[Tommy Jones]

The banks always put profits ahead of people. They don’t give a shit about their own employees - never mind the customers. They’ll screw both if it saves them a buck.

Here’s a headline from 2012 about Westpac -

Ultimate insult: Sacked Westpac workers forced to train Indian replacements​

What else would you expect from from some of the worst companies in Australia.

 

[Toni Wrinkles]

Hells Bells when will all this stop............GREEDY ROTTEN MONGRELS are destroying Australia ....OUR COUNTRY is Large......and we are far flung and the outback, the small towns, the country towns, the little people who make up this fine land need our banks and they need tellers to work in them to Keep the DOORS OPEN. One way of making more profit is to say Oh we have no staff to run it so we are closing the doors, that means they don't have to pay so much to Armaguard etc if they don't need to deliver to these far out places..........Damn these banks I hate having to deal with the sneaks, but because I have to and can't abuse the ones doing it as the people behind the counter are just like us and it's their jobs on the line...........I feel for them as this is a damn sad state of affairs.

 

[riskydave]

"The customers behaviour is changing"
Because we have no choice, you arse holes keep closing branches and sacking staff.

 

[GazzmoBundy]

Ahhhh...great to see this report again, but hey, for the past 10 years the banks have progressively been reducing in-house personal services and adding a concierge that asks if they can direct you to the Atm. My suncorp branch reduced to 2 tellers(1 you never see, queue to the door). They haven't wanted 50+'s in the branch. Imagine that, the 20 year olds with no experience trying to educate us.

 

[GazzmoBundy]

Ahhhh...great to see this report again, but hey, for the past 10 years the banks have progressively been reducing in-house personal services and adding a concierge that asks if they can direct you to the Atm. My suncorp branch reduced to 2 tellers(1 you never see, queue to the door). They haven't wanted 50+'s in the branch. Imagine that, the 20 year olds with no experience trying to educate us.

HILARIOUS DAY AT SUNCORP.... Concierge asks one by one the 20 strong queue, "Can I assist you with your business at the ATM's?. Customers: The ATM's are down...again. Concierge: Ahhh are they???. Softly and politely I said, the concierge should be aware of this, could you find out when we can get served??? She disappears.The queue now 35 strong and 25 mins into this misadventure. 10 minutes passes, she comes back and announces to the frustrated crowd... WE ARE JUST WAITING ON THE ATM TECHNICIANS, IT WON'T BE MUCH LONGER AND THANKYOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. I said, "You mean those 2 technicians behind you that have been waiting 15 mins for access"...At least I calmed the angry crowd with this unfortunate embarrassment. Looking for a place to hide, I quietly pulled her aside and said, I used to manage the bank and you need to get the 2 designated staff to come now, and provide access to the ATM's. Within 2 mins, the technicians were in, 3 mins fixed, crowd down to 6, I wait another 15mins and get held up by dear mrs 85 year old Mrs jones asking about insurance and general banking enquiries. I guess karmer got me for embarrassing the concierge, but really, staff need to have a general knowledge and awareness of their surroundings and not rely on a customer for staff training.Wow.

 

[darrellh]

When I go to a bank, which admittedly is not often as I get cash from the supermarkets usually, but they are always full of people and there is someone asking how can we help you today. If that person got behind the teller it would be more helpful as people have better things to do than wait in lines in banks.

 

[Maggiemay0612]

It's not a matter of 'IF' a clever hacker shuts down the whole internet but, 'WHEN'!!!
We need banks open with staff to manage them and accessibility to our monies.
CASH RULES!!!

 

[Ronloby]

Yes, it is always about their bottom line and bugger their customers. The government MUST step-in and stop the banks from reducing staff and closing branches especially in all country areas. Digital banking is ok except when power goes down, and the internet has another fail. Which will happen at any time.

 

[Crapaud]

A few years ago I found out just how GREED driven & uncaring, along with deceit full this bank was They had no concept of truth or customer care . In Australia ,they are not alone as I believe all major companies are the same not saying they are all deceit full but all are driven by GREED Once I had a degree of trust for our Aussie companies but no longer I also had respect for those who built or ran these Companies that too is gone . It is not all their fault as many Australians have shares in these very same organizations that are cutting services & they say costs So hen a bank cuts staff or closes its branches I suggest some of use older Australians look at our portfolios because that is one factor that must be acknowledged the financial value they make for those shares

 

[Caron]

Ahhhh...great to see this report again, but hey, for the past 10 years the banks have progressively been reducing in-house personal services and adding a concierge that asks if they can direct you to the Atm. My suncorp branch reduced to 2 tellers(1 you never see, queue to the door). They haven't wanted 50+'s in the branch. Imagine that, the 20 year olds with no experience trying to educate us.

