Coventry Building Society...

karatedragon

I have been with them since 2006 (when they introduced the Coventry First Account).

I have always been able to call a Coventry number and get straight through to speak to an adviser.

Today I call up to be greeted by some electronic woman spouting "options" at me. Sure enough - the speak to the "human" adviser option was last.

I will NEVER speak to and be instructed by some electronic calling device. Nor will I enter any of the requested details to it.

I am bitterly disappointed they have introduced this bad aspect of service. It might be in line with other companies - but in my mind those other companies are s**t.

If anyone phones me up at home they get straight through when I pick the receiver up and I don't give people multiple options to choose from.

karatedragon

wrangler5 wrote: »

Presumeably you don't have hundreds/thousands of people all calling you about bank accounts at the same time?

No, true, but if I did have that I would employee enough staff to answer the phones properly instead of being rude with automated robotic options services.

Anyway it's a waste of money because I just press or speak nothing and it connects me (all be it less quickly than before) to a human being.

Noble_Savage

karatedragon wrote: »

I will NEVER speak to and be instructed by some electronic calling device. Nor will I enter any of the requested details to it.

You won't even try? Wow....

karatedragon

Have found out that if you just simply say nothing the rude idiotic machine connects you to an adviser anyway.

Apparently this "improved" robotic options service allows you to check your balance and pay bills without going to an adviser.

I do all that on the web so when I ring up the "helpline" it is because I actually CAN'T do what this service is offering and want to speak to someone.

Why on earth didn't they have a separate number for "automated telephone banking" and then another number you can ring to "go straight to an adviser"??? OR -Put "speak to an adviser" on the "top level menu" instead of buried under layers of options?

Or is that common sense?

stclair

If people went straight through to an advisor. What happens when all the advisors are busy? they just get stuck listening too hold music.

Rather than wanting to speak to an advisor why not just listen to your balance etc on the automated service.

The best thing to do is to remember the options so you can bypass them quickly.

karatedragon

I check my balance and all that jazz on the online banking so don't need to ring up for that.

My gripe is that when I ring up it is because I want to speak about stuff other than balances and that. Now the phone line is basically a duplication of what the website offers with an option of speaking to somone "as a last resort". I think this is extremely rude and makes them no better than the mainstream banking institutions.

My enquiry to day was about a "chargeback" and there was certainly no "automatic option" for that. I rang to speak to someone not have to navigate a series of menus to eventually get to someone. By the time I did I was annoyed and frustrated and that isn't fair on the operator.

Like I said - they should have a separate line for "automated telephone banking" and keep a number to "speak to an adviser". Then those that want to use a robotic "balance and bills" service can and then hang up when they are done leaving those that have queries beyond the scope of that service able to call a dedicated "talk to a human" number.

And if all the advisers are busy to a point where customer waiting time is unacceptable - they they need to employ more advisers - simple solution.

I have found that if you just say nothing it connects you to the humans - but this still isn't as good as it was before this stupid "improvement" as the number got straight through.

I found my PIN for this they sent me earlier and I have just shredded it. I won't be using it. In fact I think I will start phoning up the "humans" for a balance and transaction list just to be cussed instead of using the website.

mackemdave

Coventry BS sent out a letter a couple of weeks ago informing people they were introducing telephone banking from 2nd June...Isnt this a step forward for people who cant do OLB......

stclair

Great in theory however i can imagine most people would then call the number to speak to an advisor.

Which would then mean longer call waiting and handling times etc.

They may then include an automated message stating your call is 100th in queue your call is important to us please continue to hold followed by thank you for your continued patience.

karatedragon

stclair wrote: »

Great in theory however i can imagine most people would then call the number to speak to an advisor.

Which would then mean longer call waiting and handling times etc.

They may then include an automated message stating your call is 100th in queue your call is important to us please continue to hold followed by thank you for your continued patience.

Then clearly this confirms that people do not like these robotic systems and would rather speak to a human??? And would clearly answer if their customer base wanted this "automated" service?

Anyway there was never a queue (not when I ever rang) before they introduced this service anyway so I don't know why they wasted their money on it.

stclair

karatedragon wrote: »

Then clearly this confirms that people do not like these robotic systems and would rather speak to a human???

I think most people would like to speak to human but hey its the 21st century :-)

karatedragon

Do NatWest still have the system where you can speak directly to a branch? I know they advertised that at one time while every where else was going robotic and farming their helplines off to other galaxies?