Aug 01, 2006 09:59 PM
7440 Views
This is my second review and incidentally both reviews are on Banks (last time HDFC) . Now HSBC has replaced HDFC as worst banking experience.
It makes me wonder if all those people singing praises of HSBC are either paid by bank to canvas for them or employees of this bank.
It all started two weeks back. I received a packet from HSBC with security device( Logging on to online@hsbc need you to authenticate by this device) and felt happy that bank is improving security of its customers and little did I knew that it is start of my trouble. I registered my security device and used it couple of times and could easily log on to online site.
I have gold card which is life time free card. One day I saw my account being charged with Rs2000+tax as annual fee.I now hold this card for 3 years and every year it is custom for HSBC to charge me annual fee and reverse it back after I remind them that card is supposed to be life time free card. I did same thing this time and called the bank they acknowledge that it is their mistake and they will reverse it.
Next day I try to login to online site, I get error Incorrect login credentials (Error D008). I try to get to customer support (25589696 ) and after trying for more then 10 minutes I could hear to a HUMAN voice. I explain that HUMAN about my problems after going through all the usual security checks and couple of holds. they note the problem and say that it is problem with my security device and I have to call a TOLL FREE number. (In india toll free numbers ar a joke. you won't be able to figure out which service provider can get you to it as BSNL toll free numbers cant be reached from TOUCHTEL and vice versa) . Then I find a phone from where I can call the toll free number ( remember it will not work from coin booths or public PCO's or even your cell ) and tell this agent my problem after again repeating steps ( Security questions + couple of holds ) the agent tells me I have call bank number 25589696 and only they can help me.
Ok. I again call bank, retry for more then 10 times, wait for more the 5 minutes hearing bank advertisements and then human agent speaks to me. I explain my problem and after ( Security questions + couple of holds ) agent tells me to try after a day and problem will go away.
I try next day and still cant log on to online@hsbc. I call customer support and one more agent greets me. I ask for escalating my call to senior and person insists that only he can help me and I have to explain him problem. I comply then I am put on hold (more then 14 minutes) and suddenly I hear disconnected tone in phone. Either phone timed out or agent disconnected me purposely don’t know what happened.
I retry repeat same steps with one more agent who convinces me that he will fix my problem. He also agrees to call me back with status. I agree (what else can I do?)
I receive a call after a day from this agent that technical team is working on my problem and they will call me. I don’t hear back anything for next two days and try customer support again. This time I insisted the agent to escalate the call to next level. Which she dint agree to and tells me that previous agent has updated the Call Log with status as "Resolved"? . How can they close the call with out fixing my problem I ask and this agent tells me that my system has been reset and I should try again.
I try again and won’t help. Again call customer service and this agent finally agrees to escalate my call (I was kept on hold for 8 minutes) . I speak with this senior customer support person and she says my problem has been solved(they have reset security device) and I should retry after 2 hours. I try and still same error , cant access my account. Before I disconnected from last call I have also taken the Fax number of bank 022 24981135 as I no longer want to call the customer support.
Some statistics of the whole episode:
Number of calls made >80
Number of times got connected to phone bank ~8 times.
Number of agents spoken with 6.
Number of disconnections 2
Approximate Call time+Menu Time + wait time(hearing ads) + hold time(when agent puts you on hold) + explaining time = > 90 Minutes.
When each minute is money I have lost 3 precious hours (including time taken to write this review) because of incompetent agents working at HSBC.
Final out come : A frustrated customer whose problem has not yet been fixed by the bank. I am now going to send fax to bank with print out of this review and see if that fixes my problem.
Any case I am going to throw this card away for Good once my account is settled with bank. Good by HSBC.
END NOTE: IT IS POSSIBLE THAT HSBC ONLY UNDERSTANDS “CHINEESE” AS THEY ARE FROM HONGKONG AND THE COMUNICATION PROBLEM MIGHT HAVE CREATED THIS MESS.
