Working for Abbey

[AbbeyWorker]

Hello everyone, as the username states I work for the Abbey. I won't disclose my name to you but I am more than happy to help you as best as I can.

 

Unfortunately, I am not suprised at all by the amount of complaints against Abbey as I have many of them myself. I started working for Abbey in mid 2008 and was taken on as a customer service adviser, so I was on front line counter interaction with customers. I am still in the same position

 

When I started, as you do in any job, I expected some kind of standard training. However, to my horror - received none. After 3 weeks of being there, I was expected to know the whole system (which is AWFUL - constant failures on certain portals, payments, pages. Usually runs on the slow, completely inefficient and littered with bugs). I was also expected to start making referrals and sales with NO product knowledge. So I was made to look a complete fool when someone asked me what the best rate on a credit card is, I had to ask the person next to me or run off to find a leaflet - not exactly amazing customer service I know, but I did what I had to do.

 

It is so frustrating that we as customer service advisers have to take the flack for Abbey's mistakes and incompentence at providing a decent service. I have been verbally abused at the counter, as well as over the phone for things that aren't my fault. I have also had complaints made against me because apparently I am incompetent in my job role - is it really any wonder when there has been zero training? This makes me look like I cant do my job, or that Im not doing it in the right way.

 

I fully appreciate and understand where you are all coming from. It is sad that only bad cases are talked about. I am more than willing to sit with a customer and handle their complaint personally, and did so yesterday in fact. But this all goes un-noticed by Abbey - a thank you would be great. There have been cases where Abbey have resolved complaints within days. It is just so unfortunate its not the same for everybody else.

 

Abbey has so much potential but I think it does have it's priorites the wrong way around. They need to think more about their employees, and more about their customers so that we can provide the service you want. Its just a shame.

 

Sorry its so long.

[eyeofhorus]

You really recieve no training at all? As for product knowledge YOU can read the leaflets and the info on bookstore and fact sheets on line. If you dont know info on credit cards etc that is your fault. The morning huddle is a time when info is given to all staff.

[AbbeyWorker]

I have been there a few months now, obviously we have to take it upon ourselves to know the product knowledge - which I have done because no help was offered, even when I asked for it. Nobody was actually willing to sit down with me and role play anything out or quickspot my knowledge on anything, so effectively I could have been giving customers the wrong information and on occasions I have. In our particular branch vague updates are given in the huddle and are hardly touched upon in BDH. My point is that nobody was willing to sit with me and coach/train me when I was NEW to banking/finance and NEW at my job to effectively give the customers the information they want - and still to this day Im not.

 

Abbey are willing to train PBA's at academies who are basically the people who put through the referrals/sales, but not us/we who have to initiate the sale from the first port of call.

 

Even before sales I should have been given some sort of training for the actual system. I hardly call sitting behind someone watching them put transactions through training on the system. Why is it they send away PBAs for the correct training but not CSAs? Surely our role is JUST as important if not more important?

[Rooster-UK]

Hi AW.

All I can say is, "Life's a bitch!"

 

Is it anywonder that people complain about the service they receive in banks. Especially so when they've got real grievances about bank charges.

 

I presume it's much the same in all of the banks, as regards training, or lack of it.

[eyeofhorus]

They have new starter acadamies for CSA's at Bradford. Do you not have the buddy system where your buddy PBA can give you coaching and pointers. Your job is not to sell or advise as you do not hold the authorisations to do so, that is the PBA, FPA, CRM, SBA, MA who does that.

 

If you were that 'new to banking' how did you end up with the job? If you not getting the help then you should take it up with your line manager or regional.

[Rooster-UK]

Incidentally, as a bank worker, you are required by the forum rules to make your presence known to admin.

Just drop a PM to alanfromderby or jonni2bad.

 

Regards, Rooster.

[AbbeyWorker]

They have new starter acadamies for CSA's at Bradford. Do you not have the buddy system where your buddy PBA can give you coaching and pointers. Your job is not to sell or advise as you do not hold the authorisations to do so, that is the PBA, FPA, CRM, SBA, MA who does that.

 

If you were that 'new to banking' how did you end up with the job? If you not getting the help then you should take it up with your line manager or regional.

 

I asked about training and things and were told there were no more academies/training places where CSA's could go. I have a new line manager and she said CSAs used to go on a 2 day course, but don't do them anymore. I know PBAs go to London/Milton Keynes for 1-2 weeks.

 

My job is to try and refer people to PBAs not to sell directly there and then. But my targets are referrals and sales related. I have to try and sell the product to the customer at the counter through word patterns and so-forth so that the PBA's can then put the sale through.

 

That argument could be put forward for any job though in fairness. I could be new to the property industry but have no experience. Like most people I put my CV in for the job and got through the interview stage.

 

I'll definitely have to ask about the buddy system. There is a buddy system at work but it wasn't training or coaching. It's just where for one week a CSA buddies with a PBA and all CSA referrals go to that particular PBA. It's done on a rota basis. One of our PBA's also came into the Abbey as a PBA having no previous experience of being in banking, thus never being a CSA. When you don't work on the counter it is hard to coach/train people on a system you've never really used yourself.

[eyeofhorus]

Sounds like your BM is not good at the job and the SCM for that matter if you not given the right knowledge to do your job. Which region do you work in?