To think this service was just terrible? This man was on a power trip

[SmeganMegan]

I went into my local bank branch to make a transfer - it was above the daily limit I have on the app. At the counter the man again tried to force me to use the app, advised I couldn’t as I’m over my limit, he said to use facial recognition to increase the amount - I didn’t want to (politely).

He made me wait in the queue to be served by someone at the desk. 30 minutes I sat there, she was still serving the same customer that entire time.

The guy eventually walks over to me and takes me back to the counter to do the transaction. No apology at all and clearly could have done the transfer for me there and then.

For reference it’s a small branch and there was only me and the other customer in there when I walked in.

But who decides if the customer can ‘quickly do it on the app’? My parents’ bank decided they should do pretty much everything online. Like a lot of people in their late 80s, they struggle with that system.
And they are extremely vulnerable to online fraud and messages that look much like their bank. The only workaround left for us is for me to do all their banking for them, online, during visits. But they are proud, independent people who are perfectly capable of visiting their local branch and doing their own banking, if only a basic service remained. Stripping people of tasks they are able to do is a really harsh way to make people feel useless, when they aren’t. A civilised society shouldn’t lock people out, and it’s disturbing to see how blind those in thrall to the system can be to this

I do agree with you in that there should be a better banking system for elderly people .

However the banks hands are tied in a way.

If they started to provide a different service just for elderly people, they would be sued for being agist by some older people.

The bank that I was working in, tried to provide what they called an 'enhanced customer service support ' for a lady that was deaf.

She then went on to sue the bank, because they called her a "vulnerable customer", in their dealings with her.

I think they said to her "we provide enhanced customer support for vulnerable customers".

And she took huge offence at the word vulnerable , as she didn't think deafness made her vulnerable.

So if the bank provided special services for older people, they would get sued by some old people who don't feel "old" or "vulnerable" .

It's hard

The banks could just respond to what customers ask for and provide what many see as a basic level of service.
For example, there is no reason to offer the likes of my folks ‘enhanced support’, or to make them feel vulnerable or patronised with such an offer. If the banks simply allowed in person banking for those who want it, they might avoid insulting their customers.
So many dreadful examples of the way people are treated, with no acknowledgement of customer preference as a simple guiding principle. People who can use the app/digital options may also have good reasons to chose not to, and some sort of respect for customers isn’t actually a huge ask.
The current shift means yet more risk for the most vulnerable - such as the examples of elderly people having to discuss withdrawal of large sums and take from cash machines in front of a queue - or loss of independence and privacy as they are forced to prematurely hand over their affairs.

Yes I see your side.

But what if the companies don't want to provide face to face customer service.

They don't have to. They're running a business and they can choose to do whatever they want to do, to make their business the most efficient.

If you want to book a flight with any of the major airlines most people do it online now. Most people book hotels online now.

A lot of companies - you'll find it very hard to get through to a person. It's all chat bots and Web apps.

It can be inconvenient for us, but businesses are going to to whatever is most efficient for them at the end of the day.

Human customer service us being phased out altogether. It'll be chatbots

I do think they should do something to help elderly people do banking though. It's unrealistic to expect Joe in his 80s to remember three passwords and then know how to set up a payee on his app.

They should have a simplified version.

I can see both sides tbh. Have had to transfer fairly large amounts as an Executor of a will and made an appointment to do it. The staff were lovely. Told me that they had two romance scams in the last month which they tried to stop. The two elderly people left without the transfers being done and saying they would just do the transfers themselves over a few days. I hope that the bank flagged something on their account if they did.

Yes, banks branches are reducing all over and I am not at all convinced that what you are told by a call centre is always correct especially when they are based offshore. I got a significant amount of compensation when I was given incorrect information by a untrained call centre agent as they listened to the call recording.

Whenever I had been to a branch there are always people who take up an awful lot of time with simple queries i.e paying in cheques and one elderly women was asking the staff member to take out £200 using her PIN which she would give to her! It was written on a post it note but she felt as she was at the branch someone could do it for her.

As an older person I really dislike the sort of ageism that dismisses “old biddies” or makes silly assumptions. I think this person is very silly though, shooting herself in the foot. I would be grateful for an enhanced customer service. I would only use it if I was stumped by something. Life is getting complicated and there are a few things I just don’t know how to do. I can try googling “How to do X on your iPhone “ but it becomes a giant pita.

Definitely YANBU complain! You may get a survey through about the visit to the branch by email, mark it negatively and request a call back.
It's easy to make a complaint on their website as well though.
Understand he may have had paperwork to do but manners cost nothing.
Also, not everyone wants to use mobile banking. For a sum like 20k I'd go into a branch there's so much noise about scams these days and I'd make noise after if this happened to me!!!

Hysterical 😂 😂 😂