Standard Bank Soweto business bankers are apathetic, always in meetings and disrespectful.

This bank probably has one of the worst business bankers known to mankind.

Sibongile Gloria Mtshabe who works as a business banker for Standard Bank as well as one business banker responsible for Standard Bank Jabulani Mall are probably the worst business bankers you can come across. Sibongile is always at meetings; does not answer the phone; does not reply to emails; she’s not courteous.

The one from the Jabulani Mall branch is also at meetings in Maponya; does not reply promptly to customers.

Earlier today, I went to the Jabulani Mall branch. I went there to request a letter confirming that I once had a business account at the bank. Two ladies that I came across were polite and quite helpful. One lady’s name was Sizakele sitting at the reception. She was helpful and took her time to attend to my query and took my numbers and informed me that she will pass on the message to the business banker when he/she comes back from a meeting. I trust that Sizakele did. But the business banker has not even taken time to call and attend to my query.

After having spoken to Sizakele, I decided to use the provided telephone to call Standard Bank call centre. The agent on the other side of the line was helpful and provided me with an email address as well as a work phone number for Sibongile.

I called the number provided by the agent. There was no response. I called the same number over and over again without success. I thereafter decided to email Sibongile.

Here’s the email I had sent:

Hi:

My name is Nkosana Kumalo and my business account number was ********** 83.

I write this email as a matter of urgency.

My account has since been closed. I request that I be provided with a confirmation letter confirming that I had a business account with Standard Bank, and that the account has since been closed.

I would appreciate your prompt assistance in this regard.

Regards, Nkosana

Sibongile has not bothered to attend to my query. She did not respond to all the phone calls I had made.

I needed the letter so I could inform my client that the business account it intended to make deposit into was no longer operational. My client wanted a letter confirming that as true for accountability purposes. So, that, in the event that the money is deposited into a different account, which I have provided, the client will be able to ascertain that the account where the deposit was made is the correct account provided by me as the other (Standard Bank) account no longer exist.

Both bankers failed me when they failed to promptly attend to my query, as my client will not be able to make deposit until the end of the month. My client had until today to make amendments to my banking details as it erroneously intends to make the deposit into a non-existing account. As a result of these two bankers’ apathetic and customer hostile conduct I will not be able to take care of myself and my family as I dependent on the funds to last me until my next payment if any as I am struggling to make ends meet at the moment.

This is the experience of living and banking in previously known as black townships. The bankers are apathetic and quite disrespectful in the manner in which the conduct themselves towards black people in the township. I don’t suppose that the same experience takes place Sandton and Stellenbosch.