on the same day with a banking officer at the new branch. when i get there, they make me wait in the long line for the teller even though i have an appointment, just so they can check me in. ok weird, but no problem, i'm not even bothered. i'm in an awesome mood. oh but surprise surprise, when they try to check me in, they have no record of my appointment, have no record of me at the branch and they say my mortgage and bank accounts are still at the old branch. they ask for a piece of id, they still can't find any record of my appointment, i show them my mortgage papers, nothing. two tellers are huddling over a screen trying to figure it out. then they pretty much tell me to go back to my old branch.
that's when i pull out my phone, and say- look, i called this very bank this morning, i spent 11 minutes on the phone with two different people at this branch, and made an appointment, here is my call history, and it clearly shows that this is the phone number for this branch, i have proof. then they were like, ok ok, we'll go see what we can do. really? it's a tiny branch, with maybe 6 employees, how hard can it be to figure this out, when i called earlier i spoke with 1/3 of the branch, so chances are, someone must know about my appointment. (i didn't say that last part out loud, i'm not a maniac) (i found out later that it turns out that the direct number for the branch ends up at a call centre. and the person answering the phone for the branch isn't actually at the branch.)
i'm still completely calm and not at all worked up. they finally figure out that i've got an appointment with the branch manager. ok great, she's super friendly, very professional, introduces herself as someone with 23 years in customer experience. she says she's going to save me money and help me with my finances! oh this is fantastic! this is going to be amazing, you're exactly what i need. i'm really excited you're going to help me. (i actually say this part out loud.) she can't figure out why my accounts were not transferred, as promised by the friendly guy at call centre but says she will transfer them for me. fine! great! let's get this started! then this is where everything goes downhill.
she looks at my checking account, hard sells me for another checking account that has $13.95/month in account fees. she's like look, if you do lots of transactions on your debit card, you'll be saving money. i said, i only use this account for my mortgage i don't use my debit card, i have very few transactions. then she goes through my account history trying to prove that i do lots of debit transactions. i'm tell her i'm happy with my account the way it is because my fees are $3.95 along with a $4 "record keeping fee" that pops up randomly, and it's not my main checking account, and paying $14/month will not be saving me money and i use my credit card for purchase because it doesn't have transaction fees. she also tries to get me to transfer my business bank accounts from another bank to this bank, and i say no thanks. then she finally stops searching my account history for debit service charges to prove me wrong and asks if i want a credit card.
i'm say no thank you, i have one credit card that i'm happy with and i don't carry a balance on it. she hard sells me on a credit card with an introductory rate of 0.9% interest for 6 months. i politely decline, i don't need that, i don't carry a balance on my card. then she tries to sell me on cash back credit cards with an annual fee of $40/year! she's like with the 2% cash back, the fees are actually free. i'm like, um, that's not really true. you're still paying $40/year. then she pulls out her calculator and explains that if i spend $2000, i will get enough cash back to pay for the fees. i'm like, uh-still not free. i'm happy with my no annual fee pc mastercard, i get points and i get free groceries, something that i use on a regular basis (hi! love food! and president's choice products! big fan!). she's like, well points aren't cash, why don't you check with your credit card to see how many % you're getting back. i'm like, yeah i'll get on that, but no thank you.
ok, so then she insists i need disability/death insurance on my mortgage god forbid something happens to me if i die or if i get an injury and can't work. i politely decline and say i don't need it. then she tells me how she had a friend who said the EXACT same thing, and then she died a few months ago. but lucky her, she had just insured her friend shortly before her untimely death, so her mortgage and credit cards were all paid off when she died. (holy shit, i sure hope she wasn't lying about that, because that would seriously be fu*ked up) i'm like, oh, i'm so sorry to hear about your friend but no thank you, i really don't want this extra insurance.
i'm completely calm and composed, friendly, i even smile and i'm only a touch annoyed, because we're 30 minutes into this appointment and i am still no closer to getting my mortgage renewed than i was 30 minutes ago, but i trust her because i went into this appointment with an open mind and so so so optimistic. i was really making an effort to care about what she was telling me, but then i realized she has no idea what she's about and is not in fact trying to save me money, but instead, trying to sell me products and get commission or something. gross. i'm trying so so so hard not to be a difficult customer, cause i'm thinking it must be me, i'm the problem, i'm the common denominator (yes, i watch dr. phil) with all these bank experiences going so horribly wrong, so i'm going to go along with this and be as polite and patient as i can, even though i just want to get out of here and go to the mall and buy shoes.
