Bad Experiences You've Had With Your Banks?

Does that make bankers to be beggars despite the huge salary?

Guys, here is what to do the next time a bank messes with you:

send a mail to a guy named Ozie Williams (oziewilliams@yahoo.co.uk). he writes for guardian Life. He writes a column called Convenience. You should see how those banks quickly react when he takes them on. he basically visits banks, eaterries, hotels, multinationals and so on and reports on their customer service and toilets. his reports are always hillarious. Life is a supplement of the Guardian on sunday and it is free, just buy guardian.

he has yabbed UBA, First bank. union Bank and others on the state of their services and toilets. You will not believe how terrible they can be. the guy is very funny in his description. if those people catch that guy! and it works because they don't want bad publicity

I did got some not-too-good experiences with few Nigerian banks recently when I called. As I don't reside in Nigeria and would like to open an account, I decided to call these banks after hearing and reading about the accounts for Nigerians in diaspora. Anyway, I would like to open an account in which I could have either my Dad or Mom as the joint owner of the account so they could use the money to carry out certain projects for me.

To my biggest surpise, opening an account wasnt easy. I called few banks and this is the outcome:-

GTB needs to see me face-to-face before they could open an account for me.
Zenith would rather recommend that I open a naira account through my Dad there. That is, my dad should open me a Naira account and not dom. account where I could be able to see the balance in a for. currency and Naira.
DiamondBank would not open the diaspora account for me if I would have a joint ownership because their kind of account is only meant for just 1 individual.
Oceanic would open the account but I would not be able to transfer funds to my sister's account at GTB because they have disabled inter-banking payments due to security _{(that is how the lady told me over the phone)}

Na wa O!

I would like to have an account that could have an online facility and that I could be able to deposite/transfer money into from my foreign account and be able to see the balance in either Naira,USD,GBP or Euro. Preferably Naira and Euro. Also that I could have a joint ownership for the account and that the joint owner would have rights to withdraw money whenever he/she wants or when I instruct. Finally, when I visit NIgeria, I could be able to use the account myself anytime I am there.

So, I am now wondering how you guys could open a bank account in Nigeria when you are abroad? Please someone advise,

Any good or bad experience with NIB, former CITIBANK? Share with us.
They are the largest bank in US but in Nigeria, they don't even have ATM or online banking.

UBA   
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

From what I read on UBA's site, I can only remit money to someone in naija if I reside in UK, US and I think Canada. Is this true?

Please someone, inform me before I send the forms over to their office. Thanks

spring bank? What is that one now, pardon  me, i have been out for a while


Updated:
Just checked their website from google. Looks impressive and clean but still doesnt have what I am looking for.

To MAYAT and every other person using online banking with Spring Bank, you have to be careful as the online banking page is not secured despite the fact that their website is well designed and planned. Someone need to inform them to get VeriSign Certificate and make  their site secured.

These days, banks in Europe and USA have the entire website secured and not just the online banking webpage!!!

UBA is a pathetic case.

I've pulled out all my  money from my two savings Accs with them.

The workers there are overworked, and frustrated

So they pass the aggression  to the customers. 

What a shame!

You need to see the attitude some of their sleazy female staff display in their Transcorp Hilton Branch in Abuja
(Stupid Touts)

I have just gone through previous posts narrating different experience with Nigerian banks. I found them unbelievable! how can someone go to the bank to withdraw money only to be told he has cancelled his account when he did not? this made me sick because i was actually thinking i would be able to get some money from my account with First bank where i have few hundreds of thousands in the account before leaving Nigeria 4 years ago althoug my friend keep operating the account paying small amount into it but wuite irregularly. There was a time i asked her to check if my account is still active and she was told to reactivate it which she did.

Is there any hope that i will be able to withdraw my money? I am about having headache now because i have planned so much on that money and i have less than 2 weeks to come home.

I'll tell you all this ONE TIME-


Whatever you do- DON'T GO TO AFRIBANK 

My latest bad experience was with UNION savings & loans - a subsidiary of Union Bank

I was given a cheque by a customer of the bank & I had to wait in line (only 1 cashier) for close to 40 mins to cash it, eventually the manager had to attend to some of us. I swore that I wouldn't have anything to do with the bank but alas! I have to be there on monday again to cash another cheque (the customer giving me the cheques is my Oga, otherwise i for refuse)

i bank with Intercontinental, UBA, FCMB & ETB & i must say that they have been pretty good so far maybe because I try to develop a "personal" relationship with everyone from the cashier to the CRO/CSO, Security guards & the manager.

This is a very serious issue in the banks and i think the reason is because the customer service jobs are considered dead end jobs ;in most banks you will not get promoted beyond a BO in CS so for the workers there is no motivation.
Prior to the advent of telecoms in Nigeria people never used to complain because they did not know that it is their right as cusatomers to demand good service from providers and not a priveledge as the banks make them believe.
I realised the rot in this industry when as a seasoned customer service person/ trainer i applied for a job in Zenith bank and at the interview i was told i had to many years of experience to work in CS instead i was offered a marketing position.
If only the top guys realised how much business existing and potential is lost by the minute because of poor service delivery ,

hello 

i think the problem with Nigeria banks today is over professionalism . that is their problem  until they address this issue, our banking sector will be well again. imagine yourself work into your bank to collect money and they will tell you to fill this and fill that . isn't that nonsense . they money you deposited with no stress they are  asking you to go through some nonsense things that is rubbish to the moon and sky. not quite a long time i deposited money with first bank through the new Glo first they introduce then, on coming back to collect the money they, started telling me some childish story that makes no meaning. then i beging to ask my self it not the first bank that called themselves the African bank of the nation. then i said to myself there is no second chance for first impression.

can  some body give a  thumb up for first inland bank there services  is worth paying for and worth banking with ?

hello 

i think the problem with Nigeria banks today is over professionalism . that is their problem  until they address this issue, our banking sector will be well again. imagine yourself work into your bank to collect money and they will tell you to fill this and fill that . isn't that nonsense . they money you deposited with no stress they are  asking you to go through some nonsense things that is rubbish to the moon and sky. not quite a long time i deposited money with first bank through the new Glo first they introduce then, on coming back to collect the money they, started telling me some childish story that makes no meaning. then i beging to ask my self it not the first bank that called themselves the African bank of the nation. then i said to myself there is no second chance for first impression.

can  some body give a  thumb up for first inland bank there services  is worth paying for and worth banking with ?

@odedele, do you work for them? 

The website  is taking ages to load and not to talk of the fact that I can not even open the Internet Bankling link to know if it is secured or not 

Opened the link with flash me cash but I wasnt impressed. thanks though

PS:-
Is it First Inland that copied UBA's account opening form or UBA copied? 

I have only banked with GTB for the past 6 months; Being a fussy person, I've never had a run in with them. Their customer service is ok so far. My sister has had a run in with Zenith Bank, Admiralty, Lekki. It's mainly in their headquarters that you have exceptional customer service, I guess because Jim is there. They need to translate this to all their branches.

Generally, I think good customer service in Nigeria is the exception not the rule. You see this everywhere you go. I put it down to the fact that Nigerians have no regard for people and they are quite materialistic  to boot. It all boils down to what you are wearing and what you are driving, especially with the ladies who work in these organisations. It's a shame.