Disappointing Sales Experience Despite Being an Existing FNB Customer (Building cover)

My experience with the FNB sales consultant who assisted me with my building insurance quotation was unfortunately very disappointing.

I was in the process of finalising the purchase of my property and, as an FNB home loan customer, I approached FNB for a building insurance quotation.

Unfortunately, I found the consultant's tone and manner of communication to be unnecessarily abrupt and dismissive. The interaction left me feeling as though I was being done a favor.

What made the experience particularly disappointing was that the consultant had been referred to me through my FNB banker. I therefore expected a professional, customer-focused experience, especially considering that I was already entrusting FNB with the financing of my property. It started with the fact that he had tried to call my number but as explained I had not put any restrictions on Truecaller. I literally had received a call from the same number a week ago. So communication was on email until I called him so we could continue with the quoting process.

Insurance is not a favour being done for a customer. It is a financial product that I will be paying for, and I believe customers have every right to ask questions, compare alternatives and understand exactly what they are purchasing without being made to feel like an inconvenience.

Ironically, FNB's quotation was competitive on price. However, the experience ultimately influenced my decision not to place my building insurance with FNB. I chose another insurer, despite being willing to potentially pay more, because the quality of service I received gave me greater confidence in the relationship going forward.

This review is not intended to criticise FNB as a whole. My interactions with my banker have been different. My concern is specifically with the sales experience I received in relation to the insurance quotation.

FNB may have lost this particular piece of business not because its product was uncompetitive, but because of the way a prospective customer was treated during the sales process. I hope the feedback is taken constructively because customer service matters just as much as price when people are making important financial decisions.