Humiliation part 2...

Jo_R_2

I apologise in advance if I seem slightly narky, things always seem worse when yr a sleep-deprived new (well second time round anyway) parent with a jealous toddler and a baby that won't sleep

I posted a couple of weeks ago about my run-in with my bank, whereby a horrible CSA was very rude and made me cry. I got onto my MP who contacted their Customer Services on my behalf, and have been corresponding with the manager over the matter. This morning I received his second letter in response to my first letter, where I outlined what had happened and the fact that the unauthorised overdraft charges that the CSA had said she would refund, have not been refunded.

I am furious at his letter. He has basically undermined everything I have said in a very carefully worded way and it reads to me like he is saying "I apologise for the distress you felt... but we didn't have anything to do with it."

I could go on but you get the idea anyway... Or not, I'm not sure what my sleep-addled brain is trying to say, should I post some choice snippets from his lovely letter?

Going to sleep now...

Princess_Aphrodite

OOhhhh it makes my blood boil and the condescending and humiliating way they are treating you hun. I would suggest speaking to this young man and tell him you are not satisfied with his response and ask him for his superiors details.

Then send your letter to his superior (also naming the CSA and the Manager) in it and tell them its not good enough, etc. That should make you feel better and they should both then get a telling off at least.

If you need some pointers with what to say perhaps post some extracts here?

And if you haven't already - claim all your bank charges back and say up your bum to them!! :rotfl:

Chin up!

Kevicho

***Sample letter***

Dear Sir.

Thankyou for you response which although was curteous, didnt contain the kind of response which I would appreciate from a establishments of your standing.

I have been a loyal customer now for X amount of years, and have come to expect a high level of service from your dedicated staff.

However in this case i feel those standards clearly were'nt met.

I felt the way that you "Customer Support Agent" dealt with me was wholely innapropriate, and extremely patronising.
It would be fair for me to say that the attitude and respect that was shown to me and my situation was, to be polite, susceptable to improvement.

I sincerely hope in future that a situation that arises in future can be dealt with in a more private setting, rather than a crowded area.
Maybe this could be included in your training policies, as this is the way all customers should be treated.

Im sure it would also be benficial to the reputation of your company to make sure my complaint and the outcome is dealt with, to my satisfaction, in a positive and swift manner.

Word of mouth can be a very positive, but also very negative endorsement of a company

Thankyou for you co operation and I look forward to many more years of excellent service from yourselves.

Regards

Jo_R

Something along those lines would be good, make them feel good by saying (or indeed lying) that so far service has been great, but on this occasion they have failed to be decent human beings.

Keep your cool, and dont get so wound up about it, remember the objective, is to get money back from these a*&*(*s , there opinions dont mean a thing

Take care

elantan

jo i remember reading this first time around ...god they have a cheek ...they really arn't getting it at all are they ? sorry i can't give any practical advise but i totally sympathise with you ..out of interest what happened at the birth (was following that on another thread and lost it) i remember you were nearly or even three weeks over due ..did you get to have a natural at home or land up in hosp...all the best with fixing those b****rds out ...

nrsql

I can remember trying to buy a new ford car (I always used to buy ford).

The expected delivery date came the dealer actually said that the car was in the country and I could pick it up at the weekend. Called on the friday and they said the car wasn't there - must be some delay.
Following week - it would be another couple of weeks - it missed the shipment.
Sorry bad luck - no discount - we have (I think it was) 6 months to deliver - look at your contract.
Eventually they discovered that ford had told them 2 months earlier they one of the options had design problems and wouold not be available for at least 9 months.
Can I have my deposit back? Certainly sir.
Where's my deposit? Just waiting for the cheque to be raised.
Where's my deposit? Accounts person on holiday?
Where's my deposit? Have the cheque just needs to be signed.
Where's my deposit - I'm seeing my solicitor about it this evening? OK come and pick up the cheque.
This was over several weeks.

I wrote to ford complaining. They just forwarded the complaint to the garage who said they missed the information about the problem with the option (nothing about saying my car was in the country) but there was certainly no delay in returning the deposit.

Strangely it was about 15 years before I went near ford again and still advise any companies I work for against buying new cars from them.

I felt just avoiding the brand was enough retribution - bit of a shame you're probably not in a position to do the same - but at least take satisfaction from letting a lot of people know how you've been treated.

MinnieSpender

Time to ring your MP again, methinks...

ttoli

I had a bad experience with Barclays, despite charging me to express clear a cheque, they didn't!! thus i missed a payment deadline for my new house!. wrote a very similar letter to their Customer Services even threatened to sell all my shares in the company(little porkie!) and suggested a compensation of 200 pounds. My account was credited the next day!!!

kathfisch

Try not to give up jo_r, even with everything else you've got going on at the mo! The way they've treated you is shocking and you definitely deserve some compensation for the humiliation and stress they caused, on the day and since.

Good luck x

Jo_R_2

Letter went as follows:

...

I have investigated your complaint and spoken at length to my colleague who talked to you at our reception desk.

Like me, she is concerned that you felt so upset following your discussion with her and regrets any undue stress or anxiety that resulted from this discussion.

However she is a very experienced colleague and I am more used to receiving compliments from customers about her. She genuinely feels that she did not berate you about the conduct of your account and did not intend to do so.

I understand that you were offered a seat whilst she checked with a member of the management team if it was possible to help you in any way with the charges. [Think didn't explain myself clearly here, I meant whilst she was discussing my account she didn't offer a seat or a private room.]

The charges were not a result of a Halifax error and are covered fully by the account conditions. However we did agree to reverse two of them as a good will gesture. [Yes but you didn't refund anything, that's my point! I also pointed that that because they didn't refund the money they said they would, a direct debit went out and put me a little over my overdraft and they charged me £30 for that!]

Therefore, whilst it is clear that you were upset following your visit, I do not agree that you were treated in an unacceptable or discriminatory manner. [Discriminatory as I mentioned that she referred to my being a parent through my nursery DD and that I had to be more responsible with another on the way.]

In addition I will not be able to refund any further bank charges to your account.[Any "further" charges? You haven't refunded me any!!!]

...

Should any of your concerns remain unresolved please let me know what you woudl like to do to put matters right...

skintchick

I think you need to write back explaining clearly what your points are, again.

I'd drop the reference to discriminatory - what you describe wasn't discrimination. Instead point out you felt belittled and humiliated by her berating you in public accusing you of being an irresponsible parent.

I would focus on the charges not being refunded as promised, and the problems and harship that subsequently caused.

State also what you want them to do - refund the charges as promised and ALSO the charges their lack of fulfillment of that promise subsequently caused you to incur.

Be to the point, relatively brief, and very clear.

mountainofdebt

you should write to them stating that although you appreciate that given that she is an experienced member of staff, she would have automatically appreciated the need for the conversation to take place in private and not for all and sundry to hear.

As far as the bank charges are concerned I think I would write stating something like that due to all the publicity that has there has been you understand that these charges are considered unlawful and therefore politely request the refund of these charges.

As you have been a loyal customer for x years you would prefer for the matter to be settled amicably and speedly but that you are prepared to take the matter further.