Guest post by @smittyroyal. Follow him on Twitter.

Let’s start by saying, CUSTOMER SERVICE IN JAMAICA IS HORRENDOUS!!!! — *breathe*, *deep inhale,…… long exhale*.

I’m writing this blog to express my utter, thorough disgust with the customer service offered by 2 of our country’s leading financial institutions. Now, as I am unfamiliar with the defamation laws that exist in Jamaica, I will refrain from calling the names of the financial institutions. In my own interest, I will refer to them as BCN and SNB.
My engagement with them is as a result of an opportunity given to me by my employer to partake of an interest free (yes 0% interest) 10yr motor-vehicle loan. In order to take up this opportunity, I would have to change the current loan agreement from BCN and move it to SNB, as BCN does not take second lien on motor vehicle loans, and my employer has to have first lien on the vehicle.
Not to bore you too much with the process, let’s just say that getting all the technicalities sorted out, has taken me a total of 3months …and counting. I’m still trying to ponder the exact reasons but I have narrowed it down to these:
1. The people in the banks are unfamiliar with the process
2. The people in the banks are clearly incompetent
3. I must be so handsome that they insist on seeing my ‘Adonis’ face over & over again to handle matters that could have been completed in a month maximum.

I’ve rounded it down to #3 for my own narcissistic reasonsJ. But that has not quelled my frustrations.

………………Hold up!………………. #pauses…………yeah, had to stare at that sexy woman that just darted elegantly across the banking hall. “God is truly amazing” J…………..but back to the topic at hand.

In all honesty, this process has taken sooooo long to complete, I believe it is attributed to the staff clearly knowing nothing about customer service. I dare say, were it another industry, where pleasing the customer was tantamount, they would be that lady on the ‘stump’ who gets no customers all night weekly, and in awe as to why. -___-.
In trying to execute my business, I have had to contend with extended “3-5 working days Sir” waits, that seem to never occur in under 10 working days, and not to mention, the always present “Oh, you also need to carry in XYZ document” – something that could have been provided on my first visit to both institutions. Oh, and each time I have to bring in an “additional” document, it extends the duration of “3-5″ working days.

Then there is always the lack of “follow-up” from the institutions. It is my strong belief that if a customer has requested a document or for any service to be provided and a deadline is given, then by the expiration of the deadline, or preferably before, some communication is to be had with the client or customer, informing him/her of any delays. Customer “servants” are to also be courteous and inform the client that any delay of service is unexpected and will be rectified with expediency.

Originally published on gordonswaby.com on 2012-09-06 (recovered from the Internet Archive).