Bank Of The West - Customer "Care"

In the last year I have had two times that I needed Bank of the West to step up and work for me.  They failed me on both ocassions.

FIRST SITUATION - I am a small business person and with this economy, every contract matters.  Last summer I accepted a contract at the other end of the state and my client agreed to pay all my travel expenses, including a rental car so that I could commute between their office sites. Of course I would need to leave an imprint of my Debit card with the car rental firm when I picked up the car.

Approximately 10 days prior to my business trip, my debit card went missing.  A thorough search and NO CARD.  Concerned about my arrangements for ground travel, I called the bank's 800# to request that a replacement card be rushed to me.  I was told that I could not request a replacement card via phone; could only do this in person at my branch AND that they were now required to cancel my current card.  It was a Friday - 12 minutes before closing time for my branch and I live 20 minutes away. 

I called my branch to see if someone could possibly let me in and help me when I arrived. I was told NO, to just come in Monday.  I explained - again - the urgency of the matter.  The person barely feigned interest. I asked if I could take care of it at a branch that is open on Saturday.  I was told, "No - only at (my own) branch."

Monday morning I was there when they opened the door - my flight for my business trip now 6 days away.  I asked to speak to an officer known for her community service and who is always friendly.  I explained my emergency and begged for help.  She replied by telling me that they do not issue replacement cards at the branches; that this is only done by phone.  As I responded in shock, a teller motioned her over and whispered in her ear.  When she returned, she apologized and said that apparently the policy has changed recently that now the branches can order replacement cards. (I should have known this would have a poor outcome when an officer was not aware of what I would consider a BASIC policy....)

I asked that the process to replace my card be expedited.  Her first response was a cold-fish "No" and when I insisted she please try to "work her network of influence" in my behalf, she made a half-hearted phone call to corporate wherein she asked, "There is no way we can rush a debit card replacement, is there?"....."No, I didn't think so..."  Disheartened, I gave her the info she needed to complete the transaction and went on my way - trying to figure out what I would tell my client when I could not pick up the rental car they had reserved for me....

The next day the officer called to say that she had tried another route to getting my card replaced and it had been productive.  Amazed, I thanked her profusely and she assured me that my card would arrive Thursday, possibly Friday but certainly no later than Saturday.  Relieved, I resumed my Tuesday business day....

Thursday came and went - no card.  I called the officer to ask if she could check on its progress for me; was told she was with another customer and that she'd call me back.  She did not. A second call before closing and I was told that she had left early, to try her Friday if the card had not shown up. I asked that they give her a message Friday morning asking that she follow up on my card and call me with what she learned.

Friday when I returned from a day with local clients, still no card.  And still no call back from the officer.  I called the branch again and this time was told she was on vacation.  Worse, no one knew anything about my card.  A call to corporate and no record of any kind could be found requesting a replacement card although my account did show my existing card had been cancelled on my initial call. Saturday mail run and you guessed it - no card.

Needless to say, it was awkward when I had to disturb my key client contact at home Sunday evening to drive to the airport and leave a credit card imprint so I could take possession of the car they had rented for me.  Oh and when I returned home at the end of the week - STILL NO CARD.

The bank had failed me - completely.

Why I am still there is only a function of how busy I've been.

SECOND SITUATIION:   In January I received notice from the financial institution servicing my student loan that as of March 1, my account would be serviced by an entirely different institution.  It instructed me to contact that institution to set up payment arrangements. I had put my student loan with the old financial institution (let's call them Bank #1) on automatic payment and wanted to do so with the new company (let's call them Bank #2).  The notice said that the February pmt would be automatically deducted from my account, per my arrangement with Bank #1 but I needed to contact Bank #2 to make whatever arrangements I wanted for the March payment.

I did. 

Unfortunately on March 21,2011, Bank #1 automatically withdrew $311 from my checking account EVEN THOUGH THEY SAID THE LAST TIME THEY WOULD DO SO WOULD BE 2/21/2011 BECAUSE AS OF 3/1/2011 THEY NO LONGER SERVICED MY LOAN.

I called my Bank of the West branch and asked for help.  When I was transferred to an officer, I explained that the 3/21 payment was not authorized becauset Bank #1 no longer even had my account.  I was told that the branch could not help me; that I had to call the 800#.  When I did, the person who took my call said she would launch an investigation and I would receive a "notice of finding" when the investigation completed - in 7-10 days.  I told her all I wanted was the charge reversed and she told me to also call Bank #1, point out their error, and request a refund.  She urged me to keep the investigation open regardless of the outcome of my conversation with Bank #1.  This was on March 23, 2011.

When I called Bank #1, the person I spoke with told me that they had already realized their error and my refund was in process.  I was told that I could expect it within 20 days.  By my calculation, I should have the refund by April 13.

The week with Apr 13 in it was extraordinarily busy as I was due to be out of state at a conference the next week and I did not follow up with Bank #1 to make sure that my refund was being processed.  Nor did I have the time to call Bank of the West which, I did notice, was well past the "7-10 day" period they had quoted me for resolving the issue. At the end of the week, I flew out to my conference and returned April 23 - a FULL MONTH since I asked the bank to take action to protect me, their customer, from another institution's error.

Monday, April 25, the mail included a letter from Bank of the West stating that their investigation could find no "evidence" that the 3/21 payment had not been authorized and so my claim was being denied.

Today I will have time to call Bank #1 as I STILL do not have the refund they told me was "in process" and "up to 20 days" away on March 23. 

As far as Bank of the West goes, they have just lost a customer.  I am closing all my accounts and moving my money and my business to another institution - hopefully my new bank will show some shard of investment in Customer Care.