Re: does Wells Fargo treat any other checking acco... - Page 3 - myFICO® Forums

laz98 · ‎12-31-2008

mojave moon,

if i were you, i would just change banks. chase has never tried to sell me anything!

Anonymous · ‎12-31-2008

@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
You might try this (I dont' know if it will work though... )--

The next time you're at a branch and they start their spiel, put on your most stricken look, interrupt immediately, and request a "manager". When the CSR inquires as to what's wrong, simply say, "I want to make a complaint about my experience today, and I need a manager to do so." Hopefully, he/she will inquire as to what's wrong. Explain that you were assured that the last time you came into the bank that your account was notated as to not waste your valuable time with sales pitches that you were not interested in. You opted out of them, and had their solemn promise that from that point forward your banking experience would be pleasant and focused on your customer directed needs.

With any luck, the CSR will become very apologetic, furiously start searching notes, casting verbal shame upon the last CSR who didn't notate the account, and take pains to notate it herself. And then, if you're really lucky, she'll simply reply, "So, what can I do for you today Mr(s). MojaveMoon?

I have to disagree. Doing what you suggested is very mean. If you want to walk into the bank and ask a Teller or CSR to speak with the manager and then wait to speak with the manager, that's your perogative and I highly recommend doing that.

However, to put a "stricken look" on your face "interrupt immediately" and "request a manager" is mean and rude. Then to take it a step further and say "I want to make a complaint about my experience today, and I need a manager to do so'? Even if he/she asks what's wrong, which they probably won't, you are now wasting your 'valuable time' by playing that game, which is what that was, especially since the OP at no point said they talked with a manager and asked that notation be made.

One, it's rude to interrupt someone while they're talking, especially when they are just doing their job. And it's not them who think they're just doing their job, it's the corporate heads of the banks. Additionally, while that teller will probably not get written up, you are probably causing intense fear in them when they were only doing their jobs. The entire time you are talking to the manager, they will be wondering what they did, they will be rethinking the conversation trying to find out how they offended you, and will be worried about repurcussions. Will I get written up? Will I get fired? And it's entirely possible that the manager won't even know that you have caused fear in that teller and won't think of telling the teller that they did nothing wrong. So it could be just the 10-15 minutes you're talking with the manager, it could be all day before the Teller gets the opportunity to speak with the manager. So for your fun, this teller has been worried all day. And now you want the teller to apologize for something that's not his/her fault?

I hate it too. When I'm at the bank, I want to get in and get out. I don't want to be sold something, unless I go in and talk to a banker and ask for a review on my accounts. I don't want the teller to try to sell me something. But I know they are doing what their bosses have instructed them to do. So I politely tell them no, and if they continue to push, I explain very quickly "no more credit cards." And then I am able to leave. Afterall, they're not holding me hostage with a gun.

And doing what you suggested, is mean and rude, and completely inconsiderate for that person's feelings.

I totally agree with woopah. The teller is simply doing his or her job. As I previously posted, Wells Fargo wants all of its customers to have all of their (the customer) financial products with Wells Fargo. Some branches may have managers that don't worry about each customer having eight Wells Fargo products. On the other hand, you have other branches that have managers that chart how many products each teller is to sell, worry about how the regional and/or corporate managers are going to look at their sell performance every month, and demand that every teller pushes Wells Fargo products.

One little detail that you are forgetting, LilMirth, in your scenario is that the bank managers don't hide out in their offices anymore. That "Concierge" and the workstation/greeting station at the entrance of the branch is the branch manager and the manager's work desk. The manager is out on the floor, supervising the floor, greeting the customers, and working with customers and the tellers. Unfortunately, your theory of embarrassing the teller and humilating him or her in front of the manager just won't work because the manager will probably be viewing and/or hearing your conduct towards that teller.

Keep in mind that with the bank consolidations, failures, and sells, people aren't going to have many options to pull out their money from one bank to another. I was lucky - when Wachovia failed and was bought by Wells Fargo, I have Bank of America, PNC Bank, Chevy Chase Bank (now Capital One Bank), M&T bank, and BB&T bank a mile or less from where I live, AND my credit union has a branch a mile away from me, too. Most people don't have that luxury that I do. Finally, bank managers have a long memory about customers and you will find the adage "You win more people with honey than vinegar" very true when you need to do business with another person.

bbright2003 · ‎01-05-2009

I worked at Wells Fargo as a teller back when I was in college and the reason they do this is that the "tellers" have product sales and referral quotas. If you go so long without meeting your quota (I think it was 2 quarters) you have a good possibility of getting fired.

Ridiculous I know but WF management is pushing these tellers to sell you every product under the sun instead of just process your transaction. When I got hired on they told me that part of my job description was to make sales.

And they can notate the accounts so ask a manager to do this the next time you go in. I can't guarantee that all the tellers will look at the notes but it may help.

Anonymous · ‎01-06-2009

To the contrary, every time I've encountered a situation where I've requested a manager, the CSR (be it by phone, or in person) immediately said, "Is there a problem? I'm sure I can help..." or some version thereof. Certainly, it's no more mean, or the cause of hurt feelings than blatantly ignoring my requests to STOP. What about the customer's feelings? Are they irrelevant? What about the customer's time? What about customer service, period? No means NO! Stop means STOP! Bank Teller's and CSRs are agents of the bank that they work for. Complaining about a customer experience is not a direct attack on the "persons" that are acting on behalf of the bank. I didn't suggest insulting someone's choice of shoes and eyeshadow, or the casting dispersions upon their first born. Requesting a manager, or requesting a means of complaint are effective (and sometimes the only) ways of directing an appropriate level of attention to your problem in an effort to get the problem solved. If my requests are not met the first time that I ask, the second time, the third... It's perfectly reasonable for me to escalate my issue. Ideally, before the CSR/Teller gets to ignore my wishes, annoy me endlessdly, and waste my time again.

