Oct 30, 2013 01:20 PM
5021 Views
This is regarding the pathetic customer service received from ICICI main road ranchi branch from top to bottom.
Issue was the request for a passbook for PPF account for 10 months.
I sent a letter to managing director and all the top officials to file the complaint. Still the issue is not resolved and the onus of the work is blamed on the consumer itself.
Do let me know dear boarders about the steps which you would have taken if you were in my place( Close the A/c maybe) .
Below is the letter reproduced which I sent them without any fruitful outcome.
= A/c holder since: 2005
Sub: Complaint against ICICI Bank, Main road Ranchi Branch( Jharkhand)
This is reference to my request for the issue of passbook( since 8 months) for the said account no.
But the experience has left me aghast and at loss to whether I should continue to be a customer of the bank. Since the incident has two parts to it I would like to detail my experience in two parts.
Part 1:
I had opened my PPF account online in February 2013. The benefits of online transactions for the PPF account, and illusion of prompt service made me choose ICICI bank instead of SBI, which was offering the similar service. The account was promptly opened and I was able to initiate the transactions.
I had wanted to have the passbook for the PPF account, and I had put the request for the same while applying for the account. The bank personnel said that since they are short of passbook kindly meet him in 15 days by which it would come. I believed him and came back in a month.
Again I was told the same reason and I believed him. During my third visit I received the same response I requested the teller that take down my number and let me know when the passbook is available. Again I was told that as per the policy of the bank they won’t contact me, instead I will have to come to the bank for the same.
Again I believed him. Subsequently 3-4 months after opening of the account I tried to call the branch, but somehow was not able to talk to the person who handles the PPF account. Not able to get the passbook I again personally visited the branch but received the standard response.
During one of my visit to the branch I had asked them to take down my written request for the issue of the passbook, but the person said they have no such policy/framework to take a written request and assured me that very soon it will be taken care of.
My today( 22-10-2013) visit to the branch for the same request puts the harassment meted out earlier to shame, which I am elaborating in the second part.
Part 2:
I visited the Ranchi main-road branch on 22-10-2013 at 5: 30 PM. I enquired about the passbook at the counter and again received the response that since the PPF passbook is undergoing some format change it will not be available till next 3 months.
On hearing this I insisted on a written complaint. On hearing this he said that is not necessary and asked me that they will do the needful in due course of time. But I was insistent to the person that to take my written letter and to give a copy of the same.
On seeing that I am insistent on written letter, a lady staff came and told me that my request will be done in 3 days and asked me not to give the request in written. She also suggested that in case I go for written complaint then it will take time to resolve the issue.
On hearing this I asked her to give me a commitment in writing which she flatly refused. On this I insisted on giving a written complaint.
While I was writing the complaint she tried on the sly to stop me from doing the same. She indirectly threatened me that I am escalating the issue and warned that it will delay my service. Anyway I continued and handled the letter to the guy at the service desk, and insisted on getting a received copy of the same.
I had to wait for more than half an hour for the received copy but it was being stalled. In continued insistence after 45 minutes the guy at the service desk gave me a copy of my PPF statement in a cover and tried to pass it off as passbook.
When I told him so, he first tried to fool me by saying that ICICI gives passbook in this way only. When I cornered him he accepted that it was not a passbook.
Again on my insistence on having the received copy of the complaint he came back after 15 minutes and said that the branch manger wants to meet me. I thought that now at least I will get a solution. But again I was wrong. The branch manager( Mr. Jha) was rudest of all.
Even before I was seated he rudely asked what the problem is. On telling the issue he said that your problem is solved and insisted that the statement is the passbook. On my non acceptance of the same he tried to threaten me. He told that he has many connections and asked me to tell who my employers are.
He wishes to talk to them and I will have to bear his wrath. On my refusal, he mocked that I am wary of him that’s why I am not telling him about my employer. He yelled at the top of his voice several times.
Still I persisted on the receiving the copy of my complaints. On which he threatened me that I had used unparliamentarily language against his earlier female staff.
On telling him that I hadn't, he said that the bank is under CCTV surveillance. I told him that I would be happy to see the footage since I had not used any of those words. On seeing me confident, he further threatened me by saying that he has personally heard me abusing her and can make his staff say the same.
Still I persisted for the received copy of my complaints. Finally he relented and gave me a copy and wrote on the copy that I had abused his staff. And he said that there is no proof that I had come to the branch 5-6 times earlier.
He said that he will see to it that my complaints won’t be redressed. While I was leaving his cabin, I heard him saying, to his colleague, to enquire from my savings salary account who my employers are, so as to teach me a lesson. Incidentally my ICICI account is not currently a salary account.
Conclusion:
I was student account holder since 2002. On my first job it was ICICI bank salary account in 2006. I had no issues until now. I had experienced branch experience in Navi-mumbai, Gurgaon too and nowhere I faced any issues. Probably I had limited myself to internet banking and ATMs only.
This is a very sad service experience for me.
I am not sure whether this letter will give me a satisfactory reply( it took me over 2hrs to write this) or address my concerns, since online I have seen many grievances unresolved. But my experience has left a bitter taste.
I have interacted with some public and private banks in Ranchi, and all the service experience were very pleasant. The branch managers at other banks were extremely approachable and helpful.
In the case of ICICI bank only thing that I wanted was to lodge a written complaint and I had to face humiliation. Extremely disgusting experience. No apology or anything can restore my dignity.
And above all I could not believe this kind of service from the bank which I was associated since a decade.
If it was a public bank then still I could believe it but not from icici bank. My interactions from public banks were quite pleasant, which was again a surprise for me. They unnecessarily have a bad press.
Way forward:
Even if the issue is looked into( which I don’t believe to happen), the branch manager will try to put the blame on me. For this I would request you to look into the CCTV footage (if you keep it) of 22-10-13 from 5: 30 to 7: 30 pm (including the cabin of branch manager), to judge the veracity of the branch manger claims.
Secondly I assure you that the incident has left such a bitter taste that I would terminate my association from ICICI bank if appropriate action is not taken against all of your staffs who are involved in harassing me.
Thirdly: The letter that I had sent, I haven’t still received any commitments towards resolutions.
Fourthly, I would like you to have a re-look on soft skills training of your staff to deal with customers. Because the very thing that made ICICI bank stand out of the crowd in banking space is diminishing.
Thanks!
