customer service case study

This is a true story.

The name of the organization is not given, to protect the well meaning customer service staff from embarrassment. Given the current economic climate and intense difficulties within the banking industry, they have enough to worry about.

As ever, when things go wrong with customer service, it is rarely the fault of the customer service staff, who almost without exception do their best to do a good job. When things go wrong with customer service, and especially with subsequent complaints and remedial action (or absence thereof) the faults lie in the policies and attitudes of the executives running the corporation, who are responsible for providing systems, training, and information fit for purpose. In this case study, many of those crucial functions are not adequately designed, or even monitored.

week	what happened
1	A small village sports club appoints a new treasurer at its annual general meeting. Accordingly the new treasurer needs to be added to the bank account as a signatory and the main contact for bank statements, etc. The club secretary visits the local branch, where the club has been a customer since its foundation in 1980. The account has never been overdrawn. The branch is not open on Saturdays, so it is suggested that the new treasurer visits the main city branch to prove his identity (which he is required to do in person with a passport and a utility bill, because he is not a customer of the bank), and to complete and sign the necessary two forms, which will then be sent to the local village branch for counter-signature and processing. Secretary questions whether this will work and is reassured that it certainly would. What could go wrong?...
2	The new treasurer visits city branch during his lunch hour, explains he is new treasurer to be added to the relevant club/society account as a new signatory, shows and has his ID checked and copied, completes and signs forms provided, and later notifies the club secretary that he has completed this part of the process.
3	Secretary visits local branch to check if the paperwork has been received at the local branch for counter-signature. It has not. Local branch staff attempts to check on status of paperwork but is unable to locate it. Secretary agrees to return a week later.
4	Secretary again visits local branch to check if the paperwork has been received at the local branch for counter-signature. It has not. Local branch staff attempts to check on status of paperwork but is unable to locate it. Local branch staff asks secretary to ask new treasurer if he can remember which member of staff dealt with him at the city branch. New treasurer, not surprisingly, cannot remember name of staff member, and the only details he can remember - gender and ethnicity - are not particularly helpful given the potential to be attached to blame.
5	Secretary visits local branch and is told that the paperwork cannot be located, and (in the absence of any other option) can only suggest that the Treasurer repeats the process - i.e., visits city branch with ID and completes forms, for them to be sent to local branch, etc.
5	The secretary calls the bank complaints department, and asks that the matter be escalated to ensure either that the paperwork is located, or is given suitable priority to resolve quickly with minimum fuss. Central complaints department states that escalation procedure is to refer the matter back to the branch, and also is unable to provide phone number for manager or area manager. Instead a request was logged for the area manager to call the club secretary. No other complaints options are offered.
5	Secretary telephones city branch to do his own investigation and fortunately the call is answered by a particularly sharp member of staff, who checks the system, looking for the name of the new treasurer, and finds that his name and validated identity are indeed on the system - but there is a problem: he was given the wrong forms to sign, for a personal account, not a club/society account. The matter is escalated by the staff member to a supervisor at the branch who promises to have a pack of the correct forms ready for the treasurer's next visit to the city branch, which is duly arranged.
6	Treasurer again visits the city branch during his lunch hour, to sign the correct forms, but on this occasion he sees a different staff member and his proof of identity is not acceptable (he has recently moved) although the same ID was accepted the first time on the wrong forms. The treasurer leaves the branch and notifies the secretary of the stalemate, and another wasted lunch hour.
7	The secretary telephones the city branch. The supervisor apologizes for the misunderstanding and offers to send the forms in the post to the treasurer, saying that he will not need to visit in person and that his ID is acceptable. The forms are sent.
8	The treasurer signs the forms and takes them to the secretary. The secretary takes the forms to the local branch, along with a copy of the AGM notes showing the appointment of the new treasurer, and his own ID. The staff consult with each other and decide that the signature of the outgoing treasurer is also required to validate the application. The secretary questions this requirement on the basis of it being unconstitutional and daft: surely the signature of the club chairman would be appropriate, rather than an outgoing official. The branch staff says it will investigate, and the secretary says he will do likewise.
8	The secretary again calls the bank central complaints department to attempt to resolve the matter, but again is told that the matter can only be 'escalated' back to the branch; also that the telephone number of the area manager cannot be divulged, and that the response time - even for emergencies - is 5-10 days. When the secretary suggests he will stay on the line until the matter is escalated the customer service representative states that the policy for such occasions is to terminate the call.
8	The matter is developing into such a wonderful customer services case study that I contact the media relations department of the bank and ask for clarification of some of the key points of customer services policy. The press contact asks for details, which I send. I receive no reply to my email.
9	Secretary again visits the local branch and is told that the new signatory can be processed without the approval of the outgoing club official. The forms are duly signed, and presumably later sent for processing.
10	Secretary again visits the local branch and is told that the new signatory has not yet been processed, and that the branch staff will chase it up.
11	Secretary again visits the local branch and is told that due to backlog in the central processing department, the signatory will not be added for at least until at least twelve days time.
12
13	Secretary again visits the local branch and is told that the signatory has still not been added. Branch agrees to chase it.
13	I again contact the media relations department who have no record of my earlier contact. They ask me to re-send the email. I do, and by now I'm fairly sure I'll want to publish the case study. I receive no reply.
14	Secretary again visits the local branch and is told that the signatory has still not been added. Secretary telephones the city branch in an attempt to reach an area manager. Call diverts automatically to a call centre instead of the city branch, where a the staff investigate and escalate the matter, and after about an hour's discussion and investigation, the customer is informed that: the paperwork has been rejected - due to being 'incomplete' - by central processing and returned to the branch. The bank now seems to realise that there is a problem. The customer receives a phone call in the evening from the area manager (who apologizes and says that the matter will now quickly be fixed), and then another phone call in the morning from the branch manager (saying much the same thing).
15	The secretary again visits the branch to meet with the branch manager, who explains that the chairman's and secretary's signatures will suffice; that the outgoing officer need not sign the forms, and - wait for it...... that the treasurer will have to sign new forms again because the original paperwork has been lost. When I heard this I decided the story was too good to keep to myself.
16	New forms are signed and submitted to the branch.
17	The new signatory is finally added to the account.