Bank of P.I. - Parusa Na, Discriminatory Pa!

[mikaztro]

Bank of P.I. – Sadista Na, Discriminatory Pa!

Why does Bank of P.I. continually make life “hell”
for its clients? I live in south Metro Manila and been
to BPI branches in Alabang Town Center (ATC),
SM-Southmall, BF Paranaque, and A-Z Road in Las Pinas.

The scenario is all the same: pagpasok mo pa lang, ang
haba ng pila sa mga teller’s cages. Usually mga 2 to 3
tellers lang ang operational. Mga 10 to 20 people ang
nakapila per line, kung mga 5 to 10 minutes per transaction,
aabutin ka ng mga 30 to 45 minutes na NAKATAYO!

Ito ang sinasama ng loob ko. Bakit yung ibang bangko
(e.g. – RCBC, PS Bank, Union Bank – where I also have
transactions), pagpasok mo bibigyan ka ng guard ng papel
na may number, tapos may mga upuan where you can sit
down and read newspapers/magazines while waiting for your number to be called.
So kahit abutin din ng 30-45 minutes yung transaction mo, at least hindi naman
nangawit yung paa mo at nagmukhang kawawa na nakapila na
parang pila balde sa poso sa squatter area!

And to add insult to injury, meron isang teller’s window sa lahat ng
BPI branches na ang karatula sa itaas ay nakasulat na “PREFERRED
BANKING CLIENTS-Express Window”. I learned that this is for
BPI Gold Card Holders with P150 thousand and above credit limits.

Pag pasok ng Gold Card Client, deretcho siya sa window na ito where
She/he is greeted with a warm smile plus the words “Good Morning
Sir/Ma’M,.(walang ganito sa “pila balde” usually yung tellers matigas ang mukha at walang greeting)) The client then hands over her deposit/wdrawal slip . The Teller then tells the client to TAKE A SEAT while the transaction
Is being processed. In five to 10 minutes lang, tatawagin na siya and
Tapos na yung transaction! I should know, my wife is a gold card
Holder.(hindi ako mayaman ha, may gold card na siya nung dalaga
Pa siya).

Ayoko sana mag-rant when I start a thread but what finally made me
Write this is meron ako nakasabay sa pila na isang senior-citizen couple na nasa unahan ko. Nakatayo na kami ng close to 40 minutes when the “lolo” said sa kasama niya:
“Umuwi na lang tayo, hindi ko na kaya!” I offered to watch their place for them kaya
Lang like most oldies maprinsipyo sila so umalis na lang.

To Bank of PI: I know you are one of the biggest banks but that doesn’t give
you the right to treat your “small” depositors like ****! How come other banks
can extend simple courtesies and basic comfort to its depositors while you
can’t? Don’t you realize that these “small” depositors (savings deposits
of P50 thousand or less) make up the bulk of your clients and when
taken as a whole form a big bulk of your deposit portfolio? At ang mga
depositing ito ay pinagkakakitaan niyo for you lend this out at a
higher interest spread that your measly deposit rate?
MAHIYA NAMAN KAYO!!!! And to call your big depositors
“preferred”! Ano yung small depositors – “DESPISED”?

Ma karma sana kayo, you insensitive, discriminatory shylocks!

Try to bank with Metrobank and UCPB. You'd be surprised how hundred times BPI's service is better than expected.

[badkuk]

from what i've read, nasa CBA nila na max. of 3 tellers lang per BPI branch(pwera head office i guess); totoo ba?

[b1rken5tock]

if your bank cannot meet your requirement as a customer, better move to another bank, remember, you are the customer...

[wildthing]

Try to bank with Metrobank and UCPB. You'd be surprised how hundred times BPI's service is better than expected.

... bibilis lang ito pag multimillion pesos ang account mo sa kanila....hehehe

[niwde11]

i'll agree with mikaztro. been banking wiht ucpb(since 96) ang metro(02). in terms of service i'll go with ucpb.

[diesoline]

i have my run-ins with bpi too. nakaka-asar sila at times.

but have you guys noticed that most of their tellers are "beyond their prime"? wala lang... walang man lang consuelo.

[Gumusut_Amige]

try maybank... the last time i brought my wife for her bank transaction it took her barely about ten minutes (very courteous pa sila).
though ang down side ay hindi pa gaano madami ang branch but they belong to the top 50 asian banks.

[dprox]

Bank of P.I. – Sadista Na, Discriminatory Pa!

xxx

And to add insult to injury, meron isang teller’s window sa lahat ng
BPI branches na ang karatula sa itaas ay nakasulat na “PREFERRED
BANKING CLIENTS-Express Window”. I learned that this is for
BPI Gold Card Holders with P150 thousand and above credit limits.

