FNB / SYMINGTON & DE KOK ATTORNEYS - COMPLAINT

Hi I have had my FNB business account deactivated, and I was told that my account was handed over to a collections company called SYMINGTON & DE KOK ATTORNEYS on the 7th of September and I was at the branch on the 9th of September. The consultant at a branch gave me the contact details to contact the collections company in order to settle what was owed and thereafter get my account reactivated as I had explained that I needed that account number back as I am awaiting payment on it this week still.

I later discovered through the FNB business line on the 08/09/2024 that an account can be reactivated without having settled the outstanding amount, you just have to submit company registration docs, proof of operation address and ID. That information was not given to me, I ended up wasting a whole day which put the risk of the expected payment bouncing back to the client further inconveniencing me further and this was thorough explained to the consultant.

While still at an FNB branch I took the contact details given to me by the consultant of the collections company and I called them, after narrating my story that I am expecting payment on that account, and I need to pay so that I can reactivate as I was told by the consultant. The call center agent (Dimakatso Madumisi) said my file was not captured on the system that could be due to the fact that it was handed over on the Friday and I made the call on a Monday, I understood and allowed the process time on Monday 09/09/2024.

I made a call on tuesday 10/09/2024 and I spoke to a lady called Maria Modiegi Motlogelo who after I narrated my story and how sensitive it was, I noticed that she was not bothered by the urgency and sensitivity of the matter, she was very arrogant, was not willing to listen with understanding and take some of the suggestions I was making in order to get the problem solved and instead she was making all sorts of insinuations and condescending remarks. I then asked to speak to a supervisor and she told me 3 different stories about how the supervisor would not come to the phone 1) Supervisor is in a meeting, after telling her that I was willing to wait she then changed the response to 2) Supervisor is busy with 50 other queries and could not come to the phone, I then said I would wait on the line for her until she is done then I got the third answer; The supervisor doesn't talk on the phone I should rather write an email. She then dropped the call soon after that.

I called again for and got a lady by the name of Dikeledi who answered the call a few moments she dropped the call.

I called again spoke to a gentlemen called Joshua and I requested the supervisor, the supervisor was called and she (Maipidi Motaung) came to the phone and i narrated my story to her from scratch as she was listening to my query the call dropped or she cut the call, no call back after that, I redialed and called the call center again and got a lady called Litha Joko who was so loud and disrespectful and was not willing to listen to anything i had to say when asking for a supervisor, when i insisted on speaking to the supervisor as we had just been cut off she dropped the call on me.

called again and spoke to a Dineo Zwaqa on the same line, the call was answered I could here voices on the background but no one was talking, I waited until I heard a voice saying hello which is now how the called should be answered in a call center environment, she passed the call to the supervisor again who said to me that the file has not been given to them by FNB, I had to go back to the branch and try to follow up.

I have never exposed to this kind of incompetence, lack of professionalism, unwillingness to assist in my entire life, The agents lack lisen, problem solving skills, empathy and most of all customer service skills and should not be in an environment that involves people at all. this is the highest level on poor customer service ever experienced and should not be allowed to happen its so prevalent that its the norm it that call center, i spoke to +-6 agents who were unwilling to assist and were very rude and I don't believe such a company should be allowed to deal with such sensitive matters in future