Check Please

June 29, 2009 on 10:26 am | In Consumer Behavior, Customer Retention, Customer Service, dumbass marketer, Reputation Management | 5 Comments

Let me know if I’m off base here, OK? I got a check from my mother-in-law for my birthday. She has written it on her Wachovia checking account. The good news, I initially think, is that there is a Wachovia branch very close by.  So, I head over and pull into the drive-through.

I drop the endorsed check and my NC driver’s license into the canister and shoot it through the pneumatic tube. Teller comes on and says “Mr. Hoover do you have a Wachovia account?” I tell her that I do not. She says that I will have to come inside the bank and present two forms of identification. “Are you kidding me?” I ask.

“No. We require non-customers to come inside since the drive-through is primarily a service for our customers.”

“Well, I’m guessing your customers wouldn’t want you hassling people they have written checks to. And I’m guessing you don’t want to convert me into a customer if you have that kind of last century policy.”

I left in a cloud of burning rubber, vowing never, ever to utilize a Wachovia – now Wells Fargo – service. I also vowed to tell everyone what I think of Wachovia and their failed policies.

Now, am I off the reservation here? Do you think this is a good policy? Come on, tell me what you think.

Other Posts Of Interest

  • MasterShephe

    It’s a ludicrous policy, sure. BUT, is it worth vowing that they’ll burn forever in your own personal brand of consumer hell? That might be a tad much.
    It should be noted that, as long as you’re in possession of a Wachovia check, you ARE a customer. It’s YOUR money in their bank.
    The 2 forms of identity is probably even more absurd, though. And yet, it is far less likely to change any time soon.
    In the end, though, you might be slightly off the fence on this one. To begin with–No teller makes up the rules and deserves to be castigated for enforcing them. That’s like being mad at a bartender for not allowing your 20 year old to have a beer with you. It’s not the bartenders fault. But, most importantly, venting frustrations at the lower-level workers (or even most higher level managers) wont really do anything to change the policy. The odds of them going to a high-up and telling them of a pressing need to change a policy is extremely slim.
    Best bet is to email the “support/contact” section on their website and make posts like these and hope that they get so popular that Wachovia can’t help but notice. Best of luck.

  • http://www.my-creativeteam.com Harry Hoover

    Sorry, MasterShepe, but I don’t suffer foolish policies well. I’m still not pumping Exxon gasoline because they refused to take responsibility for the Exxon Valdese oil spill in 1989.

  • http://www.parkerweb.com Darryl Parker

    Harry – not only do they require the trip inside, two forms of identification, and sometimes a thumbprint (!), the final coup de grace is once you pass that test, you have to pay $5 for the privilege…

  • http://www.yourprguy.com Rodger

    This post empowers me to re-up my post about a local fitness chain in Indianapolis.

    I’m wondering, is Wachovia watching social media? Maybe you should email the banks PR front man? Send him a link.

  • http://www.my-creativeteam.com Harry Hoover

    Rodger, I’m guessing Wachovia has taken its eye off the ball since Wells Fargo has bought it. I’m not even sure anymore who is handling PR internally there.

Powered by WordPress with Pool theme design by Borja Fernandez.
Entries and comments feeds. Valid XHTML and CSS. ^Top^