My Bank Doesn't Understand Customer Service

My bank doesn't seem to understand the appropriate level of customer service for their industry.

It spent the best part of the nineteen nineties pushing their customers out in front of the ATM machines by reducing the number of tellers and charging fees for counter withdrawals.

They then spent the best part of the new millennium promoting their outstanding customer service by bringing back all the services they'd spent the previous decade cutting back on.

I walked into my bank today, like I have many times before, and was practically accosted by a man at the Customer Service desk, "Hello, how are you? Just going to the Tellers are we?"

"Errr... yes," I was somewhat taken aback. For a minute I thought I'd walked into the wrong place.

The guy realized I had no interest in him as I, like most people, know that to deposit a cheque, you need to head straight to the teller windows. I mean it's not a boutique clothing store where you expect assistance, it's a bank.

In a bank, if you're not making a specific transaction at a teller, there's usually only one other place to go - The Customer Service Desk. You don't need the customer service people to come to you because you already know that you can go to them for anything you can't achieve at the teller windows. Why can't my bank understand this?

I suspect my bank has been taking a browse through the fast food, Would you like fries with that, customer service handbook. Their Tellers, some time ago, started trying to interest me in other products like home loans. I've no idea why? Especially after they've probably just seen my laughable account balance as I deposit yet another modest cheque. If I wanted something else I would've asked, right?

Although I appreciate friendly customer service, in a bank, staff just should be there when you need them. They don't need to get in your face and they certainly don't need to be up-selling. My Bank shouldn't be giving me more reasons not like them (bank fees - don't get me started).

I can just imagine a robber running into my bank with a sawn off shot gun and a bag...

"Hello, how are you? Just going to the tellers are we?"

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TET.Life (The Extraordinary Tourist Life)

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