Metrobank's Loss is BDO's gain

[daimengrui]

Got frustrated and angry with Metrobank this morning with regards to opening a checking account.

My predicament started when I wanted to open one with my current branch in Makati. I have two savings account there on two Makati branches. I called up one branch and asked them if it would be possible to open an account without appearing as I have accounts with them since 2003 already. I'll just send the details and other requirements via company messenger as I am located in Ortigas and work there as well. It is very inconvenient for me to drop by just to hear a lecture about being overdrawn and bouncing check laws when in fact I've had BPI and Equitable checking accounts before and not to mention my US checking accounts. I told them I find the step simply unnecessary.

The Metrobank policy insists this for first time metrobank checking account applications. I told them after work I am tired and wanted to go straight to my house to rest. I also noted to them that they have an online application system for opening checking account that in fact allows me to direct funds from an existing savings account to a new checking account. I told them how is this "Feature" present in my login screen when in fact I cannot USE it? What kind of online banking is that?

I said don't bother I'll pull off one account with them (where I put bulk of my savings) and just retain the payroll account as a conduit only for income.

I'm transferring my entire savings and consolidating them to BDO. The reason for this is the BDO branch I talked to is open till 7 pm and its inside a Mall where I feel safe and secure withrawing 7 digit amounts. Plus the fact that its just a few walking distance from my office. Their customer service is also friendly. The downside is I have to wait 6 mos (SA residency requirement) to get a checking account. Good thing the need for a checking account is not that urgent. I was simply consolidating my account and discovered Metrobanks uselessness.

Hope some execs * Metro is reading this. The checking acct will be used for future business transactions/paying of house mortgages and car loans.

Thanks to your INFLEXIBILITY you just lost a depositor. Why even my US Chase Bank account rep calls me back on a weekend or a holiday when I need him.

[Cult Zero]

i hope ok ang maging transaction mo with BDO. ako may sariling horror story sa kanila. nawalan kasi ng 2K (small amount but still) sa payroll account ko early this year. hindi rin maganda ang pag handle sa akin ng customer service nila. in the end sabi ko sa sarili ko charge to experience na lang kasi sobrang stress nako sa kanila. ni recommend ko rin sa HR namin na magbago kami ng bank for payroll kasi kadalasan offline pag payday ang atms nila and pag offline ang isa halos offline lahat.

[nurse_corrupted]

Ganun din ang complaint ko sa BDO. I opened an account na may passbook at atm. Naman, e yung malapit na two BDO banks dito samin e halos araw-araw offline ang atm machine. Very inconvenient ang mag withdraw ng 2k sa teller.

Kanina napadaan ako offline pa rin. Napailing na lang ako. Korni na mag deposit ng malaking pera tapos di ma withdraw sa atm kahit 500 petot.

[daimengrui]

Looks like all major banks are major head aches. Any more input on BDO before I finalize my transactions with them? Di pa naman tapos I just got a list of requirements from them. My metrobank branch manager just called up intayin daw nila ako even at 7pm sa branch if I want to open a checking account wag lang isara mga account ko dun...

Ang powerfull talaga ng word na "account pullout" noh?

:D

[daimengrui]

Ganun din ang complaint ko sa BDO. I opened an account na may passbook at atm. Naman, e yung malapit na two BDO banks dito samin e halos araw-araw offline ang atm machine. Very inconvenient ang mag withdraw ng 2k sa teller.

Kanina napadaan ako offline pa rin. Napailing na lang ako. Korni na mag deposit ng malaking pera tapos di ma withdraw sa atm kahit 500 petot.

I suppose this was before the merger with EPCI? Equitable has always had reliable ATMS pag super pila nga sa Metro dun ako nag wiwithraw eh

[bender]

The service between Metrobank and BDO is similar but it really depends on whether you have a good relationship with the branch manager. I like BDO more for the convenience of extended branch hours and that they are open on weekends. Regarding ATM's being offline on payday, I think that's normal with all the banks. I have more bad experiences with Metrobank especially their big Julio Vargas branch than BDO. very slow and inefficient.