she asks me what term i want for my mortgage, i say i'll take a 3 or 4 year term for my mortgage with interest rate i want, she offers a 5 year term. i know that longer terms have higher interest rates so i say-yeah, of course i'll take the 5 year term at 2.79%. she says it's not possible, 5 year terms have a much higher rate. so we move on.
she asks if i want a tax free savings account, because i am self employed and will have no pension. i tell her oh no thanks, i'm good. she ignores my response and gives me a long winded explanation about what they are, like "tax free savings account" isn't a descriptive enough name. i act interested, (i had a tax free savings account, i cashed it out when the interest rates tanked) i can't get a word in, and i truly do not want to be rude. when she finally finishes her monologue, i ask, what's the interest rate on one of these accounts? she says 1.5% or was it 1.25%? i can't remember, but it was really really low. she tells me whenever i have extra money, it's a good idea to put it into one of these accounts. i tell her, well, with the interest rate being so low, every time i have extra money, wouldn't it make more sense to put extra money on my mortgage because my mortgage rate has a higher interest rate (my current rate is at 2.25%)? isn't it nearly double? that's what i've been doing. she just stares at me, smile frozen. (i would in fact be losing money by putting it in a "savings" account. i watch daytime tv, i see money managers and financial planners on talk shows, they say to always pay down whatever has the highest interest rate first. it's common sense. i also did not say this last part out loud, i am not a maniac.) i tell her, well maybe when the interest rate goes up, i'll consider it. not said in a snarky manner because at this point i'm trying to speed this along, i don't want conflict.
so finally, she starts printing out a single sheet paper for the transfer of my accounts from my old branch (aka ING direct computer banking hater) to this new branch. it turns out, i can't even renew my mortgage until the accounts get transferred over, i have to come back for another appointment with someone else, and all that needed to be done today was a single signature and not an extremely long sales pitch for products that i don't need or want. omg kill me. she asks if this branch is closer for me, and i tell her no, i was not getting along with my personal banker at my old branch because she told me if i wanted a lower rate i could take my business to ING, so the call centre offered to transfer my account to this branch, and i'm downtown all the time anyway getting jewelry suppliers. she completely glazes over the fact that i was maybe treated badly at my old branch and instead asks if i have a jewelry catalog and i say NO maybe a little too quickly. (lady, go buy charms for your pandora bracelets in the mall. i did not say that out loud. i am not a maniac.)
she introduces me to my new banking officer who will now be taking care of my mortgage. i'm thinking this one is going to be a winner, i can feel it. everything is good again. they promise to call me on monday. but just as i'm stepping out the door, she tells me she'll see what she can do about getting me the lower mortgage rate even though i only have credit line & mortgage with the bank and asks me one more time if i'm sure i don't want disability & life insurance. way to harsh my mellow. to be continued...
update:
monday: so that last meeting happened on friday, and my new banking officer and the sales lady/branch manager had promised to call me on monday (today) with an update, things have to happen soon because my mortgage expires on friday, that's four days away. i don't hear from anyone all day, so i give them til 645pm, (branch closes at 7pm) and then call them. when you call the local 514 number of the branch, it turns out that it goes to a CALL CENTRE. (this may also explain all the confusion with my imaginary appointment on friday, hello! major disconnect with call centre & actual branch, i don't even think they share a computer system!!!) wtf?
when i ask to speak to mme. --- i may have pronounced the last or first name of my banking officer incorrectly, because it's got a lot of letters, and it's in a language i am not familiar with. call centre lady: um, we have no one by that name. i say- well, there's a good chance i'm pronouncing it incorrectly. she just can't figure out who it might be. this is a tiny branch. with no more than 6 people in it at a time. can't be that difficult, i must be getting at least the first letter of the name correct. she must be going through a list of names. she asks for my mortgage number to check my file to see if there's anything written in the notes. she finally says oh! is it ---? yes!!! she says a name not too different from the one i have been butchering.
