Rant : Westpac Sucks mott's island

I’ve never ever had a good experience with Westpac. I only started banking with them, because they had a branch in a mall. It was convenient, right in front of the supermarket. Easy, drop off kids, do the groceries, do the banking, go home. That’s it.

Not with this Bank. For some reason, they’ve decided that all their officers are to have a meeting at 9-9.30am. Which is super ridiculous to me, because, if your bank opens at 9am, all your staff should be ready for business at 9am. I don’t want to have to wait for 9.30am. I wanna be out and home by 9.30am. That’s why I go early, to avoid the crowd.

Then, early in the year, they revamped their interior. They’ve created ‘rooms’ to meet with their customers, set up appointment books so that they get a personalised relationship with the customers. When I go to a bank, ANY BANK, I don’t really care who I speak to. All I know is, you represent the Bank, and that’s good enough for me. I don’t want to know if you’ve lost your voice, or if you have grandkids and how many. I seriously just wanna get in, complete my transaction and get out.

Don’t go asking me to make an appointment with Barbra. I don’t know her. I don’t care who you make my appointment with, just make sure it’s the one person that can see through my transaction from A to Z.

The old concept, was when they had tables right in front, you could actually see people waiting in a line, and you could see the officers serving them. I could see the turnover, and I could always know when it would be my turn. That’s what I want. The knowledge that I’m next in line.

Now, there’s a huge waiting area. You get called in like you’re seeing a doctor. Hey.. if I was there first, why can’t I get to see the officer, first? Why did that person who walked in 10 minutes after me, get to see someone first. When they first introduced this new concept… no one told me anything. I had assume I would get to see someone, anyone. But, not without an appointment apparently.

Geezelouise!

I have never experienced this with any other bank. Other banks just steer me to the next available staff. Which is what I want. I don’t really want to know the Barbra’s in Westpac. I don’t!

The last straw was today. I had wanted to transfer some money, internationally. The teller looks at me and asks for a SWIFT code. I looked at her and said, “You work in a bank, I don’t. Can’t you find out?”. She looks at me and says, “No, we can’t. You’ll have to find out yourself”.

I WAS REALLY FREAKING PISSED AT THAT POINT. I told her, “I can’t believe in your system, there is NO list of SWIFT CODES. I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!”. At that point, she says, she’ll try to help…but I was really so annoyed, I told her..not to bother.

Maybe I’ve been spoiled by the banks in other countries. Even though I’m not a “priority customer”, they know their stuff, especially SWIFT codes, and will assist in any way possible. I’ve never had a bad experience with other banks, except Citibank – another sucky bank.

Well.. good bye Westpac, the Barbra ‘A’ Bank. I’m going hunting for another bank.

Here’s how Westpac inspired Barbra..