Greenbriar, Atlanta Georgia:  As a young college student in 1972, I went to the bank to borrow money three month note secured by my saving account.  I got my brother to co-sign and was promised by the branch manager that I would get the loan.  On the day of the loan dispersements, he cancelled the loan with no explanation.  I promised myself then, I would never do business with this bank.  At the time they were Citizens and Southern Bank. I left them and went to another bank who gave me my small loan.  In the 1990's after a series of buyout by various banks, My bank was bought by Bank of America who also bought Citizens and Southern Bank.  Their legacy continues.

Marietta Street Banking Center: By the time, my bank is bought by Bank of America, I had moved all my business banking and personal banking to that bank.  The Marietta Street Banking Center is the branch that I deal with.  Examples of customer no service:

11/08/2002-After years of going to this bank to get the occasional paper notarized, I am told that by bank policy that they do not notarized anymore.  Stacy Boutet said, "This is not what our bank does.  If it is not banking business then we do not do it."  Asked for a further explanation she said, "The bank pays for the notary license and the bank does not want to assume liability for notarization."  When was the last time you heard anyone being sued for a bad notary.  It is obvious that the bank does not want to be bothered by pesty customers who may ask for bank favors. 

Even their free coffee offered to customers did not have cups available.  This is a small matter, but illustrates their attention to detail toward the customer. 

I went next door to Wachovia and they gladly notarized my papers.  They may get my business.  I have three checking accounts, one CD, and a loan with Bank of America. 

I went to BOA website to send them an email.  Of course they would not just give me their email address so I could fire off an quick email.  They had one of these "secure servers" (read I want you to do it my way.) that you have to fill out all your important information before you can send an email.  I got down to the part that asked if you want to get their promotional material.  To deny reciept of it, I quote, "If you are requesting that we do not contact you about offers for bank accounts and services by phone, direct mail, or e-mail, please provide your Social Security Number."  I am not going to give them this information. If they were a customer friendly corporation, then they would make their email address available so I could send them email like I do everyone else. 

11/15/2002-Went to the bank to ask for information about refinancing my house.  They promised to fax the information to me.  After two days of waiting, my wife called to find out what was the problem.  "Oh, I was suppose to send that information to you," said Christopher.  Bank of America makes it hard for me to do business with them.

What can BOA do to correct the situation. 

1. Make customer service a priority over profit.  Profit will come with customer service.

2. Investigate the Marietta Office in Atlanta.  If you think that I am treated badly, I pitty the poor souls who only have personal accounts that have to wait in line to get anything done.  I see people waiting in long lines.  I Fayette County, this does not happen.  Could it be prejudice?

3. Hire and train better staff.  Stacey Boutet, Assistant Vice President, did represent your Bank.  She parroted the Bank policy and stood by it.  If she had done a better job representing me, our confrontation would have gone better.  “Yes, Dr. Adams, the bank has provided you a valuable service in the past and I hate it that we can no longer accommodate you.  I will let the powers that be know of your concern and mine.”  She did offer to call the legal department to get a ruling on it.  I told her that I was not going to waste anymore time with BOA. 

4. Non bank services add value to banks.  Traditional services offered by banks but that are not a part of the banking industry are valuable to customers, ie-notary.  Buy the insurance to cover your liability.  It is a value added service and does not cost you much.  Change you no notary policy!

5. If you do not want the small business, then say so.  We will go where we are appreciated.
 

The Bank's Response to me to date: 11/17/2002 -

I called BOA to verify who this firm was.  I get into their voice mail tree and was informed that I would have to wait 20 minutes for a representative.  I look up the local branch phone number and make a call to the branch.  I get the same phone mail tree, with the same message that I would have to wait 20 minutes.  (What executive would authorize any representative telling a "valued customer" that they would have to wait on the phone 20 minutes.  Any considerate person would put in a system to say, leave a number and we will call you back. No one is saying that they are considerate or even polite.)  Needless to say, I never got verification and this same company, SRA Associates, calls again.  I tell them that I am not going to deal with a company that (1) I do not know, (2) a company that I have not been informed is acting in behalf of another, and (3) a company that is rude and unpolite.  I will only deal with them by email.  They said they could not do that.  I tell them that I can not deal with them and inform them not to call again.  We will pay our bills if we owe it. 

I called our "personal representative" who is on maternity leave and left a message for someone to call me to investigate this matter.  No one did from BOA.  Further investigations on our part indicates that BOA kept our accounts open so they could forward to us $1.98 in past interest.  This generated charges of $68.  It is their fault that the accounts stayed open pass the point that we tell them to close them and have verification of such.  Since BOA will not answer their phones or call me back, we can not clear this matter up.  They are more interested in how they can trash their customers than in providing good customer services. 

December 2006 - I gave up and moved all my accounts
 

March 07, 2002 - Bankrate.com has had an advertisement about a credit card with a variable APR of 4.25%.  I have seen this rate for over a month.  Last month I went to my local Wachovia Bank in Fayetteville.  They told me this rate was not available but that I could get one of theirs with a rate of 10%.  I declined. 

I again was looking for a low bank card rate and found that the Wachovia Bank still had this 4.25% on Bankrate.com still.  I called the number listed and talked with a "Customer Service" representative.  They told me that I could not get that rate unless I had the code (it must be secret).  Since it was not listed on the Bankrate site, I did not have it.  I asked to talk to a supervisor.  Judy Porter answered the phone as the supervisor.  She, too, could not give me that rate unless I had a code.   This is a Bait and Switch scam that Wachovia should be ashamed of.  I went elsewhere to apply to a Bank card that could be straight about their interest rates.