Ranked #1 by JD Powers and Associates in customer service! You are kidding, right? They must have paid someone big bucks to be able to say that on one of the many customer service phone numbers I called, provided by either branch offices, my own statements, and their corporate headquarters in NC.
They even have the temerity to use robocallers to contact their customers, cowards! OK, so I had a bad week. Computer crashes, car dies, milk spills, etc. We all have them, right? But in this world of online banking, without my computer, and given that I am a contractor who does not have direct deposit or a routine cash flow of receivables to set up auto billing, I have to pay when the money is there. It is always there by the grace of God, but I am forever juggling the timing of it so as not to pay more than I absolutely have to. Without the computer and up-to-date numbers I am dead in the water. It took a week to get back online and get the car into the shop, which means I am now landlocked at home until tomorrow. The closest bank is 15 miles from me.
Their robocalls started on Friday, which did not surprise me since I could not get to the bank on time or even make an online payment. "Hello, this is BB&T. If you are X, please press 1." "If you need a minute to get X, please press 2." "If X is not available, please have X call XXX... and refer to code 123456." What is this? Customer service? They have called on average 3x a day since Friday at various times. I guess they were hoping to catch me. Well, that caught me the first time, but I don't talk to robots, I talk to people. If you have something to say to me, talk to me!
I finally was able to go online Saturday to make a payment, after spending an entire morning figuring out what had cleared and how much I had to work with at my bank. However, BB&T's online banking will not allow me to make an online payment unless I have a checking account with them? Huh? None, absolutely zero, of my other accounts (checking, savings, credit cards, whatever) have this restriction on online banking or bill paying. What is the point of online banking at all, BB&T, if you can't use it to make a payment?
So I call them today (Monday), and my branch office says it's closed? Is there a holiday I missed or something? I call another branch, and they said they would send an email to the branch and that they probably didn't take the auto phone system off. Not surprised, this bank obviously loves automation! Less customer contact the better is their motto! It's what gives them that special #1 status with JD Powers.
I call corporate and, after the usual dog-and-pony voice-activated series of prompts (enter Social, then enter loan number), I only have one loan! But I digress. I get someone who says I am late on my payment. No kidding, like I don't know that already. I explained why, and the issue with their online banking system, but it fell on deaf ears. I also told her I had a question about my interest calculations, and she abruptly told me I need to call XXXX. I asked her what number this was for, and she said the Securities and Finance customer service division, as she was typing madly on the keyboard. No doubt she made a note in my permanent record. Go for it, hun! I then called the number she provided and got a woman who, after I explained my frustration to her, told me I have to talk to a loan officer at my branch. So basically I'm back to square one again. I therefore call another bank, and guess what happens at 9AM in the morning... "Hello and thank you for calling BB&T. Today is Jan 26th and you've reached X. I am sorry but I will not be in the office today, please leave your... and I'll return your call on the 27th when I return." What is this? Today is February 7th!
In the meantime, I have made every attempt since early Jan to resolve an issue (not my first) with this bank, and it is impossible to do. The closest I came to resolving anything was once at a branch office, where the manager had to call her special insider phone number to ask my questions so they could explain it to her so she could explain it to me. She admitted that since she didn't do loans, she had no idea what they were talking about, but just kept repeating that it's fine, the new statement is correct. So I left there shaking my head, thinking if she doesn't understand what they explained to her, how can she explain it to me so I can understand it? Why for heaven's sake, when I called the number on my statement, can't they explain it to me directly instead of sending me to the branch? Since they work in that department, they should know how it all works, or is BB&T hiding something from their customers about the way they calculate interest and fees? Hmm...
My interest calculation hasn't been right for at least 6 months, since I started making higher payments each month to get out of this nightmare bank. If I'm wrong as a customer, I'd like to know if I'm being ripped off by the bank. You would think they would be happy to clear this up. But they have proven they are not, so what am I to think but that perhaps they are ripping me off and hiding it somehow by avoiding me. The balance is not going down fast enough for someone making additional payments on the principal. Also, if my daily rate is X, why is my calculation for interest based on their formula lower than what my statement shows? I want answers, and I want them from an intelligent source, not some third-party messenger or a robot! JD Powers, if you are following this bank, it's time to re-evaluate your award system.
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