why do people get so offended and angry when i tell them they can't have an overdraft

tagq2

ses6jwg wrote: »

I usually then give them a fact-sheet on credit scoring and how it can affect an application, and suggest they take a look online at their Experian for anything untoward.

One thing I find frustrating as a customer is that The System[tm] won't tell you why you have been refused. Obviously some factor has been weighted sufficiently against your favour - so why can't the human and/or machine spit it out? To take an example, I once tried to open a second Current Plus, this time joint, at Natwest. We were each asked about current salary etc. Computer said no.

I know computer didn't say no because of imperfections in any credit report, unless there was something very obscure. So I was left guessing: were our joint incomes too low? Did we not have enough activity on our existing accounts? Did they simply not want me to have my name on more than one full current account? At the time it was slightly annoying because Step only granted you a Solo rather than Switch.

Not that any of this made me annoyed at the assistant. It's just that I went there hoping either to do something or to be told why the bank did not want to help me. I wasn't being secretive with the bank - it would be nice if the bank were not secretive to me. Please, be honest and tell me what you expect of me, even if it's ego-deflating.

ses6jwg

tagq2 wrote: »

One thing I find frustrating as a customer is that The System[tm] won't tell you why you have been refused. Obviously some factor has been weighted sufficiently against your favour - so why can't the human and/or machine spit it out? To take an example, I once tried to open a second Current Plus, this time joint, at Natwest. We were each asked about current salary etc. Computer said no.

I know computer didn't say no because of imperfections in any credit report, unless there was something very obscure. So I was left guessing: were our joint incomes too low? Did we not have enough activity on our existing accounts? Did they simply not want me to have my name on more than one full current account? At the time it was slightly annoying because Step only granted you a Solo rather than Switch.

Not that any of this made me annoyed at the assistant. It's just that I went there hoping either to do something or to be told why the bank did not want to help me. I wasn't being secretive with the bank - it would be nice if the bank were not secretive to me. Please, be honest and tell me what you expect of me, even if it's ego-deflating.

Generally as an adviser we do not get told the reason either. It just prints one of a variety of standard letters which will be weighted toward either external or internal credit score.

If your Experian record is pristine and you are still declined it is likely because there is not enough credit turnover/ activity on the account or that the bank simply feel you have enough credit already outstanding.

MoneySaverLog

If it is anything other than what's on the CRA then The Bank wont tell you why you've been declined on a credit score cause that leaves the bank open to abuse, but one can make an educated guess, based on how the account is run and the answers to the questions they ask when applying in the first place. Some answers score higher than others as an eg if you're a home owner more points than a tenant etc...

meer53

I tell people the reason for my decline, whether it's that they're overcommitted, they can't afford it, or that i can't justify lending them any more money due to the operation of their accounts with us ! The only time i can't give specific information is if there is adverse info on their credit file, i refer them to the CRA's. If i think that things might improve for the customer (from what they've told me, new job, house sale etc) i would advise them to contact us again in 6 months and we can reassess the situation. We don't use a points scoring system, it's down to whoever is speaking to the customer.

michaelvintner

JDC14 wrote: »

Why should I treat a company or its workers with respect, when they work under ridiculous ethics?

Where is it reasonable to give me a card with an £800 limit, rather than an overdraft for £100. It's crazy. By working for them, you endorse their ethics in my opinion. There's always a way to buck the system and help the customer out, but precious few staff do it.

What a ridiculous statement. What is your job exactly, do you have the best job in the world or something. You will probably find that a lot of people working for some of the major high street banks are there simply because it is a job and 1000000000000000 times better than going down the job centre.

It would be great if everyone could choose who they worked for. I would like to work for a company that was not total chaos all the time. One day I may find a better job but in the meantime I would rather have the one I have than have to visit the crappy job centre.

There is not a way to "buck the system" in a bank. Banks are regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Any member of staff "Bucking the system" would be in breach of their contract and could get themselves and their employer in a lot of trouble.

If everyone decided to work for companies where they "endorsed the ethics" of the company they worked for then there would probably be about 30 Million people unemployed and Britain would be a third world country.

michaelvintner

googler wrote: »

...because some of these customers have been clients of your bank, since.... let's say, the 1970s. They're used to dealing with real people. They're used to talking to a real-life Bank Manager, and having the Manager consider individual circumstances, and having the autonomy to decide what happens within his/her branch themselves.

Now, the Branch Manager is reduced to the role of an admin assistant, and , as I've found out with a certain Scottish Bank, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing, and the client can quite easily be re-directed to seven or eight different departments when asking for anything outside of the norm.

Now, long-term clients have to deal with a call-centre operative like you - reading from a script, unable to take responsibility, given no flexibility, and at the end of the day - a faceless voice on the end of a phone

Frankly, from my experience in the last few years, having been a customer of my bank since 1976, I'm not surprised theirs and other call centre staff get shouted at.....

And that is the operaters fault is it?

Dr_Cuckoo3

opinions4u wrote: »

To be honest, as this sort of bank manager really hasn't existed for 20+ years, they really should have made the adjustment by now .

Indian banks in the UK still have managers like this

The only difference is they are more likely to be called Sandeep than Steven

jambosans

I'm torn on this one.

Coming from many years in experience working in all sort of contact-centres, I think one thing you need to develop is a thick skin, and not take everything to heart.

There is never any excuse for levels of abuse that go beyond common decency, but as o4u (and others) succinctly pointed out there are mitigating factors that may cause someone to behave in a certain way on the phone. The attitude of some on this thread of "if you're not nice to me then I'm not nice to you" is part of the problem, and over simplifies what could be a complex set of reasons for someone behaving in such a manner.

I think there is give and take on both sides, but ultimately, when someone decided to haemorrhage their spleen down the phone at me, I'd always keep in mind, it's not me, it's who I represent they're venting at - even if that did entail personal attacks like "I earn more than you". I always derived greater job satisfaction from "getting through" to a customer, in order to resolve the issue, and ending the call on a good note. That said, many colleagues, like some posters of this board, would switch-off at the first sign of trouble.

tagq2

Dr_Cuckoo3 wrote: »

Indian banks in the UK still have managers like this

Could you give a brick example or two, please? I'm interested!

Dr_Cuckoo3

tagq2 wrote: »

Could you give a brick example or two, please? I'm interested!

State Bank of India , Bank of Baroda , Punjab National Bank


Customers fed up with the High Street banks' poor service have been quick to sign up with new entrants such as State Bank

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/saving/article-1713646/State-Bank-of-India-joins-challenge-to-the-big-four.html



http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/saving/article-2033336/The-Indian-bank-bucking-exodus-High-Street.html

State Bank of India will visit you to open an account - no need to visit the branch (I am not sure how far they will travel though)