[shadow]

IMO, they are just following protocols, for you to apply in person for a checking account...

just a question and no pun intended if you've been widrawing 7 digits on your account, the manager should at least know you personally? and can accommodate your request easily...

based on my experince even in widrawing a substantial amout kahit wala pang signature widrawal slip basta tumawag lang kami sa manager and let her know beforehand pumapayag naman ang bank namin kahit the next day na yun signature sa widrawal slip....

hinde ka ba kilala ng manager? I just find it odd that the manager doesn't know their preferred cleints...

my point is kung kilala ka ng manager, kahit hinde ka persoanlly pumunta ok na dapat

[empy]

wowowow...regular million peso withdrawals

[kumagbehota]

mukang kilala ata nga ng manager yung TS, tinawagan na eh...

about BDO me bad exp din ako jan nung nag-oopen ako ng checking, daming pabalik balik pa sa akin... buti pa UCPB walang kahirap hirap....

[c_cube]

hhmmm... may napapansin akong iba. no offense sa TS but parang OB ang dating. again no offense, hinala lang naman.. sorry OT

[uls]

Haha Metrobank...

unless you have hundreds of millions or billions with them, di ka importante...

Eto dapat ang slogan ng Metrobank:

"There's someone more important than you."

[daimengrui]

IMO, they are just following protocols, for you to apply in person for a checking account...

just a question and no pun intended if you've been widrawing 7 digits on your account, the manager should at least know you personally? and can accommodate your request easily...

based on my experince even in widrawing a substantial amout kahit wala pang signature widrawal slip basta tumawag lang kami sa manager and let her know beforehand pumapayag naman ang bank namin kahit the next day na yun signature sa widrawal slip....

hinde ka ba kilala ng manager? I just find it odd that the manager doesn't know their preferred cleints...

my point is kung kilala ka ng manager, kahit hinde ka persoanlly pumunta ok na dapat

The manager does not know me personally as I do not visit the branch that much. Actually, I've lived offshore for several years and have just recently returned my account with them although is updated regularly by a relative is quiet and there was minimal interaction other than fund transfers from abroad.

I guess you are missing the point here. The discussion is about opening an account and not about withdrawing funds regardless of what amount it is. When I initially created an account with them I DID WENT THERE and did the normal procedure as required. But now I am trying to extend the services they are rendering me. In short, I am adding more business for them WHY ON EARTH would they still require me to go there when all documents necessary is already with them? Kailangan ba ng fingerprint ko or something? I even already have signature specimens with them!

In at least 2 countries I have been they will simply re-use your existing data to create the account. In Singapore and in the US you need not even appear, you just need to fax or fill up an online application.

My 2nd point and perhaps you completely ignored this is the Online Internet banking had the facility to OPEN checking accounts ONLINE. This facility is right there in my login screen. What caught my nerve obviously is that they spend millions of pesos for a facility that is useless because they still require me to go to the branch anyway. So where's the efficiency and time saving benefits of online banking anyway?

[daimengrui]

wowowow...regular million peso withdrawals

OT: HUH ask any pinoy small/med businessman 1m pesos is small! Nothing to be wowed about especially in a country with double digit inflation rates! Plus if you have 5-10 men on payroll 1m is really PUNY.

[daimengrui]

Haha Metrobank...

unless you have hundreds of millions or billions with them, di ka importante...

Eto dapat ang slogan ng Metrobank:

"There's someone more important than you."

I'm beginning to believe this is not only the standard by Metrobank but all banks in the Philippines.

[shadow]

I guess you are missing the point here. The discussion is about opening an account and not about withdrawing funds regardless of what amount it is. When I initially created an account with them I DID WENT THERE and did the normal procedure as required. But now I am trying to extend the services they are rendering me. In short, I am adding more business for them WHY ON EARTH would they still require me to go there when all documents necessary is already with them? Kailangan ba ng fingerprint ko or something? I even already have signature specimens with them!

nope, I didn't... what I'm trying to point out is if the manager knew you s/he can and will accommodate you request w/o a glitch. and withdrawing money is harder to do than just opening an account w/o personal appearances...

they just wanted to be sure that it's really you who would open an account.

it's just the procedure of all local banks...

In at least 2 countries I have been they will simply re-use your existing data to create the account. In Singapore and in the US you need not even appear, you just need to fax or fill up an online application.

as I've said different procedure and policy for different bank or countries.

