Capitec does not value it's customers

29 November 2002

The Manager Client Care@ *** <Dear "Valued" Capitec customer> Don't believe this as they would simply not respond to me> Service Complaint I attempted to withdraw cash from your ATM at the Spar shopping centre in Komatipoort on Saturday 19 November 2202 around 12H30. I was holidaying in the Kruger park coming from Cape Town. The ATM could not process my request and I assumed that my card was retained in the machine. I suspected that I had been ****med as I was hassled at the machine. I went to the bank front door and while trying to keep an eye on the machine requested help from an Capitec official inside. The official informed me that only Coin security can open the machine, then closed the door, and returned to her desk. There was only one other person in the bank at that time. I then tried to find a number to stop my card but could not find it on the ATM. A kind bystander noticed that I was in panic and assisted me to find a number, but we could not. At that stage the bank official exited the bank and locked the front door walking passed us. The bystander pointed me to her saying that I should request her to stop the card as they have all those details. I requested her to please assist stopping the card for me but she kept on walking just replying something to the effect “ I am a black woman and I can do……” I followed her requesting her to repeat what she had just said and she repeated, “ I am a black woman and can do……” again I could not make out her complete sentence. I then realized I would get no assistance from her and returned to the machine. The bystander had by then picked up a slip on the floor and found a number to call. As I did not have a phone with me at the time I had to find my wife who fetched my phone. I could then phone and stop my card. On Monday 21 November I went back to the same branch to request a new card. While the consultant was busy, I asked to see the branch manager. She pointed to the same lady that was supposed to have assisted me on the Satureday. The manager then approached us at the consultant desk and went down on me in a flurry of words, in front of all customers and the consultant, saying that I did not respect her because I shouted for assistance from the door, etc, etc, etc. I went into shut-down mode and cannot recall any thing else she said. I allowed her to finish her rant. I felt ashamed and violated in front of all the people present in the bank. I was hoping to resolve this unfortunate incident in the privacy of her office and said: “come let us sort out this nonsense” she gave no reply and simply walked off. In Conclusion: I hereby sincerely apologize to your branch manager for not greeting her with the custom civil formalities and sincerely hope she will understand, that I was in shock from this traumatic incident, and accept my apology. I am however disappointed, despite my disrespectful manner towards her, that your senior official should however still have acted in a professional manner and assisted me as your client on the Saturday. I am aggrieved by her uncalled-for racial slur, on Saturday, and find it totally unacceptable under any circumstance what soever. The fact that I was humiliated by this senior employee on Monday in front of all people in the bank shows her lack of proffesialism and that she possibly could benefit from further “customer relationship management” (CRM training) or employment in back office management. I was hoping to rectify any misunderstanding in the privacy of her office but was not afforded the chance to do so. I hope to receive your response on my issues raised so I can close-out this unpleasant experience I had with your bank. Kind regards Arnold Hohenstein