Bank of America.... Seriously

Dear (Bank of) America,

Why must you be so stupid?

Love Always

Brian

Why is it that I have to go into Bank of America now? Why can't my place of business use Suntrust? That would make me happy. Why no love for Bank of America? Well I am glad you asked so let me tell you.

I have never had a positive experience in that bank. I have not been in there a lot in my life. Only when I am forced to. I stick to Suntrust, the happiest bank on Earth. The people who make me smile, and who sometimes make mistakes, but always fix them...(Even if I have to go in there and yell and scream and use my very stern voice to get what I want.) It seems that at Bank of America, they do not want to help me out. In fact they seem to enjoy scolding me. Let me share.

The first time I went to Bank of America was many moons ago. I was what they call a college student, and being rather poor I depended on the kindness of my father to help me stay afloat. He would write a check to me for my tuition and I would put it in my account and pay said tuition. (sadly I did not realize how wonderful this was until it was too late. Now I have to finish on my own) So this one time at Church camp a counselor decided that she needed some money. Stupidly I let her borrow my check card so that she could deposit a check in my account and withdraw some money. ( I know what you are thinking, but this was Jesus camp, and if she took to much I would know where to find her.) Well she put the check in, withdrew the money and then left camp never to return. She emptied my account, and then the check that she deposited bounced, causing all of my checks to bounce. This was not good. Coupled with that, my tuition was due, and I could not pay as I had a very large negative balance. My tuition check had been made out to me on a Dean Witter account that my father had. I could not put it in my account, so I went to Bank of America to cash the check. Well my friends they would not cash the check. Why you ask... Well it was because I did not have an account there. My father did, and there was more than enough money to cover the check(You could have cashed that check fifty times and it would have been okay. I know because the bank manager showed me the screen...another big no no as I was not on that account.) So what was I to do? I went to Suntrust, explained and they cashed the check. Not only did they cash the check, but the person who helped me had me sign the check to them and then they gave me the money from their account. Pretty cool huh? Bank of America would not even give me the money out of the account that was at that Bank.

Another time, a friend of mine lost her debit card and license at the bank. In the drive thru teller. She put her card and license in the air tube, sent it over in the special holder, and when it got to the other side it was gone. They later found it, but canceled the card, and made her get a new one...which she had to pay for. She also had to get a new license as she could not prove that she was who she was since she had no ID. Is not the license ID? Does it not have a picture on it? Doesn't this person bank here all the time and get called by name? Yet they don't know who she is and they will not give back her license. That is great customer service.

Then there was today. I went to make a business deposit. I went in yesterday to do this, and was told that I could use the commercial lane. This was for business deposits. The only problem is that I had to stand behind a woman who was arguing about an overdraft fee. Now I understand. Get yours honey. Keep hold of that paper that you worked so hard for! You GO! But you should have been sent to a desk to talk to someone. That is what Suntrust does. So while I stood there, I watched about seven people go in and out of the line. The other teller never once said can I help you. She did tell me that I would be helped as soon as possible. So I waited. Once the line was empty, I looked to her and asked "Can you help me?" She stated, "No you have to be helped in the commercial lane. It is there to keep the traffic moving."

Now correct me if I am wrong, but if there is a lane for just business transactions, then once the business transaction comes it, it should be used. If a customer is being helped, and it is taking a long time, they need to be given to someone who can help them and let the business people on their way. I had finally had enough, so I looked at the teller and said.. " I need you to help me. I have to get back to work! I cannot be gone from my store this long." She let me come over, but made a kind of big deal about it.

Let me share a bit with you before I continue... Usually I am not in that much of a hurry. I have been known to let the people behind me go before me when I had a large deposit and a big money order. I do not think that they should have to wait for me and their transactions are faster than mine. So when there are only two tellers or one, I let those behind me go and I patiently wait. This usually helps the tellers and also I usually get speedy service as one will come out from the back and open their cage really quick and help me.

So I am not above waiting. But I was getting a little ticked off as there were no people in line and I was just sitting there. So she motioned me over, did the transaction and then proceeded to tell me that next time I was there and this happened I would have to go get in the line and wait. She looked at me like I pulled a gun from my bag and told everyone to back off, and that I was next. She made it sound like the bank police were on their way to come get me and throw me in bank jail.

All I have ever seen in Bank of America are rude employees and tellers who do not smile or seem to be bothered that they have to help you. Sunturst is way happier. They seem to be happy to have my business and I wish that the business account could be transfered over to them. That would make me happy!

So Bank of America, all I have to say is.. you can SUCK IT!