Unprofessional Banking Practice experience with Standard Bank South Africa

Hi All

I would like to share my utmost displeasure experienced dealing with Standard Bank officials concerning my loan account. My observation is that different departments at Standard bank have so poor ways of interaction with each other concerning updates to clients data, to such an extent that decisions made in one department are not captured into the system so that anyone having access to the same system can follow-up on them and make informed decisions. I made an application for a loan break for 3 months which where supposed to start from January 2021 and end in March 2021 with the debit order supposed to go off in April 2021. I had followed the defined procedures of applying for a loan break, unfortunately not even one employee of Standard Bank got back to me with the response, before these 3 months ended. No-one. Only when I visited a Standard Bank branch and was put on a call did a consultant advice me that the loan break application had been declined. This was in mid April 2021. I was advised to contact Standard bank debt care center who then lodged a query and complaint on my behalf as to why I was never informed on time. They, at standard bank, only told me when I contacted their office and not them responding to the application made. This query was escalated to a standard bank manager, she was very professional and apologized on behalf of the bank for not having contacted me earlier to inform me. She went on to tell me that as a result of that she was writing off the 3 months arrears as i had been inadequately treated by the bank. She also said I will, in the next 2 weeks receive an email from the bank stating this information. I was thankful for that from the line manager, however, am a bit disappointed as I still haven't received that email writing off those arrears more than a month later. Furthermore, the bank went on to load for the month of April a debit order on a wrong date of the 20th, which is an incorrect date as I have always had my account debited on the last day of the month so I do not know who made such an irresponsible error concerning my date of payment, This led to no debit going off end of April 2021. I have always thought Standard bank was a very professional banker with a sound practice in place, but surely the way you have dealt with me has made me think twice, and I can promise you that once I close my current loan account with you, I am never coming back to you for any banking needs because you have wasted my time and effort. Last week, I called Standard bank call center and they advise me that the 3 months still showing as arrears on my profile! This proves proves that someone in the bank employed to update customers details does not do so, which is bad as it reflects negatively on concerned clients. My numerous trips to a branch where I was placed on phone calls which yielded 95% nothing other than time wasting make me feel uneasy. Can you please update my information in your systems and send me the letter which I was promised to receive confirming the writing off of the arrears.