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Bank Teller closes her station 2x when she sees me approach

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jeffreylubowski

Reacher

Joined: July 04, 2007
Posts: 216

Status: Offline

Posted: Mar 12, 2009 - 03:50 PM
Post subject: Bank Teller closes her station 2x when she sees me approach

Disclaimer: huge rant sorry bad china day

So I've been with China Merchants Bank for about a year now since moving here. Each time I go in to pay my rent I have to contend with the usual giggling behind the window, maybe I've got a funny face or they can see the words village idiot printed across my forehead whatever... I put that down to the hello kitty factor where you'd expect grownups to behave like grownups but can't seem to shake off the mental age of a retarded 4 year old cabbage.

Anyway today, I take my number, the only one in the bank and it gets called but the girl teller closes her station. Break time I assume, I wonder off to try and use the ATM but it didn't work for my operation, can only do this thing via teller. I come back get another number, still only one in the bank and same girl closes her station.

What should I do now I wonder for about 3 seconds before the rage I've quietly felt for the whole year just came out I'm ashamed to say. I walked up and knocked on the window, asked why she closes the station when I approach (In English of course, I'm retarded too for not speaking the language right?) she and the 12 other tellers sitting behind the screen have suddenly wiped the smirks off their face and now look scared. (so they should be, village idiot wants blood) I couldn't control the rage that ensued and demanded to speak to the manager, I was visibly shaking, a young man come up and asks what operation I want the teller to perform (umm take a run and jump) I tell him it’s gone beyond that and she closed her station on me twice for no apparent reason. This didn't seem to compute, I asked to speak to the manger, he said he is the manager (dear god please don't let me hit me) I asked for someone higher up and another guy walks out one of the gang of 12 behind the screen. I couldn't believe it this bank where I keep my money and have endured ridicule for a whole year is taking the piss. I can't get through to anyone by now, they want me to go back to the teller and get on with the transaction.

NOT happening I said before telling him I'm transferring my money out to a new bank and walked out.

It had to happen I guess the humiliation I suffered for the year and not knowing what they're on about. it just got too much. I just hate to think how China will repay those countries that humiliated them a couple of centuries ago, it won't be non confrontational then I bet.

I will open a new bank account with China Construction bank tomorrow.

This branch of China Merchants Bank is on Nanjing lu, next to the Standard Charters in the Kohler building.

*Sarita

Reacher

Joined: Jan 26, 2008
Posts: 235
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: Mar 12, 2009 - 10:17 PM

I think everyone has these days when it just gets too much; the stupid grinning, the taking photos of you because you are a foreigner, the shouting laowai etc.

The banks here are from the middle ages, especially when you go there in person. You should get a new bank account with internet banking, so much easier and faster and no more frustration with people that act as if they've never seen a foreigner before.

Marakanis
Wonder Wit

Joined: Jan 11, 2009
Posts: 3836

Posted: Mar 12, 2009 - 10:40 PM

What banks have english internet accessibility? Particularly for transferring money internationally? Every month I have to fill out the same fracking sheet at the bank to transfer money home, and they charge me about 40 u.s. dollars for it.

Yes, China Merchants bank... They are evil. =p

I tried to cash some checks from america, most of them only around 20 bucks. They wanted to charge me 250 RMB PER FRACKIN CHECK!

They actually told me to go to the Bank of China to do it because it would save me money. I'm thinking I'll probably just move everything over to the Bank of China if that's the case. =P

Though I'm sure someone has some bad stuff to say about them too. =(

Andreas
Board Legend

Joined: Feb 27, 2004
Posts: 10151
Location: s/v Waratah

Posted: Mar 12, 2009 - 10:50 PM
Post subject: Re: Bank Teller closes her station 2x when she sees me appro

jeffreylubowski wrote:

I will open a new bank account with China Construction bank tomorrow.

What makes you think that they are any better?

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ziccawei

Board Royalty

Joined: Sep 12, 2008
Posts: 6740
Location: Ziccawei
Status: Offline

Posted: Mar 12, 2009 - 11:23 PM

The Bank of China is ok.

I've had/have got bank accounts with many other Chinese banks, but the Bank of China is the better of a bad bunch. The branch I use the tellers can speak pretty good English and are often very helpful. I've transferred money and I don't think they charged me much to do it.

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maneo

LoopKicker

Joined: May 12, 2007
Posts: 857
Location: neither here nor there
Status: Offline

Posted: Mar 13, 2009 - 12:07 AM
Post subject: Re: Bank Teller closes her station 2x when she sees me appro

Andreas wrote:

jeffreylubowski wrote:

I will open a new bank account with China Construction bank tomorrow.

What makes you think that they are any better?

Found that the CCB branch in Zhangjiang had good customer service.
They also seem to have the currency conversion & overseas transfer process mastered fairly well.

Some larger ICBC branches try to have English speaking assistants and some even have a special window. However, have been most pleasantly surprised by the helpfulness at one of their smallest (and very local, i.e. no English spoken here) branches in Puxi.

Andreas
Board Legend

Joined: Feb 27, 2004
Posts: 10151
Location: s/v Waratah

Posted: Mar 13, 2009 - 12:43 AM

Hmmm, interesting. I think it is like with many other businesses, it all depends on the people and how motivated they are. I haven't been to a Chinese bank for ages, and I reckon things have changed a bit as well.

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jeffreylubowski

Reacher

Joined: July 04, 2007
Posts: 216

Status: Offline

Posted: Mar 13, 2009 - 11:15 AM

I have my credit card with CCB and have only had good customer service so far. Maybe I'll go postal in there too one day who knows.

Anyway it took me 5 mnutes to setup an account this morning, 5 mins for my HR to get end of month salary set up to be paid i there and over lunch I will go for the final time to CMB and transfer all the money out. I hope they do't try to stop me to ask why because they'll be too retarded to understand and should have done more yesterday. I did tell them I was going to transfer all my money out today.

Does CCB have good internet access? my branch is just downstairs from where I live anyway so doesnt really matter. My current account and credit card are already tied up for direct debit so not much need for me to have internet account. I undertand its a process and a half to transfer moeny out of China anyway with lots of paperwork so no need for internet banking on that front either.

8lrr8
Wonder Wit

Joined: Oct 14, 2004
Posts: 3745

Posted: Mar 13, 2009 - 11:36 AM

Marakanis wrote:

ICBC. befriend it.

tassi

Barker

Joined: Nov 24, 2008
Posts: 134

Status: Offline

Posted: Mar 16, 2009 - 12:25 PM

Usually they giggle if they have to use English and are not that confident about it. I can understand Mandarin, and every time would hear the "oh boy now we have to speak English" discussion, followed by giggling. Try to start with a good ol' Ni Hao instead of diving in straight away with English.

It's possible that this specific teller has done a previous mistake due to misunderstanding English, perhaps it's a result of some interaction with you and preferred - unprofessionally as it may be - to close down the service.

Either way they are obviously clowns and I would have moved as well. Been using BOC all this time and never had a problem.

My 0.02 cents.

mat

Shanghai Royalty

Joined: Apr 26, 2004
Posts: 9616
Location: On my friggin beer scooter.
Status: Offline

Posted: Mar 17, 2009 - 08:11 PM

ICBC is ok. Paying Credit cards etc.. can be a hassle, but after i went berko at them one day, i had the manager phone me and apologise, the teller who was being a bitch called up and apologised and sent a personal letter of apology, the manager told me she was reprimanded, i had taxis and interst credited as well!!

Best bet is to find one of the small side branches, small queues and they usually more willing to help.

ICBC on Cnr of JianGuo and Ruijin is good, as is BOC on Taikang and Sinan.

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