Responsibility for Time and Expense

Allow me to share a letter to FNB (First National Bank), which I think will be self-explanatory:

Dear FNB,

I visited your Bayview branch on 18 December 2025, where Dumisa Mqushulu, shortly after 9:00 am, promised me that I would receive a call in the board room, in 15 minutes' time, to open a major investment account.

After nearly an hour, no call came through. Sorry, said Ms. Mqushulu, I would receive a call within 24 hours, not 15 minutes. After a few attempts to resolve this, I left shortly before 11:00 am. Then I received three calls almost at once, about the investment account.

Accordingly, I am billing FNB R500 for lost time (about an hour) and travelling expenses (about 25 km). Any disagreement about the amount may be discussed. About this payment, a manager commented, “That will be awkward.” Yet FNB has some responsibility for clients’ time and expense, of course.

My account details follow:

ACCOUNT NAME (visible behind the scenes) FNB Gold Cheque Account no. *******9476 Universal Branch Code no. 250655 Encore Aspire Current Account

Yours sincerely,