... but wait, there's more!

Regions Bank has really hit an all time low.  Since the local branch does not deal with online banking, I had to call the 800 number again... you know the drill.




I spoke to Phyllis, explained the situation and after she verified my account information and accessed my account, her first comment was, "Well, I understand you can't see the information but did you ask anyone to cancel any of the scheduled payments."  WAIT! what did she just say?!?!? Yes she did, she broke the first cardinal rule of customer service, she tried to put it back on me.

Oh and it gets worse, remember the payment that was returned because there was not enough money in the account... they automatically paid it, AGAIN!  When I was speaking to Phyllis, the payment showed as pending in my account. As I understand it, pending means it has not yet processed, so I asked her to cancel it, her response... Oh, we can't do that.  "You WHAT! wait let me get this clear", I said to her, "you are in online banking and you can see all the transactions on my account, even the ones I can not see or adjust, correct?" "That's correct" she responded. " but I can not cancel that payment, because it was originally processed on the 4th." 

There was quite a bit more minutia that transpired and finally I said to her, "Look your system screwed up and I had no control to make any changes on  my account, here is what I expect you to do... cancel any and all scheduled payment that are on my account, credit any and all over draft charges as a result of this issue and send me a letter for my records that states I did not overdraft my account... that it was a system error."  

It is funny that they ask if they can put you on hold... like I really have a choice and so Phyllis puts me on hold for "two to three minutes". When she comes back, she informs me that she has successfully canceled all future payments on my account and has credited the overdraft charges, but, she can not send me a letter and to her credit offers to transfer me to a supervisor. 

Here we go again, thankfully this time it doesn't take as long. I gave the supervisor a short synopsis of what the situation was and she advised me that she will put in a request for the letter. "A request?" I said, "are you telling me that you can not say for certain that I will be sent a letter stating that the overdraft was due to your systems error." "That's correct" she replied.  OMGOMGOMGOMG, I am over this... Fine, I will go back to the local branch and ask them to write the letter... while I wait!

Regions Bank is a prime example of an organization that has gotten so large and overloaded with polices that they can not and will not empower their employees to make a decision that will foster goodwill toward their customers.  Before it's merger, our accounts were with AM South, which employed a total of about 12,000 people.  After the merger with Regions Bank, there were about 1700 branches and 28,000 employees. Management has gotten so far out of touch with what is happening on the local level that they are loosing marked share. I think this is just another little part of what is wrong with America, we have lost the personal touch.

I expect that within the next 24 hours everything that shows as pending in our accounts will have settled out and I can then go and close them. There is probably a lesson that is supposed to be learned here.  I don't know if the lesson is for me, the bank or both. For now, I have my ego back in check and have calmed down.  I am thankful that I don't live paycheck to paycheck and as it's said... life goes on.

Life is simple... enjoy the journey!