So, we'll simply have to agree to disagree. I don't think it's "mean", or "very mean", or rude, or in any way inconsiderate. Nor, do I believe (even for a second) that a teller/csr is going to suffer some horrible fate for doing what the bank asked them to do in the first place.

Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.

@Anonymous wrote:

I have to disagree. Doing what you suggested is very mean. If you want to walk into the bank and ask a Teller or CSR to speak with the manager and then wait to speak with the manager, that's your perogative and I highly recommend doing that.

However, to put a "stricken look" on your face "interrupt immediately" and "request a manager" is mean and rude. Then to take it a step further and say "I want to make a complaint about my experience today, and I need a manager to do so'? Even if he/she asks what's wrong, which they probably won't, you are now wasting your 'valuable time' by playing that game, which is what that was, especially since the OP at no point said they talked with a manager and asked that notation be made.

One, it's rude to interrupt someone while they're talking, especially when they are just doing their job. And it's not them who think they're just doing their job, it's the corporate heads of the banks. Additionally, while that teller will probably not get written up, you are probably causing intense fear in them when they were only doing their jobs. The entire time you are talking to the manager, they will be wondering what they did, they will be rethinking the conversation trying to find out how they offended you, and will be worried about repurcussions. Will I get written up? Will I get fired? And it's entirely possible that the manager won't even know that you have caused fear in that teller and won't think of telling the teller that they did nothing wrong. So it could be just the 10-15 minutes you're talking with the manager, it could be all day before the Teller gets the opportunity to speak with the manager. So for your fun, this teller has been worried all day. And now you want the teller to apologize for something that's not his/her fault?

I hate it too. When I'm at the bank, I want to get in and get out. I don't want to be sold something, unless I go in and talk to a banker and ask for a review on my accounts. I don't want the teller to try to sell me something. But I know they are doing what their bosses have instructed them to do. So I politely tell them no, and if they continue to push, I explain very quickly "no more credit cards." And then I am able to leave. Afterall, they're not holding me hostage with a gun.

And doing what you suggested, is mean and rude, and completely inconsiderate for that person's feelings.

Anonymous · ‎01-06-2009

You would think, then, that WF would simply extend their teaspoon of honey, and notate the customer's account the first time they notified the bank of their desire to "opt-out" of face-to-face solicitations. Throwing a cup of vinegar in the face of the customer is not likely to result in a satisfactory customer experience.

Perhaps you're not considering that banking relationships are a two-way street. As a banking customer, I'm not at all concerned about a bank employees sales objectives. It's rude, and inappropriate to waste a customer's time when they said NO, STOP, or "I'm not interested". Certainly, I can't imagine what would be embarrassing or humiliating about a customer complaining about a banking experience to a banking manager... in a bank. My guess is that it happens with some frequency. And, if the poor customer is lucky, the manager will be close by. That way, the ignoring-the-wishes-of-the-customer teller won't have to search for a manager, should he or she be rude enough to try finishing the unwanted sales pitch. Convenience. There might be hope for the poor customer yet!

@Anonymous wrote:

One little detail that you are forgetting, LilMirth, in your scenario is that the bank managers don't hide out in their offices anymore. That "Concierge" and the workstation/greeting station at the entrance of the branch is the branch manager and the manager's work desk. The manager is out on the floor, supervising the floor, greeting the customers, and working with customers and the tellers. Unfortunately, your theory of embarrassing the teller and humilating him or her in front of the manager just won't work because the manager will probably be viewing and/or hearing your conduct towards that teller.

Keep in mind that with the bank consolidations, failures, and sells, people aren't going to have many options to pull out their money from one bank to another. I was lucky - when Wachovia failed and was bought by Wells Fargo, I have Bank of America, PNC Bank, Chevy Chase Bank (now Capital One Bank), M&T bank, and BB&T bank a mile or less from where I live, AND my credit union has a branch a mile away from me, too. Most people don't have that luxury that I do. Finally, bank managers have a long memory about customers and you will find the adage "You win more people with honey than vinegar" very true when you need to do business with another person.

Junejer · ‎01-07-2009

I have been in every position of a retail bank, from teller to branch manager to commercial lender. Tellers do have referral goals. That is extra money in their pocket when they refer a new account over to a sales person. It's also true that if a customer has 4 or 5 different services with a bank, inertia will tend to set in.

That said, there is no reason on earth, why a customer couldn't nicely say "no thank you, I'm good the way it is" and ask for their account to be notated to the same. For every one person, who is annoyed by this, there is at least one who loves this and a cross-sell opportunity presents itself. I personally think that it's over the top to call a manager over, unless the CSR is not abiding by your wishes and continues the pitch after you have said no thanks.

I used to work at an institution, which would suggest different lending products for customers, as they were sitting at my desk. This got me to one of the top sales people in the region, simply by asking permission to explain how the product worked.

It's always good to remember to treat folks how you want to be treated.