Banking Stories

Published 12 Sep. 2004, Arab Newspaper, Letters to the Editor Section.

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Exactly 15 months ago, I applied for an ATM Card at a major international bank where my salary is deposited by my employer – and I am still waiting for it. Over four months after I applied, they returned the application form because, they said, SAMA required all banks to update all client information. I resubmitted the application, giving all my personal details along with copies of my passport and iqama. After four months, the application form was returned to me because I had not filled out the “grandfather’s name section”. I left it blank because as Filipino, my grandfather’s name does not form part of my name. Explaining this, I resubmitted my application, leaving again the “grandfather slot” blank. Up to now, I received no information as to the status of my application.

What is taking the bank years (over a year in my case) to process ATM card? In the Philippines, a third world country, you can get your ATM card in 30 minutes after you apply and make banking transactions after getting it.
The root cause of the problem is the lack of customer service orientation on the part of the banks and their employees. Customer service is not a priority in the kingdom. This will not change until banks begin to care about their customers and train their employees in the proper ways to deal with them.