i finally get transferred to my new banking officer ---, who doesn't even apologize for NOT calling me back today as promised, even though she promised to follow up TODAY and it's 5 minutes before the bank closes. i'm very polite, i say i'm just calling to follow up, we met last friday and my mortgage expires at the end of this week. she says- oh are you calling about the interest rate? we have no news. then she asks, so, do you still want to go through with the transfer to this branch? or do you want to wait? i'm like-wait for what? can you please put it through? my mortgage expires at the end of the week, and we don't have much time to do this. she says ok, i'll start putting it through. seriously. how does anything ever get done over there??? she says she will speak with the branch manager tomorrow afternoon (manager doesn't come in until noon) and then get back to me in the afternoon. she's promised to call me tomorrow afternoon with an update. yeah right. (11 minute call)
tuesday: it's 545pm past the end of a regular business day and still no call from the bank. guess i'll have to call to follow up on my own. i'm not going to wait until the bank is nearly closed today like i did yesterday just in case something can still be done today. oh sweet! i managed to get the call centre to give me my banking officer's direct phone number. (something that maybe should have been given to me at the bank, but that may be asking for too much.) ok, so i'm speaking to her right now, she says she got a answer back from the main branch (HELLO??? did it even occur to you to call me when you got the answer? time sensitive issue here!!! and don't say you're going to call if you're not going to call.) and they said they will not match ing's interest rate (which is now only 0.1% lower instead of 0.2% lower) than the posted rate on their website (bank has just lowered their rate and is now offering 2.89% for 4 year fixed). she offered me the posted rate like it was a giant present- i'm like, look, that's the rate you have posted on your website, it's not a super special rate like you're telling me, i've told her that i am willing to move my mortgage to ING for the slightly lower rate, but i would prefer not to because i've been a customer at this bank for over 20 years and i can tell she really doesn't care and i ask to speak with the manager, she transfers me.
i've just left a voicemail for the branch manager asking the reason why they weren't able to match the 0.1% difference, and for her to please call me back at her earliest convenience. i am pretty annoyed. i know you are able to negotiate mortgage rates slightly, because i did it when i got my first mortgage years ago and ended up with a super sweet rate. also, when i spoke with the branch manager on friday, she pretty much told be because i ONLY have a checking account, a mortgage (that pays the bank several thousands of dollars in interest each term) and a credit line with the bank, she was still going to ask about getting me the lower rate, (wow, way to do me a solid) and gave me the very strong impression that if i signed up for the disability/life insurance policy, i would have a better chance at getting the lower rate. (wow lady, you must have failed math class because that's completely insane and what's the point of getting the rate matched if i have to shell out extra for some stupid insurance i don't want. really? really?) now i'm pissed. currently channelling: angry grizzly bear. i know it's just 0.1%, but i was told by the call centre dude that they would probably be able to match the ING rate. all i want now is proof that the lower rate i asked for was in fact submitted to the main branch for approval, confirmation that my accounts were in fact transferred to the new branch, and the reason why the rate i asked for was refused. if i get reasonable answers to those questions, i will renew with the posted rate, and never call the bank again. i promise. (10 minute call)
so i'm now calling the call centre because i'm pretty annoyed. my banking officer wasn't very helpful and seems to have permanently misplaced my phone number. (why doesn't she call me??? she's just not that into me!!!) and the branch manager hasn't returned my call (the bank is now closed for the day and my mortgage expires in 3 days.) i want to see if my lower rate was actually submitted to the main branch because i'm currently having trust issues with my banking officer and branch manager and it seems as though have to follow up on everything myself just to make sure it's getting done. oh good lord the call centre lady says there is a note in my account saying the rate is still in negotiations with the branch manager. wtf? um didn't my banking officer just tell "NO" they will not match the rate. what??? that makes no sense. also, i was just informed that as of today, my accounts have not yet been transferred from my old branch to the new branch, BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T DONE IT YET. omg. i asked how long does a transfer usually take? answer-depends on how fast they do it. call centre lady also told me i should be dealing with the most high up person at the branch in this case the branch manager when it comes to the this mortgage rate matching situation. i told her i did deal with branch manager last friday and she tried to sell me products i didn't want for more than half an hour instead of doing what needed