Unexpected text alert from NatWest

agrinnall

This morning I had a text alert from NatWest advising that my home phone number had been updated as requested on 07/09/2011. As I hadn't asked for any update to be done I rang Direct Banking who had a poke around and soke to somebody else before telling me that the number wasn't present on my account (e-Savings) yesterday but is now. They think it must have happened as part of a system change and that the number stored on my customer record had been used to complete missing data on my account record. What they said does make some sense, I just wondered if other people had received the same message without having asked for an update?

stclair

Yeah its nothing to worry about it was a missing data excercise.

IE you may have two accounts but only your telephone number listed on the one it will now be listed on both etc.

agrinnall

Thanks stclair, I think they perhaps could have disabled the text alert in that case. I used to work in GT so I might have a word with some of my ex-colleagues (although most of them have now been made redundant and their work exported to India, quite possibly the reason why this happened:)).

chambta

stclair wrote: »

Yeah its nothing to worry about it was a missing data excercise.

IE you may have two accounts but only your telephone number listed on the one it will now be listed on both etc.

But telephone numbers are only stored under the customer's ID number rather than related to a particular account.

stclair

chambta wrote: »

But telephone numbers are only stored under the customer's ID number rather than related to a particular account.

It depends which system your using that may be the case for back office.

chambta

stclair wrote: »

It depends which system your using that may be the case for back office.

Not sure what you mean but I'll leave it there rather than discuss it here!

agrinnall

chambta wrote: »

But telephone numbers are only stored under the customer's ID number rather than related to a particular account.

That would be true if all the systems were written now with the customer database at the centre of them. Unfortunately with bits of software still running that were written in the 1970's (and I suspect a few 1960's relics) there are many extra places where telephone numbers will be held. As you say in your later post, probably best not to discuss too much detail in a public forum.

Twister84

Did you open a brand new e-savings account?

stclair

agrinnall wrote: »

That would be true if all the systems were written now with the customer database at the centre of them. Unfortunately with bits of software still running that were written in the 1970's (and I suspect a few 1960's relics) there are many extra places where telephone numbers will be held. As you say in your later post, probably best not to discuss too much detail in a public forum.

Earlycloud the system used within the CTCs is an example of where customers telephone numbers are held seperate for each account.

agrinnall

Twister84 wrote: »

Did you open a brand new e-savings account?

Well, it was brand new (and my only NatWest account then and since) when I opened it last year.

Twister84

agrinnall wrote: »

Well, it was brand new (and my only NatWest account then and since) when I opened it last year.

Hmmm....I don't know the answer then. I was just thinking if you'd applied for anything, this may have triggered it.