Too eager to serve... frightens the customer

My colleague has put up his experience with customer service at his bank. Check out Customer Oriented Banking. This reminds of a very funny albeit frustrating episode with my banker. Refer to the post on the Power of Gold since this happens to be linked with the same bank.

As mentioned, this bank had accorded to me a gold status which meant among other things that I get priority treatment at the branch. The bank's branches have a token machine at the entrance. A customer has to select the type of transaction and type of customer. So whenever I went to the local branch to say drop a cheque, I selected the "Cheque Deposit" transaction and "Gold Customer". The moment I got my token, the security guard at the entrance used to holler "Gold, Gold" within the branch. This used to happen at every visit.

It was getting very frustrating. Every time I took a token, the guard shouted his "Gold, Gold" chant and all persons in the waiting area turned around to look at the guard and me. I asked the guard why he is shouting so. He said he has been instructed by the branch manager. I asked the branch manager why this was so. He said that gold customers are accorded priority treatment and his tellers need to know a gold customer has walked in so they can quickly service his needs. I still failed to understand why the guard was shouting. The branch manager stated that I should not worry since the guard shouting is not troubling me.

I explained to him that the guard shouting is exactly what worries me. Everytime the guard shouts, the people in the branch turn around and take a good look at me. I told him that I did not want to be conspicious and would prefer to be within the crowd and quietly move to the head of the queue and move out without having come to the notice of all the people in the branch. But for some reason the branch manager failed to appreciate this concern and continued with the practice of the guard shouting "Gold, Gold".

Slowly, I started dreading going into the branch. I preferred travelling another kilo meter to the branch of another bank where I had an account and doing my money transactions from this bank. Over time I moved all my new transactions to this new bank. The old instruments at the earlier bank matured and was transferred to the new bank. Today, I only have an auto loan at the first bank.

And all along the bank has neither realized nor discussed with me as to why my transactions have dropped with the bank.

I still continue to drive one additional kilo meter for my banking needs.

If only the bank understood that I enjoy being a gold customer but hate having everyone know that I am a gold customer.

The stress continues !!!

My last post was on my experience with renewal of my health insurance policy. I thought the saga ended there. But apparently I have a sequel to it now.

After the episode in the first installment, I got a mail from the company giving details of the renewal and a renewal policy contract. I noticed that my address, name and insured person name was mis-spelt. I replied to the email with this information and listed the correct data.

The next day I received a call from "apparently a different" department stating that my policy is renewed and couriered. I share the information of error to this person. He takes my information and raises a service request for the same. He said the corrected policy card will be sent to me.

When I get my policy document via courier next day, I notice the error in name still exists. I get in touch with the call center on this and end up being rewarded with one more service request number.

In the next two days, I get one policy document package and three courier letter with my policy card in each. The last one had my name and address mentioned correctly.

The entire renewal process had costed the company two courier packets and three couriered letters with the policy card. I wonder what was the cost of renewal of the policy for this company. OR was it my mail to the Director Retail business which made my case a high priority item to be resolved at all costs. I just wonder.