There was a time HSBC was the prestigious bank in Sri Lanka. At least that is what I thought so. Recently we always hear people complain a lot about HSBC and their professionalism.
Recently I had to open an account in HSBC as my employer made it mandatory. Over a year I’ve been ok with their services and products. Recently I come to know what it is about being treated unprofessionally.
One day my debit card suddenly stopped working at any HSBC ATMs. When I reached the customer care I was asked to refer the number of the receipt. Later my card was declared a failed card by the call center guy. I was told it was due to Magnetic stripe failure.
But magically it works in other bank ATMs. I have no idea why HSBC ATMs are over sensitive 🙂
Later I placed a request for a new card as I won’t’ be able to survive without an ATM/Debit card. Again the smart (most of them are self-declared) call center agent told me that it’d take 7 working days.
You might imagine my hard time during end of the month without debit card and during weekend banks also closed. Last week I called them and the lady on the other side said they’ve given the card to courier service.
I decided to take up all pain and hold up for 7 working days. In the other hand I was happy as I received my ATM pin number last week.
After all the hard time, today I called the smart customer care call center and it took about 15 minutes for them to answer the call. Then the lady on the other side said, sir you have called Credit card center. I’ll transfer the call sir! (Though the menu says its personal banking). After waiting another 5 minutes someone else answer the call. After verifying my details she told me the funniest thing I ever heard very recently.
“Sir! You have not placed a request for a replacement ATM card. You have placed a request for an ATM pin reset” duh!!! Seriously!!!!!
I was so pizzed off and totally disappointed by the way their call center agents handle people. Probably the guy who took the request for me for a debit card replacement selected the wrong menus on the screen and ended up with PIN RESET.
I told her “I want to escalate it to your manager. How to do this?”
She transferred my call and I had to wait another 10 minutes. Later again she picked the call and said, sir leave me your number I’ll ask my supervisor to call you.
I told her, I know you guys will not call me back. Can you give me your word?
She said, “Yes, I’ll make sure they’ll call you”
By the time I hang up the phone I was on the call for about 30 minutes. Wasted my mobile bill.
Let’s see the professionalism of the supervisors at call center. Will they ever call me back? I doubt it!!!!
This is the biggest harassment ever to happen to me in the service industry. I too work in service industry, I can’t even think of treating the clients this way!!
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Thejo says
The problem is in our country the customer is treated like a Moron and the service sector assumes they know better. I had very bad experience with Sampath Card center as well. I sent a request through their web system 3 months back but still no reply. I sent several other requests about the first request, nothing happened so far. Only way is ask them to f**k off and find another place (which will again be the same).
Dilesh says
Most of the people at call center thinks they are super cool. When they realise the fact, it’ll be late for them and the public.
Haris says
These agents at the call center are doing a work which they have been told to do, service should come from the heart or one has to be trained and developed to provide exceptional customer service. This”service from the heart” is lacking in the services sector. The agents are good to give information only but not to provide a solution. Sometimes they give the wrong info too as in the case you have explained. Sad!!