My 2nd point and perhaps you completely ignored this is the Online Internet banking had the facility to OPEN checking accounts ONLINE. This facility is right there in my login screen. What caught my nerve obviously is that they spend millions of pesos for a facility that is useless because they still require me to go to the branch anyway. So where's the efficiency and time saving benefits of online banking anyway?

can't answer that 'coz I never do internet banking anyways..I still don't fell safe doing transaction over the net, anyway my best bet is that what you saw in their internet banking was just an initial process for opening an account, maybe to bypass the process of filling up your details etc on the application form, but you still need to go to the bank personally and confirm your application, I'm sure of this.

[uls]

3rd world kasi ang Pinas.

If you're used to dealing with western banks, sigurado u will find Philippine banks very inefficient and customer unfriendly.

Dito kasi, you are guilty until you're proven innocent.

I mean, bago ka maka pag open ng account, kelangan ka dumaan sa butas ng karayum. Napakadami requirements. Haba pa ng proseso.

Imagine... ikaw na nga ang mag aabot sa kanila ng pera, papahirapan ka pa.

(it has something to do with anti-money laundering law)

They assume everyone who wants to open an account is a money launderer hehe

In western banks, they will make your experience with them as pleasant as possible coz they are afraid you might bring your business across the street.

Dito, it amazes me that bank employees don't seem to care if they make your experience with them totally unpleasant, and they don't seem to care if they lose clients.

If that happens in a western bank, people could get fired.

[daimengrui]

*shadow thats were your wrong. In the MB website the Bank actually "seemingly" does process online requests. Pero useless because you will need to the the papertrail AGAIN as you will be called up by the Branch to go there personally. Oh di ba and ONLINE application that requires manual paperwork! BS.

Please research on Metrobank Banking procedures before you give unsolicited advice. If you do not bank at Metrobank at all then you really wont understand where I'm getting at.

TIME is crucial for me and its irritatingly annoying that I went all the lengths of applying for ONLINE banking BUT only to have none of its convenience when it mattered!





I REST MY CASE

[daimengrui]

3rd world kasi ang Pinas.

If you're used to dealing with western banks, sigurado u will find Philippine banks very inefficient and customer unfriendly.

Dito kasi, you are guilty until you're proven innocent.

I mean, bago ka maka pag open ng account, kelangan ka dumaan sa butas ng karayum. Napakadami requirements. Haba pa ng proseso.

Imagine... ikaw na nga ang mag aabot sa kanila ng pera, pahihirapan ka pa.

(it has something to do with money laundering law)

They assume everyone who wants to open an account is a money launderer hehe

In western banks, they will make your experience as pleasant as possible coz they are afraid you might bring ur business across the street.

Dito, it amazes me that bank employees don't seem to care if they make your experience with them totally unpleasant, and they don't seem to care if they lose clients.

If that happens in a western bank, people could get fired.

uls your observation is correct to my mind the Bouncing Checks law should NOT cause Banks to render bad service.

Using a law to excuse you from rendering POOR service is absurd and counterproductive. There are many ways to verify a depositor's intent. They can call me up and interview me via phone. The Metrobank account is actually linked to a corporate account where I work so they KNOW more or less WHERE MY MONEY comes from, so whats the Fuzz? It's not like I'm a TAHO vendor that suddenly depositing half a million pesos to a checking account.

Banking should be easy and simple I know this because ironically I also work in a BANK!

Sheesh!

[uls]

wala e...

guilty before proven innocent

When u walk into a bank, tingin sayo holdupper hehe

When u wanna cash a check, tingin sayo nakaw ung checke

When u wanna open a checking account, tingin sayo nagpapatalbog ng checke.

Banks here are paranoid.

Well, maybe they are just very careful.

But at the expense of customer experience.

[daimengrui]

After so much debacle and the Metrobank Branch manager had a piece of my mind of how I think about the Online banking they have She finally resigned to my demands and will help me execute a transfer to another Metrobank branch which is nearer. I will still have an appearance but the Branch she referred me to is nearer. In fact just in Julia Vargas as mentioned by a forum poster above but Ive read negative reviews with it.

I suppose large branches located in mega districts put smaller importance to individual depositors and that is why I am beginning to re-think if this is a wise idea. There are other "smaller" metrobank branches near my condo perhaps I will get better treatment there than from those "morons" that run the Makati and Ortigas branches.