to be done and then handed me & my mortgage off to a banking officer. ugh. ok, so apparently i have the option of escalating this situation, and calling something called the "office of the president" to complain. i mean don't get me wrong, i absolutely love to complain, but i told call centre lady (who is awesome btw) that i don't want to get anyone in trouble, i just want to renew my mortgage with the slightly lower rate, and if not i would like to know the reason why the bank can't match the rate. so she had me on the line while she tried to call the branch manager once more, but we got her voicemail again. we decided that i should wait until tomorrow to see if i hear back from the branch manager (i was told she doesn't get in until noon) and if the situation doesn't improve, escalate to higher higher ups. seriously, i really did think that things were maybe going to work out for a minute there. i hope the "office of the president" reads my blog. (21 minute call)
wednesday: hey, it's only 1030am and guess who just got a phone call from the branch manager. i did! she told me the the reason the rate i wanted was refused was because i didn't have a good enough relationship with the bank. (which at this point would save me only $50/year, or $200 over the 4 year term, i know it's not a lot of money, but that's still my hard earned money damn it, why pay more if i don't have to? also, imagine if you found $50 on the street once a year? best day of your life for sure. i'm not hard up for $50/year but at after getting this far, i just want the lower rate out of principal.) i'm like- um, so i need to sign up for more products like the disability/life insurance or a credit card? she's like-no, not products, you need to build a better relationship with us. i'm like, by relationship, i need more products? she's like well if you had the insurance policy on your mortgage it would be building a better relationship. so now everything is out in the open, if i sign up for the insurance on my mortgage i'll have a better chance of lowering my interest rate by the measly 0.1% i am asking for. so i ask out of curiosity- how much is the life insurance? it works out to be an extra $5/month, which is just a smidge more than what i would be saving with the lower rate. so what's the point, when i do not want the insurance? she said my mortgage would be protected. i tell her ok, if i need a better "relationship" with the bank, sign me up for a no-fee credit card. she tries to sell me on the cash back credit card with the $40 annual fee. i say not interested in a card with a fee, but sign me up for one without an annual fee, don't care which one it is, as long as it doesn't have a fee. so she's submitted my request for a 0.1% lower rate with the promise that i'll sign up for a new credit card (that i have absolutely no intention of ever using) and says she'll call me later. i guess my 20 year relationship (my longest relationship ever) with the bank means nothing at all not to mention the $10,191.53 of INTEREST i've paid on this mortgage?? (interest paid from 2008-2012, this does not even include interest paid in 2013) i'm sorry, but if someone paid me $10,191.53 interest on a loan, i'd say we have a pretty good relationship, i'd say we might even be best friends forever. (9 minute call)
1230pm: ok! the bank manager just called me, good news! the rate i've been asking for has been approved! i have a meeting with a new banking officer and i sign the papers at the bank tomorrow morning one day before my mortgage expires. i also have to sign up for a stupid credit card with the bank as part of this deal, but i don't have to use it, i don't plan on activating it and it won't cost me anything, i know having extra credit cards isn't great for my credit rating but i don't plan on getting any big loans or buying a car etc any time soon. that wasn't so hard was it? done and done. (1 minute call)
thursday: ok, back from the bank! i'm happy, everything is A1+ ok! turns out my mortgage expired today and not tomorrow, but everything worked out. my new banking officer is amazing. he was genuinely friendly and he was actually trying to help me out. crazy right? before i signed the papers for the renewal- he explained everything on the forms and not in a condescending way (so impressed!), and even encouraged me to pay off my mortgage faster and explained the ways i could make extra payments on the principle without penalties and even managed to tell me i had a nice crystal (necklace) between explaining everything and totally not in a gross sucking up kind of way. he did realize i was signing up for the credit card just to get the better interest rate, so he got the forms & brochures, and sped through it just to go through the motions (his words!), and told me i didn't have to use it or activate it. but did warn me that the credit card automatically comes with an insurance policy that you have to call & cancel to opt out, and that if i do activate the credit card, make sure to use it once a year to avoid the $10/year "inactivity" fee. i think i love him! he also gave me his business card and said i could call or email if i ever have any questions, kind of crazy, but it seems as though he actually likes his job, knows what he's talking about and enjoys working with people. excellent customer service with no sales pitches or funny stuff and i also got a keurig coffee in the lobby. yayyyyyyy!!!