Pag pasok ng Gold Card Client, deretcho siya sa window na ito where
She/he is greeted with a warm smile plus the words “Good Morning
Sir/Ma’M,.(walang ganito sa “pila balde” usually yung tellers matigas ang mukha at walang greeting)) The client then hands over her deposit/wdrawal slip . The Teller then tells the client to TAKE A SEAT while the transaction
Is being processed. In five to 10 minutes lang, tatawagin na siya and
Tapos na yung transaction! I should know, my wife is a gold card
Holder.(hindi ako mayaman ha, may gold card na siya nung dalaga
Pa siya).

Ayoko sana mag-rant when I start a thread but what finally made me
Write this is meron ako nakasabay sa pila na isang senior-citizen couple na nasa unahan ko. Nakatayo na kami ng close to 40 minutes when the “lolo” said sa kasama niya: “Umuwi na lang tayo, hindi ko na kaya!” I offered to watch their place for them kaya lang like most oldies maprinsipyo sila so umalis na lang.

To Bank of PI: I know you are one of the biggest banks but that doesn’t give
you the right to treat your “small” depositors like ****! How come other banks can extend simple courtesies and basic comfort to its depositors while you can’t? Don’t you realize that these “small” depositors (savings deposits
of P50 thousand or less) make up the bulk of your clients and when
taken as a whole form a big bulk of your deposit portfolio? At ang mga
depositing ito ay pinagkakakitaan niyo for you lend this out at a
higher interest spread that your measly deposit rate?
MAHIYA NAMAN KAYO!!!! And to call your big depositors
“preferred”! Ano yung small depositors – “DESPISED”?

Ma karma sana kayo, you insensitive, discriminatory shylocks!

The stratified, pecking-order system you find in BPI reflects its culture of origin - the Spanish monarchy.

150 years ago, it would have been normal for us indios to be discriminated against. But we now live in a post-democratic, populist era. That's why BPI policies look abnormal. Napaka'old world' pa rin ang dating -- pa-importante -- di ba? It's been over 150 years and they still have remnants of it. Benevolent ruler ang management paradigm nila; condescending service naman ang effect sa tao.

Minsan, sinuplada pa nung teller yung isang depositor na mukhang ethnic and obviously a newbie to the banking system. Tinarayan ba naman kasi merong nakaligtaang isulat sa form yung ale! Siguro kung matangos ang ilong niya, magalang siyang bibigyan ng instructions nung teller. Putok ang butsi ko dun kay Doña Consolacion de de Espadaña, kaya inupakan ko ng complaint yung manager about the condescending and discriminatory treatment given a depositor based on physical appearance.

Century-old tradition na yan, kaya siguro impotent kahit ang HR department ng BPI. Even government banks now give faster, more egalitarian, and cordial tellering services than BPI.

Que verguenza! Verdad?
Si - SIMBERGWENSA!

[Memphis Raines]

About the reading materials like the magazines, newspapers and the like, tinanong ko sa kaibigan kong branch manager tungkol dito. Sabi nya they've limited/stopped placing these kasi nga ninanakaw or nadadala ng clients hehe.

What they do nalang daw is parade the bank's brochures beside the waiting lounge para yun nalang ang basahin nila

[birdnipol]

Did somebody actually suggested the number-system to bpi management? Anong sinabi nila?

a) Palit bangko...
b) Use their online services..their online system is the best for me ymmv
Dahil sa net banking..siguro this year, once pa lang ako pumunta sa bpi...at yun e para lang kunin yung check
c) Use your office concierge or maids to pay your bills. This may cost you additional 10-20 pesos if using the office services but the convenience is worth it.
d) Be a preffered client. If there is a market for those high-rollers, kudos to bpi for targetting their services to specific clientele. Most of the time, they are not just depositors but also investors. Time means money to them. If they don't get what they want pronto, they will take their millions elsewhere. BPI knows that those clients mean big bucks to their business. And let me repeat, its a business. Sometimes these are the same people that gets invited to business functions held by other ayala companies like condo/housing sale launch for ayalaland etc so indirectly they also impact the business of other ayala companies.

If you don't like the way they operate, take your money elsewhere.

I personally prefer doing over the counter transactions with metro(with the number system) but their online banking suck. Their credit card application system also sucks.

BDO is also nice, although i had a bad transaction with one of their tellers(in a mall branch). She told me that a particular fund is not available, called their hotline and dapat daw available. Came back the next day and available nga. Cost me a day's increase in fund prices, not to mention the inconvenience of having to go back and forth to the branch.

Do we have the numbers with regards to the statement that small depositors make up the bulk of the depositor portfolio(in terms of amount)? How about the big depositors + their corresponding investments in asset/cash management services?

[ooba99]

About the reading materials like the magazines, newspapers and the like, tinanong ko sa kaibigan kong branch manager tungkol dito. Sabi nya they've limited/stopped placing these kasi nga ninanakaw or nadadala ng clients hehe.

