Nationwide treated me like dirt for trying to pay money IN to my account

MrsBartolozzi

I had this when trying to pay change into my son's bank of Scotland account shortly after they joined with Halifax, in fact I was told that I had to make sure that the money was in full bags (it wasn't, I'd just empted his piggy bank) and to deposit into the machine (deposit machine I suppose I didn''t go looking for it) not at the counter. Talk about treating kids (and the basic accounts too IIRC) like second class citizens!

I then said well, "ok then I'd like to close the account please as this is terrible customer service." The cashier was not happy, but closed the account! (TBH I had expected to get a "just this time" comment and for them to accept the money) Opened a better one at A&L and my son got better treatment there and more interest. So in a roundabout way I'm glad they have this rule I suppose.
At least you know how much they care OP - you'd probably be better finding a different bank.

Any

Any wrote: »

I think personally that everything goes from branch to branch - I hated the NatWest branch in our village, yet one at my work is absolutely fantastic (we still have a joint account there).
Our village branch tried to send my OH home with bags of change, yet the one at work doesn't blink an eye.. As long as you bagged it. But when I went there for the first time, they emptied the envelopes I had it in into sorting bags for me and just warned me for the next time.

And it doesn't take much time to count, they just weight them!

Just in case someone tries to say that I do the opposite then Dunstonh - only protect OP or particular bank/society... I thought I bring up one of my previous comments...

TotallyBroke

goldeneagle69 wrote: »

As soon as I gave the bags to the cashier she said "you've got 6 bags, I can only take 5". She wanted me to come back tomorrow with 1 bag containing £10. So I would have had to pay for the petrol and an hours parking in the car park. I said that this wasn't acceptable and asked to speak to the manageress.

So the cashier obviously explained that she can only take in 5 bags and not 6 and told the customer to come back the next day.
BUT rather than the OP being nice and apologising and saying s/he did not know of that rule and would bear it in mind for next time, but would they consider making an exception just this once. S/he told them that it was unacceptable and asked to speak to the Manager. Just by doing that is a way of telling the cashier that you have little respect for him/her and you will challenge the rule that the building society has been made.

goldeneagle69 wrote: »

The manageress came storming over a few minutes later and said "this is Nationwides policy and they don't have room to store money". I started to say that we were only talking about 20 coins and that it would be a bit daft for me to have to come back. I only got half way through saying this because she asked me to be quiet and listen to her! She asked what I thought would happen if everybody tried to pay extra bags in? Well for one thing the banks would have more money! She then said that on this occasion they would make an exception, but I was never to do this again!

I can imagine the conversation had with the Manager, "I'm sorry to disturb you but there is a customer that would like to talk to you" M "Have they made an appointment?" C "No it's regarding paying in change, s/he has tried to pay in 6 bags of change instead of 5" M "So did you explain the 5 bag rule and ask them to come back another day" C "Yes, I did but s/he asked me to come and get you."
The fact that this Manager backed down and did this shows that they have no respect for the rules and the staff they manage. If I was the cashier I would be speaking to the manager about the incident and explaining that if 'I' was ever undermined like that again on a company policy I would be putting in a formal complaint against said Manager.

goldeneagle69 wrote: »

I have now lodged a formal complaint against the manageresses behaviour with the area manager, but to be honest I will be very surprised if I hear anything from them. I have now made an appointment to going and speak to the Halifax. They said that they have the same 5 bag policy, but never enforce it strictly. If somebody walks in with 7, 8 or 9 bags then it isn't a problem.

But you got the money paid in, so even if you think the Manageress was rude you still got the result you wanted. Now you have put in the complaint, I presume you told them, that the Manageress has broken the 5 bag rule you realise that they will probably repremand her on this all because you wanted to challenge the rule and she allowed you to.

Dave101t

op mentioned it was an extra 20 coins, meaning a bag of 50p's. wow, i wouldnt even change them, they come in useful for tips.

willo65

Any wrote: »

What a petty comment. Sorry Dunstoh, but it is.
Bank bank bank bank bank bank

www.nationwide.co.uk

Nationwide logo and "Proud to be a Building Society"

Oh well can't always be right.

vet8

TotallyBroke wrote: »

So the cashier obviously explained that she can only take in 5 bags and not 6 and told the customer to come back the next day.
BUT rather than the OP being nice and apologising

If I was the cashier I would be speaking to the manager about the incident and explaining that if 'I' was ever undermined like that again on a company policy I would be putting in a formal complaint against said Manager.

But you got the money paid in, so even if you think the Manageress was rude you still got the result you wanted. Now you have put in the complaint

I agree with you about the manageress not supporting her staff, it makes them look stupid, but maybe she thought they were being too jobsworth.

But why should the OP apologise at all, he is the CUSTOMER, the bank cannot run without them, they are the people who pay their wages.

And I totally agree with him about making a complaint. Too many staff, in all walks of life are too rude these days. It comes of the "Can't be bothered to" attitude, but what I said earlier still applies. We need to get back to customer service.

opinions4u

vet8 wrote: »

But why should the OP apologise at all, he is the CUSTOMER, the bank cannot run without them, they are the people who pay their wages.

The Nationwide is a building society. It has been mentioned once or twice.

A service provider such as Nationwide can run more effieicently for the wider benefit of all its customers if it doesn't accept excessive change.

And I totally agree with him about making a complaint. Too many staff, in all walks of life are too rude these days. It comes of the "Can't be bothered to" attitude, but what I said earlier still applies. We need to get back to customer service.

I repeat the point I made earlier in the thread.

Nationwide (and others) have a policy of accepting a limited amount of change (usually waived for kids and charities).

One reason for this will be storage, but the main reason will be that the amount of time it takes to collect, count and re-reconcile under dual control before it's collected by the security company takes cashiers and other staff away from customers. Who then get an inferior service as a result. Typically 4 hours a week in my bank manager days where I had no choice but to diminish the service to my customers by making sure the change was counted up for the security company.

I know we're talking "one bag" in this specific example, but if there's a line drawn it's better for all concerned to stick to it rather than make a "one-off" exception.

If a bank has a policy of not accepting what they see as excessive coin, then the customer has a choice. If the overall balance of being with that organisation is favourable, stay. If not, go elsewhere.

Just because an organisation is called a "bank" does not mean that it has to accept deposits of any kind over a counter somewhere. It has the choice as to how it conducts its business and, equally, customers have the choice to go elsewhere if they aren't happy. Personally I would much rather not be in a queue behind somebody with a sackful of coin.

Extant

It's fair comment that a complaint should be logged if you have bad customer service and don't get an apology from the branch.

That said, refusing to take deposits over five bags of coin is not bad service. It's a policy.

Complaining that you are a customer and that you pay the staff's wages (you don't) isn't some sort of magic key to getting what you want. The fact that you are a customer does not just entitle you to whatever you please. You still have to operate within the boundaries set by the business.

As has been said, refusing to take large amounts of coin allows them to serve greater numbers of customers to a better level within the constraints of their business. Sure, it sucks for the one or two that miss out, but that's the reality.

Robert_Hopkins

When I want to deposit coins the best place is the Post Office Counters, use a Alliance and Leicester or a Co-op Current Account using your card issued to do this. My local post office lets me even deposit a odd couple of coins without bags, infact it helps their cash flow, they often get people wanting exact amounts from benefit giro payments.

Smits

The manager should be sacked for having poor customer relation skills. End.

It doesnt matter what the issue was, it wasnt even big anyway. The fact is, know employee should be acting or speaking to any customer like that.

That being said, it only applies if what the op said is right and the issue wasnt that he was annoyed about a plicy which is in place and decided to try and fight it.