Server offline

My husband and I were incredibly disappointed with the experience we had early Saturday morning at the Absa branch at The Grove.

We arrived at 8AM ready to register me for a new account and midway through the process, the server went offline.

I received little reassurance from the lady who was helping us because all she could tell me was that the server has been doing this a lot recently and she cannot predict when it will go back on again. I was told that I could wait 15 minutes and hopefully it will come back on. The lady who was helping me then left and another more senior assistant joined me and then suggested I wait around an hour, and maybe the server would come back on.

Naturally I was very frustrated.

Eventually the more senior manager reassured me by telling me that she would take down my details and they would call me and I would simply need to pick up my card and sign for it. I felt relieved and walked away assured that even though it may only be sorted out later it would be sorted out, and I wouldn't have to run back and fourth taking a chance wasting my time and money because all I would have to do is pick up my card and sign for it. This was the impression I received.

Later on Saturday I got a phone call. I was told by the lady who had assisted me first that it wasn't going to work like that and that I would have to come in to the bank and hopefully if they are online I could get an account set up for me. I was told to drive to Colonade which is around 30 minutes away, and take the chance if I wanted to have my account set up by Monday. I decided not to take the chance.

Monday morning I received a phone call from the lady who had assisted me first on Saturday and she was pleased to tell me that Absa was now online and I should come in to get my account set up. I explained to her that I was at work, and that I could only come in at 12, would the system be online at lunch time?

I was told by the assistant that she cannot tell the future, that she doesn't know what I expect from her and that she was doing me a favor giving me a call in the first place. I made it clear to her that I was frustrated, that I understood it was not her fault but that I couldn't see how she thought that the treatment I was receiving was acceptable.

My husband and I are both incredibly disappointed with Absa. I hoped to set up an account by today and it turned out to be a disaster. The phone call I received this morning was unpleasant and my Saturday morning also felt like a complete waste of time.

It is my hope that I can receive some form of reassurance and help opening an account at Absa, because I want to be at the same bank my husband is at. If I cannot come right, my husband and I are seriously considering moving him over to my current bank.