AIB 'professional' Behaviour in the Branch

kerry4sam

The local, the only (since they closed a more convenient 2nd bank) AIB in my home-town has recently changed it's layout and it's just annoying now.

They only have 2 cashier desks and when you queue to do your business there, they have so many staff that some are floating around the queue asking everyone what their business actually is?!

You cannot queue in peace without being approached and questioned, but I would not inform her of any of my business today! The man behind me, I now know, is a father of one, with a daughter in college in Cork, who is un-employed and low on finances. His business in there was to put monies into her account as it's needed urgent!
Now, what that business is of mine I do not know. But the floating lady kept quizzing him for answers and now I know the above about his daughter who I am sure would not be best pleased to know I know and all else in the queue, now know her personal circumstances :eek: One look at him and I knew him and his family, but did not know before now the personal circumstances of his daughter!

This went on and on with the queue except with those who would not inform this floating lady their personal details/business.

Now, I understand space is tight, but is this any way to conduct business professionally?
Is this the way AIB operate in all their branches now?

Many Thanks in advance,
kerry4sam

SK76

Have to agree. They have replaced most teller staff with machines. I was lodging GAA lotto monies for a club and a staff member at Douglas branch said lodge it at machine. I said I do not have a card and just doing it on behalf of tresasuer as a favour. She asked who was the club (I answered before i relaised the irrelevance of the question). She then asked who was the treasurer? I said what relevance would that have. If I give you a name are you going to follow up on it? She said no, no, just tell him that cards can be got. This was all in front of a queue of people.

It didn't affect me as not private dealings, but I could see an embarassing situation if it was to do with my private account..

Now when they approach (not as often thank God), I stare at them and say I want to lodge it at the counter. They tend to move on, I guess I am not the only one irate.

One thing I have noticed in last few weeks is that the poor sods at the counter are a bit more polite - must have gone on training. (I have noticed this with toll staff as well, must be a free course going on somewhere)

kerry4sam

Not alone in my home-town so.

My floating lady was not happy with me when I would not inform her of my business in my bank of umpteen years!

It''s the incessant questions. Not everyone are quick to think on their feet and have everyone informed of their business before they pause and question why they actually revealed so much info to everyone.

God knows what other info people can find out since privacy is non-existence in there now. Jeez, just walk in and get chatting to a worker there and before you know it, you've everyones personal banking business! Shameful carry-on imo!

The cashiers are the same in my bank; seen no change in behaviour. Always pleasant once you can reach them!

One other thing I also now know is the code to get into the back office where the cashiers are. Two ladies walked in while I was queueing and both appeared to use same code to get in. A few more minutes and I could almost be certain of getting it right. No privacy for them either with going into the back offices. the keypad is not protected!

AIB - what has happened?!

kerry4sam

Just an update: The local Branch Manager returned my phonecall and hopefully their will be more secure private banking in my local branch now.

On a side-note: The key-pad is scrambled and cannot be seen correctly from where I was, only up close. Apparently that was raised with her before too

It's great to actually receive satisfaction with a sector and not have issues delayed with games n antics like certain organisations when issues are raised with them. Phonecall returned; issues raised and promise of them being addressed!

I might pop back in again in a few days and see about the floating ladies and the way they conduct their business.

All Happy Again,
kerry4sam

JTMan

To add a bit of balance here, while I understand the concerns above, it is good to see that AIB are trying to encourage customers to use automated solutions.

We all own 99%+ of AIB and they need to modernise and become more cost effective.

mathepac

AIB branches are not alone in employing Queue Quizzing Ladies. My local BoI has them too. They actually employ more of them than they do cashiers. My suggestion one day that if they inverted the ratio of Cashiers to Queue Quizzing Ladies, they would shorten the queues, become more efficient and maybe even decrease customer dis-satisfaction was greeted with a lecture on bank policy and security.

On another occasion in the same branch one of the Queue Quizzing Ladies was inspecting her line of customers telling each customer their business (I kid you not) and when she reached me she said "Ah, lodging rent". I pointed out that I don't rent either a business premises or my home and that even if I did it was no business of hers or the other customers in the bank. Cue Queue Quizzing Lady becoming indignant at my affrontery and delivering the tinned lecture on bank policy and security. I asked about the bank policy on customer confidentiality and privacy, which got little response.

BTW @kerry4sam, your own keyboard seems scrambled; the "." and the "!" seem to have juxtaposed positions.

