HP
Helen P

1 reviews | Active since Jan 2022

21 Sept 2022, 16:58

Poor service at Mall of Africa branch

I've been pushed from pillar to post to get my Power of Attorney implemented over my ageing mother's accounts, but the last straw was the shocking service I received at Mall of Africa branch. "Philip" deserves a giant raspberry for his outstandingly bad attitude and brain-dead customer service ethic. After visiting Mall of Africa branch to get advice about what needs to be done to allow me to manage my mother's financial affairs, I finally took 4 days' leave to drive from Jhb to Marloth Park, where I spent 5 hours with her and one of the service agents at Malelane branch, setting everything up. Service on that side was really good considering the difficulties we faced due to poor connectivity, and the lady used her initiative to find ways to sort everything out for us. My mother is ageing and in the early stages of dementia, so can't be moved without endangering her health. The Malelane branch arranged for new credit and cheque cards to be ordered, and delivered to Mall of Africa branch for me to collect for mom. I duly received the SMS notification and visited MoA branch, where I waited to be served for 25 minutes, only to be told by the customer service agent that I require my mother's ID card, and my own does not suffice. This, despite the fact that my details are on your system (including my fingerprints!) reflecting that I have Power of Attorney. I then asked to speak to the manager, who did not introduce me or check the system, telling me that I actually don't need her ID but I need a signed letter from my mother authorising me to collect the card. Not only does this make absolutely no sense, given that I'm clearly identifiable as the authorised representative, and that Power of Attorney was given to me precisely BECAUSE my mother's mental capacity is no longer adequate to give such authorisations, but is prohibitively stupid, as I will need to take a further 3 days to drive to my mother, collect the card and return to Jhb... all this, leaving her without identification. The manager - who did not introduce himself to me - insisted that the only option was for him to write an email to 'Legal', on which I could not be copied, and for which I was not allowed to give input by way of explanation. He stated repeatedly that this is 'process' and there is nothing he can do to facilitate the process. He took a printout of my details - which are, infuriatingly, incorrect (your system reflects my mother's very old and obsolete phone numbers) - wrote my cell number on the paper and told me to wait for his call today. The call has not come. He said he'd ensure my contact details are updated on the system but I'm 100% sure this has not happened. I still don't know what the 'process' is, and which - if any - documents I should present to collect the cards, in addition to my own ID. Given his minimal attention to the difficulty of obtaining any documents from my mother, I'm certain the response will not be satisfactory and no initiative will be taken to find a solution that meets your compliance requirements while minimising the burden on me. And - cherry on the top - I had to ASK for his name at the end of the conversation, and he reluctantly gave only his first name, refusing to give me any contact details on which I could follow up with him. At no time did I lose my temper, raise my voice or treat any staff with disrespect. I was dressed in jeans and slops, not my high heels and power clothes, so perhaps he assumed it was acceptable to assume I'm a half-wit. I need to invest the proceeds of sale of my mother's house, but based on Philip's service and the complete lack of up-front clarity from your staff, I'll certainly not be considering this bank for conducting any future business. I will however be most grateful for an intelligent resolution to this challenge.

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