Blatant Customer Service Failure

I would like to write a formal complaint about the lack of professionalism and the blatant service failure received from Absa regarding the Ultimate Upgrade account.

I was prompted many times on my Absa app to upgrade my cheque account to the Ultimate upgrade account. I eventually decided to go ahead with it and went through the process. The process with frustrating as many times when you get to the next step it advised that there were “technical errors” that wouldn’t allow me to move further in the application. Anyway, frustrations aside, I eventually continued to a point where I received my quote for the upgrade. The approval was contingent on me providing my documents. The quote also said it would expire on July 9th. The timeline below:

• I submitted my documents and received an automated response saying it was received on July 2nd. • I called on July 7th for an update. I called to the 0860 AFRICA number. They advised that they could only take calls and send it over to the agent assigned to my case and that they would have to call me back. I called July 8th again. On July 9th the agent calls me asking what she can help me with. I told her I am looking for updates and she goes through all the verifications and then proceeds to tell me oh sorry, your quote expired, you have to wait another 30 days. She said she tried calling me but since I did not answer, there was nothing she could do.

I would like to highlight the following in this process:

• I was called TWICE after the application was being processed. No where does it state that the approval is contingent that I speak with an agent and even so, if you are an agent and are sales driven and selling a product full well knowing there is an expiration on it, would you only call TWICE? I work a full time job and cannot take calls most times of the day. • They call you, and when you try to call the number ***) back it says they do not accept incoming calls. So now you have to call the 0860 AFRICA number and even there, they cannot put you through to the agent that is dealing with your case. They have to send a message to the agent and have them call you back. When I did this I got a call back 2 days later. • Absa both emailed me the product information package and sent me a text message saying the approval was completed. • The email states that the expiration of the quote was July 9th yet the agent said it was July 8th so there is absolutely no consistency. • I asked to speak with the manager, Zach Oosthuizen. He flat out admitted and confirmed that it was indeed a service failure on their behalf due to the tardiness of the responses. • Zach assured me he would escalate it and get back to me by Monday, and I haven’t heard anything back (Tuesday 10:02PM). • I have banked with Absa all my life and I have dealing with many banks and not once was a product approval based on a telephonic conversation and even if so, nowhere is this stated.

This is pathetic customer service, and it actually just makes me want to completely shift from your bank. I cannot believe in this day and age with so many competitors and so many products on the market that you let customers just slip out of your hands like this due to *********** sales people.