Up the Dubs! (which is an exclamation, properly punctuated with a punctuation mark)

wmpdd3

'Yellow pack' banking for Finest prices.

I posted here before about the only time I tried to use those machines, another lady asked me to help her lodge a very large cheque, I demanded a member of staff help the lady.

The local bank invited a family member in for a financial review (sales pitch), she was seen within seconds of arriving and given full attention while the sales pitch was delivered but turfed out to the machines when she mentioned a cheque she wanted to lodge after the meeting.

Banks just don't want to see you unless you are buying one of their vastly overpriced insurance products.

Cfour

The purpose of these 'queue walkers' is to assist the bank customers in converting to automated banking where possible. Whilst you may not agree with the company's general policy, these employees are genuinely attempting to help customers to bank more efficiently and shorten their queuing time.
I fully agree that the employees should be subtle and maintain the customers privacy in doing this but I also believe they should be treated with some dignity as they endeavour to do their job. In future, I suggest you simply state the transaction you wish to do without any further details e.g cash logdement/withdrawal, cheque lodgement/encashment or transfer to another irish/foreign account. The likelihood is they can help you complete your business much more quickly. If you feel pressurised to offer sensitive information in a public setting, politely refuse and it is imperative that you report this to a senior member of staff so any future incidents can be avoided.

kerry4sam

Cfour wrote: »

The purpose of these 'queue walkers' is to assist the bank customers in converting to automated banking where possible. Whilst you may not agree with the company's general policy, these employees are genuinely attempting to help customers to bank more efficiently and shorten their queuing time.
I fully agree that the employees should be subtle and maintain the customers privacy in doing this but I also believe they should be treated with some dignity as they endeavour to do their job. In future, I suggest you simply state the transaction you wish to do without any further details e.g cash logdement/withdrawal, cheque lodgement/encashment or transfer to another irish/foreign account. The likelihood is they can help you complete your business much more quickly. If you feel pressurised to offer sensitive information in a public setting, politely refuse and it is imperative that you report this to a senior member of staff so any future incidents can be avoided.

I am very much aware of their 'job description'. It's the ones in my local bank had little to no discretion; and very little appearable 'professional' mannerisms when floating about the queue.

If I do not want my banking business known to all, then I am just going to again refuse to answer the floating ladies incessant questioning, seeking info not relevant to banking, as is my right to do so.

Thanks for your reply though,
I did phone the bank and asked to speak with the branch manager to complain and my call was returned and dealt with as I said above.

Thanks again for your input,
kerry4sam

phormium

I have experienced one of these queue walkers in my local AIB as well which I think might even be the same one as you, I haven't actually been in there since! Was actually using a machine on the day but it was one of the older ones and was advised that I wouldn't be able to use that machine in future as it was being gotten rid of, now that is fine, progress and all that, but it was the way it was said to me, I simply didn't like the attitude. I replied that was fine, there were plenty of other banks I could lodge in and haven't been in there since.

Now I know this is their job etc but you have to be careful how you approach customers, I have to add I worked in a bank for many years so am well familiar with their workings but was still annoyed at the way it was dealt with.

wmpdd3

The lady in AIB was not taking no for an answer, no matter what answer you gave her she had you at a machine untill you had you PIN in a realised you couldn't continue.

In BOI the same day I was asked one question and directed to a machine and asked if I needed any other help to just make eye contact and she would come over.

Just think if there was a barrier between you and the tills in the supermarket and you had to put forward a reason why you could not use a self scan terminal for your shopping before they would let you past the barrier to an attended till.

You wouldn't be long about changing your supermarket, but many cannot change their bank.

Diemos

Things are bout the get even better for AIB customers:

http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/1000-aib-jobs-under-threat-as-bank-plans-outsourcing-29676196.html

Of course they'll be different from RBS, they won't make the same mistakes.... :rolleyes:
While US companies are furiously back-pedalling from the outsourcing model: Irish banks are not learning from these mistakes and are plodding into another mess.

Highflyer13

Diemos wrote: »

Things are bout the get even better for AIB customers:

http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/1000-aib-jobs-under-threat-as-bank-plans-outsourcing-29676196.html

Of course they'll be different from RBS, they won't make the same mistakes.... :rolleyes:
While US companies are furiously back-pedalling from the outsourcing model: Irish banks are not learning from these mistakes and are plodding into another mess.

Changeover is going to be complex. I can see huge issues arising and staff are already working at maximum capacity as it stands. Expect many problems AIB customers!