CUDOS TO STANDARD BANK ***** UNIT

Heartfelt thanks to the Standard Bank ***** unit for processing my case so speedily. Special thanks are due to Mr Nhlamulo Shibambu for his patience with me as I struggled to come to terms with what had happened.

That said, I believe more could be done to educate customers about the tactics used by *****sters when attempting to access an account. I was suspicious from the time I was approached telephonically. However, the *****ster was so persuasive and convincing that I eventually believed what he was saying.

After a two-hour conversation with this smooth operator, I thanked him for saving me from being de*****ed. In fact, he had done precisely the opposite with my help.

The online ***** officer to whom I reported the incident was efficient but could have been more empathetic. As is so often the case with call centre personnel, she struggled to answer several questions I believe were relevant at the time.

This left me feeling helpless and trapped, which made me angry. These are normal feelings in such circumstances and were triggered by what came across as indifference.

It would be helpful if ***** line personnel could be trained more thoroughly in the best approach to use when fielding difficult questions from justifiably distraught, anxious customers.

Telling someone reporting *****ulent activity that the bank warns its customers not to divulge information when it has already been shared is akin to advising them to close the stable door after the horse has bolted.

Only when one contacts the call centre or online ***** and is put on hold does one hear about the questions no Standard Bank official will ever ask.

Unfortunately, the ***** line officer who took my call also had a faulty microphone, which is apparently why the call was disconnected twice.

There is one more issue I wish to raise. It is sensitive and has cultural implications.

Because of South Africa's history, it is embarrassing to find oneself repeatedly asking a call centre officer to repeat him/herself because of differences in pronunciation or accent. As a customer, repeating a question because it appears not to have been fully understood by the officer is equally embarrassing. One does not want to come across as patronising or condescending, but inevitably that is what happens.