|
|
|
A Good Credit Report - The Key To Cheap Finance
Is your credit report important? There are a lot of people who
would not consider their credit rating as something too
important to them in their life. There are others who, while
recognising its importance, would not be overly concerned...
Bad Credit Home Loans
There was a time that seems like decades ago when people with less than pristine credit were not able to get home loans. At that time people with bad credit were all but assured that their dreams of homeownership would never come to fruition....
Getting Bad Credit Help
Getting the bad credit help that you need is quite hard. First of all, it is embarrassing and difficult to admit that you need help managing the debt and credit problems that you have. Whether or not you are to blame or whether or not you could do...
Home Equity Loan or Home Equity Line of Credit – Which is right for you?
The most common type of home equity loan is the term loan. This loan is set for a fixed amount of time, anywhere from five to fifteen years. Such loans are typically granted for up to 80% of the value of the home, but some lenders will lend up to...
Home Loans For People With Bad Credit - When You Should Wait And When You Should Get A Home Loan
Home loans may seem like a bad idea for people with bad credit, but there are times when a home loan can help your credit score and your budget. To know if a home loan is best for you, consider factors such as your current financial situation,...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dial one if you have your credit card handy
Dial one if you have your credit card handy and would like to
speak to an intelligent person, in your own country, who can
really help you!
I've recently have had some incredibly bad experiences when I
have tried to phone some very well-known banks in the UK.
On the first occasion, I was trying to make an inquiry about my
father's bank account. My father is no longer able to look after
his own affairs and I have power of attorney which has been
registered with his bank.
I dialled the telephone number shown on the statement and my
call was answered by a very friendly lady called Anna.
I asked Anna for some information about my father's accounts.
But I was told that I did not have the required authority to be
able to access this information. I knew that this was wrong but
Anna was convinced.
Anna suggested that I would have to visit the branch where my
father's account is held and see one of their representatives.
I explained to Anna that my father's account is held at Dorking
and I live in Stevenage.
Anna was insistent. "If you can just pop into the Dorking branch
and see one of the assistants, they will be able to help you."
I asked Anna where she was based. And she explained that she was
working at a call centre in India. Little wonder then that she
did not appreciate that for me to travel to my father's branch
is a journey of about 75 miles and would take approximately 2
hours each way!
My second experience came when I needed to speak to somebody at
the Stevenage branch of another bank.
I had not telephoned this branch before and went to directory
inquiries to get a phone number.
It soon became clear that the phone number I had been given was
for a call centre in the North of England.
Although my call could have been handled
quite easily over the
telephone, the operator was not able to help. And once again
suggested that I pop into the branch. She explained that one of
the personal bankers at the branch would be able to help me.
I asked her if she could put me through to the personal banker
by telephone. "No," she said. "I can't do that. Our personal
bankers are not allowed to take telephone calls."
What an incredible situation!
What is the point of having local branches if we cannot make a
telephone call to those branches?
How can it be that the banks expect us to make visits to these
branches but not to make telephone calls?
Is there something wrong with my thinking? Or have the banks got
this wrong?
After discussing this with some of my colleagues we came to the
conclusion that we would like to have an additional choice when
we phone the banks.
We would like to hear, "Please press one if you have your credit
card handy and are prepared to pay a small charge to speak to
somebody at your local branch."
And incidentally, I was helping some people just this week with
their telephone communication skills. One of the ladies on the
course is Indian. And I asked to how she felt about phoning a UK
business that her call being received by a call centre in India.
"I just hate it!" She said. "Especially when they give a false
name and try to pretend that they are based in the UK."
Now isn't that interesting.
About the author:
Derek Williams is creator of The WOW! Awards™ an International
Professional Speaker and Chief Executive for the Society of
Consumer Affairs Professionals in Europe.
For more information about Derek Williams visit www.MrWow.co.uk.
For The WOW! Awards (including access to a FREE customer service
newsletter) visit www.TheWowAwards.com
|
|
|
|
|
|