Shocking NCB customer service

THE EDITOR, Madam:

This is an open letter to the managing director of the National Commercial Bank (NCB).

My father, a retired UWI lecturer, has been a customer of NCB since 1982. He lives in India currently and is unable to use online banking.

He receives his pension payments to his NCB UWI account, and periodically requests a transfer of funds to his bank account in India. This involves an email copy of the transfer request form and a call to me, his son (also on the account), to verify the transaction.

I am based in the United Kingdom.

We have been trying since August 25 to have a transfer completed, and it has been a nightmare.

NCB customer service has vanished.

Our saga involves:

• 20-plus emails, mostly not responded to.

• Calls to the NCB customer service number (WhatsApp and direct line), with promises of callback. Never called me back or unable to help.

• Contact with the NCB online portal. No help.

• Phone calls made; no answer. Emails sent; no response. An attempt to leave a message was met with “this user’s messages are full” or a bounced email message (“mailbox full”).

• An NCB staffer responds “I am on leave, please contact X”. No response from X when contacted.

Finally we received an email saying that the transaction had been processed “based on checks”.

We contacted the recipient bank in India, who reported no money has been sent.

What’s more outrageous is that the normal security phone call to me, to verify the transaction, had not been made!

My goodness! What has happened to NCB customer service?

Where has my father’s money gone if NCB said the transaction has been processed?

How can a bank, in today’s era with so many fraudsters preying on elderly individuals, bypass the security phone call to verify that the transaction is authentic?

Is this the way NCB treats a customer who has been with them since 1982?

Suppose the funds were needed for an emergency?

Suppose he was an isolated elderly individual who did not have someone to advocate for him?

I am appalled by NCB’s basic lack of professionalism and respect for customers. Basic customer service, indeed, basic courtesy, involves responding to emails and attempts at communication when a customer is reaching out to you in a timely manner.

Looking at my father’s statement, NCB is very consistent in charging him multiple monthly account fees and transaction fees. The bank remains very efficient in that regard, with nothing ever delayed.

I remain hopeful of a resolution.

DR G. AHMAD