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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think this Natwest customer adviser was a bit cheeky?

19 replies

catlovingdoctor · 15/04/2015 18:54

I was in the main queue at Natwest a few days ago and one of their staff came over. He asked me what type of transaction I wanted to do; it was a transfer to someone else so he invited me over to another desk and we done it. When we were in the middle of it he asked me to mention to his manager, who he gestured too, how helpful he'd been!! Then afterwards he gave me a piece of paper and a pen and asked me to write down how good I thought his customer service had been! I found it all quite odd and a bit pressured- has anyone had this before in a bank? In the end I didn't say anything to his manager and wrote a small, generic comment on the piece of paper...

OP posts:

CaptainAnkles · 15/04/2015 18:57

Next time write: 'the service I received was fine, but I don't appreciate being made to write this note.'

Glitterspy · 15/04/2015 19:08

Yep just write "the guy who gave me great customer service then asked me to write this note. So I'm writing a note."

YourMaNoBraBackOfMyCar · 15/04/2015 19:12

If it saved me time and achieved what I'd gone there to do I'd happily sign/write the note.

chickenfuckingpox · 15/04/2015 19:15

they do this everywhere i asked where it hand gel was in wilko and she showed me then asked me if there was anything else i needed (no) was i sure? (yes) then proceeded to tell me i could win £500 if i filled in the online questionnaire to say what the service was like in store it had her name on etc then i got to the till did i enjoy the service i received in store that day? again with the card plus name and i could win £500...........it could be a long shopping trip if they all decide to do this

18yearstooold · 15/04/2015 19:19

We had a target of 60 of these surveys a month -they were a nightmare and it was like flogging a dead horse

VanitasVanitatum · 15/04/2015 19:21

They're probably targeted or incentivised but he definitely shouldn't be pressuring you!

43percentburnt · 15/04/2015 19:26

I think their bonus is based on customer feedback. He will have to score so much each month to receive a relatively moderate sum of money. The banks removed sales bonuses and replaced with customer service bonuses. The real 'bankers' still receive proper bonuses tens of thousands, the customer advisor bonus may take his entire salary up to 16/18k for the year.

It's very annoying but I understand why it's important to him.

SurlyCue · 15/04/2015 19:27

The are targetted (and no i dont think he was cheeky unless he had an attitude with you?) for this shit. Its far more annoying having to ask every single customer to do it, as well as offering them all personal loans, credit cards, mortgage reviews, bonds etc. he made you visit go a bit quicker, do you really begrudge him a pleasant comment to reflect that?

SurlyCue · 15/04/2015 19:28

Oh and when i was in the bank, we didnt get bonuses for this crap, it was just our basic targets. He probably had the manager breathing down his neck which was why he asked you to mention it to him.

Sparklingbrook · 15/04/2015 19:29

Many moons ago i worked for a bank. During the year you had to gather 'evidence' of how well you had done for your annual appraisal. So any complimentary letters etc were like gold dust and very good to have IYKWIM.
We didn't ask the customers for them though, that's a bit odd.

ImperialBlether · 15/04/2015 19:29

Just write "He is a marvellous man and dictated this very clearly."

shewept · 15/04/2015 19:34

Everywhere does this. British gas call centre staff have to get so many surveys done a month to get pro. Its a pain. The staff hate asking, customers hate being asked. Total nightmare but not cheeky.

Original poster

catlovingdoctor · 15/04/2015 19:42

Fair enough if he's required to do it, if he'd told me that I would have had no issue, but his demeanour was like he was trying to convince me how good he was and like he wanted additional comments/attention if you see what I mean

OP posts:

MNpostingbot · 15/04/2015 19:42

I'm one for proactively writing, even if not asked, that someone was great to deal with, but reading OP I did get the sense that the two requests to compliment him was a bit cheeky.

Thinking about it though, we do 90% of that sort of thing online or over the phone these days and they ask every single time to complete a survey on them and I almost always do, just figured it was part of the script they have.

So yanbu, it was cheeky, but I get it, particularly if he thought he'd gone above and beyond to help and was sure to get a decent reply. I'd take it as a compliment too, that you were a personable customer to deal with, I doubt he'd have been so cheeky to some grumpy sod

SurlyCue · 15/04/2015 19:54

Fair enough if he's required to do it

Who on earth would do it unless they were required to?

like he wanted additional comments/attention

yes because they get handed in and read, used in his evaluation. Of course he wants additional comments!

Personally i think if they must do it then they should provide a tick box or rate 1-5 thing with an optional additional comments part.

SurlyCue · 15/04/2015 19:56

Actually you know what would be great? A sheet for the staff to write how the customer performed during the transaction would be fantastic to be able to give them back some feedback!

londonrach · 15/04/2015 20:02

Very cheeky but suspect they have quotas. Mind you i hate the do you want this chocolate bar, latest frozen stuff or the singing canary when i pop into superdrug and poundland conversation you have to put with. My one today was a charity shop. Id finished a book (really good read) so carried just this book in (as had taken in a full bag a day or so ago) when i popped into town. It was a beautiful day so one book was easy to carry. On popping to the nearest charity shop i handed them this one book in to the lady and said its a good read. Lady looked at the book and said 'you all heart'. . Just told hubby this and he couldnt stop laughing and then said right next time give it to another charity shop. Think next time ill leave the book at our local train station that has a bookshelf for travellors or throw the book. (I wont as hate waste..)

Theycallmemellowjello · 15/04/2015 20:03

My motto, for virtually everything annoying that happens to me in a big chain, is blame the machine not the cog. I do not think that this man asks for feedback on his own time, so he can take it home and stick it on his wall.

foreverdepressed · 15/04/2015 20:07

I'm not sure it is 'cheeky' really. He is probably on a crap wage and under pressure from managers to meet targets to hit a bonus - so much positive feedback % etc.

Nobody in a customer facing role wants to do this type of guff but it is forced on people by idiots in management that think they can measure the quality of service people receive by reviewing the comments of a few annoyed/embarrassed customers.

I would politely decline OR I would fill in the note positively. I think handing in a note saying "I'm writing this because I was asked to" or anything along those lines is a bit passive aggressive and nasty really.

YABU.

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