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So I got a very interesting call during my short shift today.
ME: Yours truly, of course.
DL: Dumb lady who calls on the phone.
ME: Thank you for calling xyz bank, this is golfcart34, how can I help you?
DL: Hi, I'm just calling because I want to find out my daughters account balance. He account is really with Bank of America and I can't seem to get their number. I was wondering if you could help me with finding out her balance and everything.
For the record, and I'm sure that BOA has a similar policy, we do not give out client information unless they are a signer on the account and they can properly identify themselves as being that person. We don't just give out customer information randomly, especially since that's prohibited by federal law and bank policy. Secondly, why in the world are you calling a competitor's bank to find out the balance for an account held somewhere else?
ME: I'm sorry ma'am, but we can only look up information for customers of our bank and you have to be an authorized signer on that person's account to get information.
DL: Ok, well, do you know the phone number for Bank of America so I can call them up and find out her balance? I tried calling 411 and they gave me an 800 number. I also tried looking in the phone book and they listed the same number.
Now, my aunt had to deal with BOA when a relative died, so I know that the only way you can call a local branch at BOA is through their automated 800 number. My aunt had to do that when she first called since we tried everything to locate the number and were unsuccessful. At least my aunt was smart and asked them for the local number at the branch when she spoke with customer service there and they were more than happy to provide the number, especially since they knew her at this particular branch. Personally, I never understood this practice since it takes away from personal service at the bank. I know some people, especially the old people, want to talk with tellers at the branch they frequent, since that's the branch they know and trust, not some random 800 number that might be hard to use for them.
Not only that, but if our branch in general wants to call the local BOA office, we have to call the 800 number just like everybody else. I'm sure the proof department has the local number, but have fun trying to call them most of the time.
ME: Unfortunately, ma'am, the only way to get a hold of your local branch is to call the 800 number and have them patch you through. That's what my aunt had to do when she called our local branch to get some information when a relative died. You can always ask the branch for their local number when the 800 number patches you through so you don't have to call the 800 number the next time you need to speak with them. That's what my aunt did and they had no problem giving it to you at that point.
DL: I don't understand why you can't just give me my daughter's information because I really don't like calling 800 numbers.
ME: I understand that, but I can't change the way BOA lists their phone numbers.
DL: Well, I guess I'll just have to deal with the 800 number then.
At this point she hangs up and she never did end up calling back. She never really was rude per say during the whole conversation, just persistent and dumb as all hell. I just don't understand why you have to explain the same information a million times to certain people. I told the head teller about this and she had no clue about what the local number for BOA is and she agreed that the woman really needed to either call the 800 number or go to the branch in person.
We really do go out of our way to help our customers (and even non customers) because that's how our branch has such a good reputation. There are those times, however, when you just can't do a thing for them.
ME: Yours truly, of course.
DL: Dumb lady who calls on the phone.
ME: Thank you for calling xyz bank, this is golfcart34, how can I help you?
DL: Hi, I'm just calling because I want to find out my daughters account balance. He account is really with Bank of America and I can't seem to get their number. I was wondering if you could help me with finding out her balance and everything.
For the record, and I'm sure that BOA has a similar policy, we do not give out client information unless they are a signer on the account and they can properly identify themselves as being that person. We don't just give out customer information randomly, especially since that's prohibited by federal law and bank policy. Secondly, why in the world are you calling a competitor's bank to find out the balance for an account held somewhere else?
ME: I'm sorry ma'am, but we can only look up information for customers of our bank and you have to be an authorized signer on that person's account to get information.
DL: Ok, well, do you know the phone number for Bank of America so I can call them up and find out her balance? I tried calling 411 and they gave me an 800 number. I also tried looking in the phone book and they listed the same number.
Now, my aunt had to deal with BOA when a relative died, so I know that the only way you can call a local branch at BOA is through their automated 800 number. My aunt had to do that when she first called since we tried everything to locate the number and were unsuccessful. At least my aunt was smart and asked them for the local number at the branch when she spoke with customer service there and they were more than happy to provide the number, especially since they knew her at this particular branch. Personally, I never understood this practice since it takes away from personal service at the bank. I know some people, especially the old people, want to talk with tellers at the branch they frequent, since that's the branch they know and trust, not some random 800 number that might be hard to use for them.
Not only that, but if our branch in general wants to call the local BOA office, we have to call the 800 number just like everybody else. I'm sure the proof department has the local number, but have fun trying to call them most of the time.
ME: Unfortunately, ma'am, the only way to get a hold of your local branch is to call the 800 number and have them patch you through. That's what my aunt had to do when she called our local branch to get some information when a relative died. You can always ask the branch for their local number when the 800 number patches you through so you don't have to call the 800 number the next time you need to speak with them. That's what my aunt did and they had no problem giving it to you at that point.
DL: I don't understand why you can't just give me my daughter's information because I really don't like calling 800 numbers.
ME: I understand that, but I can't change the way BOA lists their phone numbers.
DL: Well, I guess I'll just have to deal with the 800 number then.
At this point she hangs up and she never did end up calling back. She never really was rude per say during the whole conversation, just persistent and dumb as all hell. I just don't understand why you have to explain the same information a million times to certain people. I told the head teller about this and she had no clue about what the local number for BOA is and she agreed that the woman really needed to either call the 800 number or go to the branch in person.
We really do go out of our way to help our customers (and even non customers) because that's how our branch has such a good reputation. There are those times, however, when you just can't do a thing for them.
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