I may be bureaucracy's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it.

[drcuriosity]

So, after last night's quarter-hour Westpac call centre marathon, today I went into the indicated branch to see if I could get my lost student ID card back. A small balding man with a clipboard greeted me, listened as I explained my problem and directed me to sit down, saying they were a bit busy and there might be up to a 10-minute wait. 35 minutes later, just as I was beginning to get angry enough to leave without seeing anyone, someone finally came up to talk to me.

After not listening as I told her what my problem was, the customer service person asked me for some ID. With forethought, I had brought my passport. She entered in my details, and then told me that there was a problem because she couldn't find me in their system. At this point I said "Hang on... what? Why would you have my details?", which made a big confused look crawl across her features. I explained what had happened again. "Oh, right. I'll need to check with someone."

She confers with the person next to her. During this conversation I discover that she doesn't even know which security company handles their ATMs (Chubb, not ArmourGuard). The next step involves her pulling out a phonebook, calling up the security company on the wrong number, calling up the security on the appropriate number, explaining what my problem was and being told that no, they couldn't retrieve my card from there and that everything would be destroyed
without the possibility of checking it.

I am very glad that this is not a bank at which I have an account. After this kind of rigmarole, I don't think it ever will be if I have any choice in the matter.

Back to university, where I try to get a new replacement card. At the card service desk, I'm directed to go to the cashiers to give them $20 to pay for it. At the cashiers, I'm told that they have to check with a supervisor because there are sanctions on my account - this is apparently as a result of the money I'd have to pay if I were a student until the end of the year, instead of until August 31^st. Another 10 minutes later, and I can pay for the card. Receipt in hand, I make my way back to the card desk.

At the card desk, I find that they can't print out a replacement ID card for me. Apparently, because I am now a tutor as well as a student, they can't automatically give me a student card because regulations say that a staff member has to get permission from IT services to okay getting a student card, even if they're also a student. And no, I don't get a staff ID card. That's an overnight job, so I can't get a card until sometime tomorrow, even though I've paid for it.

So in the meantime I have no after-hours access to anything, and given the extra security at the HIT Lab, I can't even enter the corridor to the room in which my lab equipment is kept without getting someone to wave their card in front of the door for me. And that's two and a half hours of my life I'm not getting back.

I want to go home and sleep. Or get drunk. Or something that isn't being here. But I have work to do.

Comments

[gemms.livejournal.com]

interesting couple of days... you sure know how to write though thats for sure! and yes i have big issues with westpac aswell they were very rude to me last time i talked to them. sigh and their transaction charges are HUGE! we use the westpac account for rent and a washing machine hire these both go out once a fortnight... get charged around $10 a month! just for that and nothing else rang them to see if there was any other account to change to and no this is the cheapest
rip off! asb is good tho :)

[drcuriosity]

I'm currently with ANZ. They may have a byzantine internet banking system, and they may have just recently made their teller area into something that feels a bit like a bus depot, but at least they seem to be capable of talking to me in a timely fashion and telling me what can or can't be done with the first person I talk to. I seriously wonder about Westpac's training - perhaps I should just ask to talk to a supervisor next time.