Scotia Bank and Customer Service

On Wednesday, July 4, 2007, I went to a branch of Scotia Bank to do a minor procedure on an account. Now, Canadians voted Scotia Bank for #1 for in branch service in 2007.

If they want to keep this ranking, they should consider what I'm writing very seriously.

When I got into the branch, I tried to approach the teller lines, because it was my instinct to go there, even though I didn't need money, but I needed one of them to help me with my minor procedure. At this particular moment, there was this really big burly security guard who decided to block me from entering the line-up for the tellers, and told me that it was "closed".

And since I was there for some paperwork, and not for a withdrawal or deposit, I tried to reason to say that I only needed to do some paperwork, but he still insisted that it closed at 4:00 p.m.. So, I decided to try the customer service desk, to see if they were open. Luckily they were.

I am not saying I was displeased with the service I received, it wasn't exemplary, nor was it terrible. It was average. Why Scotia Bank was voted #1, I don't know. However, if they want to keep the #1 rating, they will need to fire unapproachable security guards like that. He was utterly useless. All he could do was block me from entering the line-up for tellers. He couldn't tell me "Oh, for some paperwork, you could go to the customer service counter". And he was very stand-offish. I realize that some aspects of the job of a security guard, you are supposed to be stand-offish, but when it's a customer, you don't want to be stand-offish. If I hadn't been "harassed" by the security guard, I might have ranked the service I received as good, but after being run around by the security guard, with no guidance, I dropped the rating to average.

Note to the boss/person in charge at the Scotia Bank branch at the corner of Sherbrooke and Metcalfe: Fire the bald white security guard with tattoos. He is not doing splendors for your reputation of giving #1 customer service in the branch. Either that, or really inform him about what customer service means, and make sure he carries it out. Maybe give him some training about customer service, and how to deal with customers.