People’s choice is just the same, one teller , queues to the door and a concierge telling people that there is an ATM outside, just no service any more.

 

[julieapol]

If the banks were struggling to make a profit, I would understand that staff cuts were necessary, but they are making record profits.
Next thing is they are saying that this is CUSTOMER DRIVEN, what a load of hogwash, this digital age is being forced upon us in every way possible. We don't want it and never have; personal service still is and always will be the best.

 

[Trudy Dean]

Hi, years ago. At a Morley Commonwealth Bank a business man waited /queued too long and charged the bank for his time - he won the court case and was paid for his time wasted.
Wish I could do the same every time my husband and I wasted our time at the bank.
perhaps if customers could charge banks for wasting their time over 15-20 minutes, Banks might improve and employ more staff.
ditto phone calls.

 

[Kaylee]

Anz has already done this in Hobart. Outer branches no longer have tellers only ATM'S. If you want cash, you HAVE to use the ATM's. If you want teller service you have to go into the Hobart City branch.
Disgusting service by Banks.

 

[Polly.L]

I am lucky that my relatively small bank has retained a branch relatively close to where I live and the service given to customers is excellent.
While companies enthusiastically profess that customer service is always a priority, they are slyly moving to a digital-first solution to boost their profits. In doing so, they are actually doing a great disservice not only to their customers/clients, but to society as a whole.
They are effectively shutting down human contact and conversation, in favour of 'chatbots', that don't waste time chinwagging, or get involved in anything other than 'please press 1, 2, 3, etc. or, 'please hold, your call is in a frustratingly long queue' options.
Human contact is vital, particularly for older people, but it's also important for the younger generation who get hooked on digital technology from a very early age. A great example is the initiative of putting young people on checkouts, taken up by a local Coles supermarket. Instead of waiting like an animal being processed through a cattle race, for the privilege of serving yourself, there can be conversation between customers in the queue, and more significantly a teenager who would otherwise be locked into a device, is learning to interact with real people, and actually enjoying the experience judging by their friendly attitudes.

 

[Mikeyboy2012]

The bank will run far more efficiently and profitably without these annoying customers going to the branches.

Hold on, doesn't the bank exist FOR its customers? Silly me. What was I thinking??,

 

[Old timer]

I have a quiet chuckle to myself when I read stories like this. People are their own worst enemy, they complain about the loss of cash transactions but watch how many just tap their cards, they complain about loss of staffed checkouts but watch as they go like sheep to the self serve checkouts. Monkey does as monkey sees.

 

[Ezzy]

Hi, years ago. At a Morley Commonwealth Bank a business man waited /queued too long and charged the bank for his time - he won the court case and was paid for his time wasted.
Wish I could do the same every time my husband and I wasted our time at the bank.
perhaps if customers could charge banks for wasting their time over 15-20 minutes, Banks might improve and employ more staff.
ditto phone calls.

Strange that you should mention phone calls Trudy because in all likelihood this would go to an overseas Call Centre as did my recent Telstra call.

My wife bought a new mobile phone but because the accounts are in my name l needed to give authority for her to purchase this [apparently this needs to be renewed every 2 years]. l phoned the number given & connected with an operator who didn't sound English & didn't appear to know what l wanted to do. Not sure how many times l was put on hold 'for a few minutes' (more like 3 or 4 each time). I believe she went away each time to ask her Supervisor. 16 minutes later & a chunk of my telephone allowance l finished the call.

When will these companies wake up & realise that in the long run keeping Call Centres in Australia is not cheaper but we give better Customer Service?

 

[RobbyNotTheRobot]

As long as the beer flows and the footy gets played is all the masses care about.

 

[Trudy Dean]

Hi,Telstra is not the worst now! (Thought Telstra had stopped using overseas Communication centres a couple of years ago - (too many complaints to communications Ombusman)
Ausuper used to be 30-50 mins. Then hung up.
Ausuper were fined $m last year and have now improved.

try contacting ATO, Auspost and a few other Govt. Departments.
if I have problems with contacting govt. owned depts. I pass the problem to my local Federal MP . (MPs are there to assist their Voters Problems)
Trudy

Hi, years ago. At a Morley Commonwealth Bank a business man waited /queued too long and charged the bank for his time - he won the court case and was paid for his time wasted.
Wish I could do the same every time my husband and I wasted our time at the bank.
perhaps if customers could charge banks for wasting their time over 15-20 minutes, Banks might improve and employ more staff.
ditto phone calls.