A couple of years ago I had a prepaid phone with Virgin Mobile. Â My account had constant technical problems. Â Nothing nefarious but it just didn’t work. Â I would call in and the tech support people would immediately realize this account was messed up and would escalate the problem to more senior people. Â The more senior people would realize the problem was really messed up. Â It would get escalated (while I would get emails about the problem about every 30 minutes letting me know that a) it was messed up and b) they hadn’t given up on it. Â I would get credit or something for my time but eventually someone at Virgin decided the problem could not get fixed and they just set up a new account and moved over my number.
While Wendy and I moved to Bell, we think highly enough of Virgin to keep Mark’s cell phone with them and a large part of it has been exceptional customer service.
Lately my debit card hasn’t been working with the Bank of Montreal. Â It locks me out if I enter the PIN number in wrong and some times it just locks me out. Â I end up having to pay with credit and each time I call them up and I explain the problem. Â This is where it goes bad for me. Â They tell me that the system doesn’t work the way I describe it and it must be me. Â I have even been called a liar by the customer service reps. Â Instead of resetting my PIN, they make me go down to the branch so I can get it reset there.
The branch clerks are just as unhelpful. Â They too tell me that what I am describing is impossible. Â It’s nice to be called dishonest in person and over the phone. Â
The last time it happened, Wendy forgot her wallet at home and used my bank card. Â She used my old PIN number once and it locked her out. Â Again, we tried to explain on the phone and then in person and we were both called a liar and at the branch, they just blamed my card again.
Wendy and I have a joint account. Â Her card doesn’t work that way, just mine. Â It’s obviously a problem with either the BMO database or a weird account setting but no one offers to even look into the problem and that is what drives me crazy. Â I can handle a messed up account or software issues. Â I can even handle a “I have no idea why this is happening but I am working on it” answer but each time over the last two years I have walked away and realized that they a) either didn’t give a rip what was going on or b) are so disempowered that they literally can’t do anything to fix it. Â Either way it says a whole lot about the bank and how it treats its customers.
Right now I have given up on BMO. Â Air Miles are great but not if it means we great treated like this.