FNB Life - You're all important at sale time and you are meaningless thereafter.

I attempted to call FNB to correct an error in a payment on my FNB Life insurance policy.

I chose the query or assistance line and received a "due to unforeseen circumstances our lines are down' recorded message a few times.

Then on a hunch I tried the sales department and amazingly the lines were working, I was answered quickly but was then put through to the query or assistance line and after 20 minutes of music hung up.

I then logged onto the FNB website and under the Life insurance tab I requested a call back, leaving the ambiguous note of 'Life Policy'. I do not exaggerate when I say my phone rang in under 90 seconds (amazing what a sniff of a sale will do). Again of course, after explanation, I was put through to the query or assistance department. I waited for 15 minutes for an answer and interacted with the the call centre staff member for what at best was 20 seconds during which she asked can I give you 'their' number, still at a loss to who that would have been.

Upon a brief explanation of my issue she said 'let me go and ask' after which she vanished and I was listening to music again, occasionally interrupted by a voice assuring me the call was important to them, I held the line another 10 minutes before hanging up.

Better part of an hour of my life and 45 minutes of charged calls down the drain and not even a hint of success at resolving the issue.

You're all important at sale time and you are meaningless thereafter.

FNB brass, do not underestimate your clientele and overestimate yourselves, we know from the first call to the last call everyday busy or not your lines 'are currently experiencing heavy call volumes'. Shift some staff from sales to service and be lousy at both, rather than useless at one.

Cue the computer generated, inaccurate response....