Wednesday, December 17, 2008
A few days back, my husband took my ATM card and went to get some money. He forgot the pin and managed to successfully lock my card. Didn't think of giving me a call after the second mistake and getting the right PIN.And don't think I change my PIN every other week. I have had the same PIN number for the last 10 years...across banks and countries!!!!
So now I was stuck with an ATM card that didn't work and as luck would have it the internet banking also stopped working at the same time.
Now whenever it comes to calling up anything - movie booking, ordering food and groceries, directory enquiries...just about anything..it automatically becomes my job. So naturally, calling up the bank to fix the problem became my job too.
And when I don't like to do something or it is not absolutely urgent, I normally postpone it...so I kept putting off calling the bank and my husband kept reminding me to call every day.
Finally after almost 7-8 weeks, I finally called up the bank call center.
CCGuy: "Welcome to ... bank. This is ... How can I help you?'
Me: Hi... well, you know...I entered the wrong pin and now my ATM card is locked (how I hate to admit to some mistake which I did not make!!!) Can you reset it for me?
CCGuy: Yes, Ma'am. Can I ask you some questions for security reasons.
Me: (sigh! Here they come!) Yes!
CCGuy: What is your date of birth?
Me: (That is easy) DD-MM-YYYY. (I don't LOOK that old..really!)
CCGuy: Where was your passport issued?
Me: (That is easy,too) Trichy
CCGuy: Which branch did you open your account in?
Me: (Not bad) Bur Dubai branch
CCGuy: What is your account balance?
Me: (Oh-oh!!) hmm.. I really do not know..since I did not have the card, I haven't checked for a long time.
CCGuy: Okay, can you tell me your last withdrawal amount and date????
Me: (WHAT?) See..it was some time back..I really do not remember.. the last deposit could be my salary transfer of xxxx amount, I think (the company could have reimbursed my claims too along with the salary)
CGuy: (Very disbelieving) hmm...okay...fine, we will reset the PIN to the initial number.
Me: (WOW! That was not so bad) You mean the last PIN that I had before it got locked?
CCGuy: No Ma'am.. the PIN which the bank sent you when you first got your card.
Me: (What!!! 3 years back???) Oh no, I may not remember that! Will you mail me the PIN or something, please
CCGuy: (What an idiot!!!) No Ma'am we cannot do that.
Me: (boo hoo!) Oh..then what CAN I do???
CCGuy: You can apply for a new card right now. It will be sent to you by courier in a week's time.
Me: (sigh!) Okay, please do that.
After a week, I receive the new card by courier. The card comes with a letter that says the PIN will not be sent but I can call up the call center and set a new PIN.
Sigh!So I call again.
None of the 10 options the recorder lady said sounded right. So I dial 0 for an agent.
CCGuy: "Welcome to ... bank. This is ... How can I help you?'
Me: Hi... well, you know..I just received a new debit card and I want to set my PIN.
CCGuy: Sure Ma'am what's your card number?
Me: xxxxxxxx
CCGuy: Now I'd like to ask you some security questions
Me: (sigh!) yeah, okay
CCGuy: What is your date of birth?
Me: DD-MM-YYYY. (I don't LOOK that old..really!)
CCGuy: Where was your passport issued?
Me: Trichy
CCGuy: Which branch did you open your account in?
Me: Bur Dubai branch
CCGuy: What is your account balance?
Me: I didn't have the card for a long time..so I don't know. :(
CCGuy: Okay, can you tell me your last withdrawal amount and date????
Me: I am sorry...last deposit could be my salary.
CCGuy: You have had some other transfers from your company in India. Can you tell me those.
Me: (Huh???) I am sorry. I have no idea.
CCGuy: What is the email id you have given in the bank for your records
Me: Can you tell me if it yahoo or gmail?
CCGuy: (oh dear, how do I help this woman!) Can you tell me any transaction you did any time in the last 3 months?
Me: (dear me!!!) Okay..give me a second..let me see if I have any old statements with me....(Does this guy have any idea how difficult it is to find ANYTHING in my bag!!!! yahoo....here is one statement of October!!!) Hey..I could find one..here are 3 transactions!
CCGuy: (phew!!!) That's great Ma'am. I have activated your card now! You can now log on to your telebanking and change your ATM PIN. I will tell you the steps for changing the PIN. I hope you remember your telebanking PIN!!!
Me: (Telebanking!!! Did I have a telebanking facility??? I had NO IDEA!) I'm sorry...I really don't think I'd remember...though I could give it a try...(If I have set the PIN, I know what it would be..heh..heh)
CCGuy: No problem Ma'am..do try it and if it fails, you will be transferred back to us and we will reset your telebanking PIN for you!!! Have a good day Ma'am!!!
Hummmphh!!! He expected me to have a good day after that last statement! Well...he was a cute-sounding guy, I admit. Well to cut a long story short, I did not know the telebanking PIN and I got CCGuy no 3 and answered all his questions (this one also asked me my mother's name) and very sceptically he reset my telebanking PIN!!!
They announce that they might record the conversation for training purposes. I bet they use mine to train the guy how to help women who remember NOTHING!
Now they say for fixing my internet banking problem, I have to call another number!!!! If anyone tells me banking has become easier these days, I shall scream!!!
11 other wanderers:
Are you telling me that you have a banking crisis on hand?
I also lost my telebanking pin and now refuse to call them for the fear of 1000 questions.
@colours: Well..naturally!!! Twin!!!! :D
LOL I can just sympathize:-D
I really get mad with them when they keep transferring the call from 1 person to the other. Just when u finish explaining ur problem in detail they'll transfer u to some other person & u have to start all over again & this happens atleast 3 times & then u let loose on the 4 person who comes online:-S
LOL oh gosh, so funny and then again, not so funny....
Well, have a very merry Christmas and an awesome New Year :-)))
lol..
the customer service in UAE is something we need a training on fpr even holding a conversation.. really, i recently had a huge fight with DU on the same.. atleast in india, they let u speak with a manager if you want to.. but here.. they are doing us a favour by even taking that call.. sigh:)
dont loose ur no now:)
@reflections: I don't mind so much when they are sympathetic and try to help while asking those questions. One of the guys was like that...and another was like if you don't answer this you cannot change your pin! That bugs me!
@agnes: Well, I know some of it is my fault too for knowing nothing at all! :)) Thank you!
@ISH: Guess the bank people are over cautious now after the recent ATM frauds. I guess it is for our good... but it can get frustrating. :) Merry Xmas and Happy New Year to you!
Hee Hee! Reminded me of my several run-ins with tele-banking. They can be so terribly stupid! Recently we wer moving our home loan from x bank to y bank. As luck would have it, it got mired in confusion.
My husband called x bank and gave the lady who picked up the brief history of the account to arrive at the point. The lady had the gall to say that when we opened the home loan account with them, she was not employed with the bank and therefore she would not be able to help.
Do u not think that she deserves "Employee of the century award"
Oh dear. all sounds very familiar. great post. dropped by from V-Lokam.....I think. am on a blog reading spree right now so not sure...
nope...came from Reflections!
@Bins: Thanks for the visit...have visited your page couple of times from Nancy's! That lady surely deserves that award! I can imagine your frustration! :)Check out this post by my friend! You'll love it!!!
http://colours.typepad.com/vibgyor/2008/12/medieval-times.html
@MumbaiDiva: Hey! Thanks for the visit. It does not matter where you came from...it matters what you do and where you're going! ;) Happy hopping blogs...and happy new year!
Well, still they should be more customer oriented I think. I hope you had an awesome Christmas :-)
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