Standard Bank Should Be Renamed 'Below Standard Bank'

To have to give this bank a single star makes me cringe.

This time last year I took the time to report how a STANDARD BANK ATM system error contributed to the loss of my mothers R15 000 (a retired nurse who has been with them for over 25 years).

I explained how no one expected STANDARD BANK to reinstate these funds but the least bit to investigate on her behalf. To cut a long story short, they had no interest whatsoever, instead my mother lacking the savvy to track departments has had to spend hours on call to get feedback on the procedure of which in the end they wrote the case off without a single statement request. How do you claim to have investigated anything when the victim has not explained on paper. Contrary to how other banks work including FNB, one would need to write down what happened before any investigation begins.

I write this because really I appreciate what Hello-Peter is doing for the average person. These capitalist giants have had their way with the black working class for decades and they think we don't count, that's why a complaint from a black retiree can be ignored.

For decades we have not had a voice so I understand, even when we had it, we have lacked the understanding that we are customers and services aren't a favor but the transactional value we pay for. The people who are respected by banks are the tax evading capitalists who make money from them, the middle class average citizens who make the banks wealthy and sustain the economy with excessive taxation are being ignored. I had 1st hand experience with Standard Bank.

Lets just say it now makes sense why the bank is called STANDARD BANK and not Outstanding Bank. A year ago I posted the first of 4 reviews on this matter and Colin Kriel - Customer Resolution Centre first responded. Colin sent what seems to be a generic worn down introduction to my email and a copy and paste apology of what I believe was just 'standard' procedure from complaints. There I believe he contacted me just to acknowledge that a Hellopeter negative review makes them look bad. Thereafter he surprised me because he asked for details promising to engage my mother on this, I was surprised because I thought he was just sending a standard greeting. Its now been over a year and he ignores the hundreds of following emails sent, and when I call inquiring why he hasn't engaged anyone on the matter, we wait ages on the line until we hang up.

This year on one of the other terrible reviews on this standard bank I get another generic request for details on the matter from *****ba Wendy Tambuki - Digital Client Experience, Social Media Moderator, Social Media who is clearly responsible for the 'social' image of this bank, otherwise why would it not come from an actual service agent if they wanted a problem address. She too gives me a hollow sorry and I share my disappointments with Colin. She was worse, not just because shes another step away from solving the problem, but because she just greeted never responded to any of my followups thereafter, Collin could atleast pretend for one more email before going MIA.

Now I understand how another person can read this message and feel we may be the reason, maybe we are dealing with a cheeky client. The truth is, we have nothing more to loose, it takes humble law abiding citizens a lot to get to this point and when you have nothing more than a salary to depend on, you snap when banks don't see the value you see. Standard Bank customer care is far from appalling, its just as bad as government offices.

At this point I am not even wondering if they actually have the capacity to putting my mother at rest on the matter, let alone compensate her. I just want to fully occupy this platform to appreciating Hellopeter for real interest in what happens to people, having followed up on me consistently on whether this is resolved even though we aren't paying for this platform.

The banks that milk our parents salaries for years and pension funds and bonds ultimately don't care what happens.

For further details on Standard Banks Failures, feel free to engage me, maybe I can save you the time of going through the same pain.

Regards Sthembiso Gumede ***