I’m all for avoiding unnecessary work. I got an email from the bank that issues my airline credit card. They wanted me to provide updated housing and income information.
Naturally, I suspected this was a phishing scam. But, a careful review of the email headers and links showed they were truly from the bank in question.
So, it got me to thinking: What a bunch lazy so-and-so’s.* On the surface that might seem like a mundane request. However, this particular bank also has the mortgage on my house, receives my payroll check through ACH automatic deposit, and provides me with a free credit score every month. If anyone should know my housing and income situation it’s the very bank asking for these data.
To compound the laziness, every year I get a pamphlet that reminds me I cannot opt-out of the bank sharing information with their subsidiaries and vendors who provide contracted services. For example, I cannot opt-out of the retail banking division sharing my payroll deposit status with the credit-card division. Likewise, I cannot opt-out of the mortgage services division sharing my mortgage status with the credit-card division.
Alas, it appears that banks simply do not leverage customer information to provide a unified and integrated user experience. Despite the trillions of dollars banks have invested in computer systems, we are still stuck in the 1980s when it comes to customer service. Call the wrong department and one is flatly told “I cannot help you.” Sometimes they won’t even transfer you, but make you hang-up and call a different number.
The dictionary definition of “lazy” is “unwilling to work or use energy.” Yes, that seems to fit in my opinion.
* My 7th grade homeroom teacher never lost his temper nor used an obscenity. “So-and-so’s” was his all purpose phrase for those beneath contempt (lol). I used it in my blog post our respect for this fine man.