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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be disgusted at Lloyds branch staff smirking?

60 replies

clairemcnam · 15/02/2019 15:35

Went to a Llloyds branch today and there was an older man there who was complaining the cash machine had swallowed his card. Staff went to the cash machine and told them they could not find a card in the machine.
This man had a speech difficulty, he might have had a stroke, and was a bit scruffily dressed. After they told him there was no card there, he was protesting and saying the machine had swallowed his card. He was obviously upset.
All the counter staff including the manager, were smirking away. They obviously thought he was stupid. I just found their attitude really awful.

OP posts:
Kannet · 15/02/2019 16:39

I used to work in a high street bank. If there was no card, there was no card. I bet you will find that this man is someone who comes in all the time with the same thing. Staff aren't being unkind.

Meandmetoo · 15/02/2019 16:44

Name and shame on twitter and FB.

Arseholes.

Florp · 15/02/2019 16:51

I take it you have no expertise in the design or servicing of ATMs, OP?

Original poster
clairemcnam · 15/02/2019 16:55

No of course not. But smirking at someone, even if they are wrong because of confusion, is hardly professional or compassionate.

OP posts:
SabineUndine · 15/02/2019 16:59

Kannet whether or not this man comes in all the time, the staff were being unkind - and unprofessional. We all get old, and some of us get confused.

Meandmetoo · 15/02/2019 17:10

Surely if he's there all the time they'd have said something like "as we keep telling you...."

They were dicks either way. If he keeps going in he's clearly unwell. But yea, smirking like a twat is definitely the best way to treat someone like that.

Gina2012 · 15/02/2019 17:20

Complain to the Lloyds bank CEO

[email protected]

With respect there is zero point moaning-on here and then doing nothing IRL. That won't change the branches lack of empathy

changingeverything2019 · 15/02/2019 17:23

The one thing I say to my DC if we are being held up by a slow, elderly person is "be patient, be kind, we will all be that person one day."
The staff at the bank will be old one day too.
If my DC can understand that, then adult employees at that bank can too. Even if that poor man does go in there 4 or 5 times a day.

Xenadog · 15/02/2019 17:24

Take to Twitter. Poor feedback is taken seriously. I’d also write to head office and tell them you’re going to switch accounts as they were so vile.

Witchend · 15/02/2019 17:25

It seems unlikely that it was as you seem to think it was.
If he was saying the machine had swallowed the card, and it wasn't in the machine, then there was something more going on than what you saw.
And smirking is subjective to the observer. You thought they were smirking, maybe it was a sympathetic smile because they know him and that he does this three times a day.

ThreeAnkleBiters · 15/02/2019 17:25

I would make a complaint. They may deny it but it will at least be brought up and they'll be aware people noticed and weren't happy. Maybe they'll think twice next time.

Biancadelrioisback · 15/02/2019 17:40

For all you know he tries this all the time. As a former bank employee people will tell all sorts of lies to try and get extra money

ATBhinchers · 15/02/2019 17:48

You're over thinking it OP I am sure he'll be a regular and the stroke impaired speech you talk of could well be a drunk trouble maker or drug addict causing trouble. We get them a lot. We're not being rude but honestly some people are so vile at times yes the occasional smirk does occur. Doesn't mean we're heartless to genuine people.

ATBhinchers · 15/02/2019 17:49

Oh and yes if there's no card then there's no card. It doesn't just disappear in the machine. Age is irrelevant. You can still have memory problems and be young or be old drunk and vile. Age doesn't dictate how you'll be treated.

ATBhinchers · 15/02/2019 17:51

Just to add I don't work for Lloyds and I don't work in retail banking anymore. But the stories I could tell you about some customers would shock you. I imagine if you had said something about the smirking they would possibly have said to you "sorry but he comes in twice a day with the same story trying to somehow get extra money out of us to take down the pub" etc.

PrivacyPolicyYeahRight · 15/02/2019 17:52

For gods sake, having worked in various customer facing roles, I can confirm that a load of staff standing together certainly CAN ALL smirk and be unprofessional. Why are people acting like this doesn’t happen?! I’d email and in and tell them to consider how they make themselves look when In a customer facing role.

Aaaahfuck · 15/02/2019 17:53

I'm not sure why people find it so hard to believe they were smirking.

Hollywoodcheesecake · 15/02/2019 17:55

I work in a bank (not Lloyd’s) and staff have training around helping vulnerable customers so this isn’t really acceptable. Make the complaint directly to customer relations, either via telephone or online. They will take it seriously and it’ll be fed back to the branch.

Original poster
clairemcnam · 15/02/2019 17:57

He was not asking for money, he was asking for his card back.

OP posts:
Thesnobbymiddleclassone · 15/02/2019 17:58

My dad had a poor memory and no speech after a stroke and things like this happen a lot.

It's disgusting. No one should be treated like that.

AcrossthePond55 · 15/02/2019 17:58

"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem".

If the manager was smirking, then go above his head, there's sure to be a district manager or something (not sure of the exact title, I'm in the US). Even if the gentleman in question didn't notice, it was bad customer service to the customers who witnessed it. It will leave them wondering if they've ever been smirked at behind their back and give them a very poor impression of the quality of service at the bank.

I worked for a US Govt agency in a public facing position. Trust me, if any of us had been caught smirking or eyerolling with a coworker over a client no matter how 'discreetly', we would have been pulled up fast and hard! I can't believe that a bank would be any less concerned, especially since they may lose clients over it.

TrendyNorthLondonTeen · 15/02/2019 18:00

Did you see him physically put the card in?

anatol · 15/02/2019 18:02

That's awful. If you didn't feel able to say anything at the time then you should definitely put in a complaint now. It doesn't matter if they will deny it, it will still be processed and discussed and hopefully make them reconsider how they interact with others in future.

brassbrass · 15/02/2019 18:06

You should still make a complaint. Social media is very powerful. Name and shame the branch.

Gina2012 · 15/02/2019 18:07

I imagine if you had said something about the smirking they would possibly have said to you "sorry but he comes in twice a day with the same story trying to somehow get extra money out of us to take down the pub" etc.

And?

Jesus - what the hell happened to professionalism?