2024-08-16 06:47:56
Bad customer service
Banks leave customers alone with problems
15.08.2024 – 17:00Reading time: 2 min.
Consumers are increasingly complaining about inadequate telephone customer service at their bank or savings bank. Consumer protection groups are alarmed.
Customers still find it difficult to get help from their bank’s customer service when they have problems. This is shown by an evaluation by the Federal Association of Consumer Organizations (vzbv). However, especially in time-critical matters and cases of fraud, it is crucial for consumers to be able to reach competent staff quickly and get help, especially on the phone.
For many people, the telephone is often the only way to reach their bank if they have questions or individual problems, explains Michaela Schröder, Head of Consumer Policy at vzbv. This is especially true if there is no branch nearby where they can speak to an advisor in person.
“The number of complaints about telephone customer service at consumer advice centers is increasing. It is repeatedly observed that telephone customer service is difficult for consumers to reach even in normal operation,” says Schröder.
In 2023 alone, the number of complaints about customer service at banks and savings banks increased by more than a third compared to the previous year. This was the result of an evaluation of a consumer appeal by the vzbv between June 2023 and May 2024.
In it, customers of banks and savings banks were asked to report to their local consumer advice centers about situations in which telephone customer service was difficult or not available at all.
First on hold, then no one to reach
Consumers reported that they were on hold and no one answered the phone. They also complained that they were thrown off the line before an employee answered the call. In some cases, the reports even stated that there was no phone number or that it was at least not possible to find one.
Bank customers also told the consumer centers that loans could not be repaid, direct debits had failed, or reminder fees had been incurred. According to vzbv, if help is not provided quickly in some cases, consumers could suffer serious damage.
According to consumer protection agencies, many financial institutions were affected: 41 different banks, savings banks and other payment service providers reported problems with customer service accessibility. “The fact that, in addition to poor accessibility, some providers do not offer any telephone contact at all can become a major problem, especially in cases of fraud,” says Schröder.
Consumer advocates are therefore demanding that financial institutions and payment service providers provide a fraud hotline that is available around the clock and staffed by knowledgeable staff. The staff should be able to block and unblock accounts and help affected bank customers with potential fraud attempts.
“Banks and savings banks must live up to their responsibility towards their customers and solve problems quickly and easily,” says Schröder. “In order to be able to provide qualified and quick help in the event of difficulties, sufficient and well-trained staff is also essential for telephone customer service.”
Methodology: The evaluation of the complaint statistics is based on the process recording of all 16 consumer advice centers in the total of around 200 advice centers in Germany. The process recording represents the statistical recording of all consumer concerns that are brought to the attention of the consumer advice centers. A total of 203 reports from consumers were evaluated. Direct conclusions about the frequency of occurrence of certain consumer problems in the population as a whole cannot be derived from this.