Frustration at the service provided by our local banks
Madam Editor,
They take your money, but do they give you a proper, personalised service ?. Answer “no”. I refer in particular to the Bank of Ireland, which has kept its branches open in Co Leitrim, but has established a certain monopoly. Their latest proposal is that the face- to- face, personalised service is being phased out and we will be expected to interact with machines. “Advice and self- service” is what they are calling this. To receive cheque payments, nowadays, we must have bank accounts. By government directive, our incomes are paid into the banks and, then, we must almost fight to get it out. The banks are far too mean to pay proper teams of staff. If we have to ring up what was once our local bank, we are sent half way around the world and the delays are most frustrating. Our present bank staffs are lovely, obliging people and that is why we must keep them available there, to help us out. The fact that incoming payments must come through our banks surely has a legal corollary – that we must be able to get ourmoney out again whenever we need it. Often, this is not the case, as the ATMs break down. Every bank is in a town and if you live in the heart of rural Ireland you are forced to make many journeys to get what is your very own property. Our various banks were the undoubted villains during our country’s financial collapse. That is why it galls me to hear of the massive salaries paid to their top executives. Because of their absolute meanness, these same fortress banks are, again, making billions in annual profits. There must be new emergency laws stating - ONE, that banks must employ a prescribed number of staff, whose jobs will be give a personalised service and, TWO, that if a bank’s ATM breaks down the branch is fined and the fine money goes to the disappointed customers.
Yours, in penury.
Cllr Des Guckian, Dromod, Co Leitrim.