ABSA exploiting dependents of the deceased

The day at last arrived for ABSA to cater more for ********* than customers. At what point did customer centricity become centered around ******** activity where the elderly is exploited into hunger because loved ones died.

My mother in law (74) spent the past 2 months in ICU fighting for her life with COVID 19 after her husband died of Covid 19 as she was entering ICU ward. He ran his accounts with ABSA for the past 20 years and on receiving notice if his death ABSA froze the bank account. Without prior warning to her. Without adding two little steps in their promise customer centric process: 1) "is there a dependent on the bank account?" yes or no and if yes 2) "is estate late account created"?

What a pathetic attempt to customer service in this digital age. It is almost as if it is a malicious attempt to exploit soft targets.

On numerous attempts by numerous people we came to understand that she will have to deal with the situation without having access to her income, bread, water, electricity etc. also she will need to make alternate plans with his debit orders going off on his account, and she will have to wait the 6 - 24 months (if she is lucky) for ABSA to conclude in their time the estate and only then will she be able transact again.

She need to make an alternate plan (at 74) is the hopeless message from all layers at ABSA. On asking why the answer repeated over and over: "they will commit ***** on your account''.

What a pathetic lie we are fed as customers, ''customer centric''. A comment for ABSA, the meaning for customer centricity has shifted in a digital transformation age to, offering what the customer wants, not offering what the service provider can supply in their lacking systems & processes. Scoring profit at all cost, still. The world is changing and it might take a while but you will be penalised for your scandalous processes soon by your customers they are waking up.