What they do nalang daw is parade the bank's brochures beside the waiting lounge para yun nalang ang basahin nila

Hello Memphis Raines. pasensya na, but I find the excuse of the bank manager that you talked to, flimsy. They have guards don't they? Gasino lang ba ang cost of magazines and newspapers? The way he answered your query on the topic reflects on the kind of managers BPI have. Di ba sila pinapa-atend ng seminars on customer service? Yung binigay nyang solution nila eh, reflects their focus on marketing. Maling strategy pa imo. Who will read brochures kung irirtated ang customer? Nakalimutan na nila na they should satisfy their customers first and in effect, keep them. Every satisfied customen that they keep is equivalent to at least one customer that they will potentially gain. Di ba marketing strategy din ito? Word of mouth is one of the most effective way of promoting/marketing a service, in this case, banking service. Pasensya ha, Memphis Raines. service oriented kasi ang work ko eh.

[hungryalien]

been banking with bpi for several years na. so far ok naman services nila. sa tagal at sa liit ng branch nila.. we all know each other na din. from manager to the tellers. not just me, but also other customers i've seen there.

usually they will let you use the "gold card/preferred line" if walang pila and mahaba yun other lanes.

i think right now, they are trying to convince people to do e-banking or transact via atm. thats why they have one of the better online banking system and i think the most available atm system also.

[orly_andico]

I seriously doubt that majority of BPI's deposits come from small depositors.

It's a well-known fact that 95% of the wealth in the Philippines is held by 5% of the population. That's why our Gini index (measure of rich/poor disparity) is just short of "social volcano" status.

So I would guess that 95% of BPI's deposits come from the matatangos-na-ilong kumpadres and kumadres of the Zobels. Which completely explains their discriminatory scheme.

[Horsepower]

They have a union????

My God, that bank is on its brink of fall kung ganun. Communists among the workers have brought down the biggest companies here. That's the reason why contractual hiring went popular among businessmen.

They should fire all the commies among their employees.

commies only want suffering and hardship because it's their only way to rule over this land. They pretend to protect you but really, they're just after the membership revenues.

I wonder why Ayala allowed commies to practically hold their financial company in the neck. I mean what's up with only 3 tellers per branch????

[mazdamazda]

IMO - what you have described doesn't even come close to some more worse experience that I've encountered in other banks.

Just adapt a different strategy when it comes when transacting with your bank. Go to a branch with fewer clients or during lean hours - you'll be surprised by the speed of the service compared before (e.g. when I go to BDO at 5:30PM I'm the only client compared to the more than a dozen during lunchtime). Plus they (BPI) are really pushing for their online & self service banking (where you deposit via the ATM).

You can also try patronizing smaller banks (like Philam Savings Bank - really excellent service and better interest rates) or commercial banks with a smaller client base (and at an unpopular location).

Though the sweeping & generalizing statements posted here against BPI as a whole is very unfair to them.

[Bogeyman]

Yung BPI branch sa South Triangle QC, sobrang haba din ng pila. We used to maintain a savings account there (since dun din yung payroll account namin), pero sinara din namin eventually kasi medyo hassle maghintay sa pila. I never begrudged them over it, kasi medyo kasalanan din naman namin since we opted not to enroll the account sa ATM. In fairness naman to other BPI branches, such as Blue Ridge and Antipolo Shopwise, wala pang masyadong clients sa loob kaya mabilis ang service. Even the guards are courteous. But yes, their depositors would benefit from a number system. We also used to have a savings account sa EPCIB, mahaba din ang pila, pero at least may seating for the clients, at pwede mong iwan sa pila yung slip mo if you have to be someplace muna.

Hindi ko naman masyadong dama yung discrimination sa BPI, hehe. I prefer using their phone and online services (inquiring about my balance, paying my CC bills, etc.) anyway. Even their credit card procedures impress me. Hindi nila basta-basta dadagdagan yung credit limit mo even if you pay a substantial amount of your outstanding balance; they're traditional in that sense. This helps to discipline the cardholder, unlike Bankard which automatically raises your credit limit pag napalaki yung bayad mo; talagang tutuksuhin kang malubog sa utang.

My mom is also a BPI depositor at their Commonwealth branch, and she has good relations with their manager. There was a time when one of their employees was moonlighting as an insurance agent, trying to sweet-talk my mom into investing her TD someplace. I got wind of it and brought it up with the bank manager. Last I heard, wala na daw yung employee sa branch na yun.

[Memphis Raines]

Hello Memphis Raines. pasensya na, but I find the excuse of the bank manager that you talked to, flimsy. They have guards don't they? Gasino lang ba ang cost of magazines and newspapers? The way he answered your query on the topic reflects on the kind of managers BPI have. Di ba sila pinapa-atend ng seminars on customer service? Yung binigay nyang solution nila eh, reflects their focus on marketing. Maling strategy pa imo. Who will read brochures kung irirtated ang customer? Nakalimutan na nila na they should satisfy their customers first and in effect, keep them. Every satisfied customen that they keep is equivalent to at least one customer that they will potentially gain. Di ba marketing strategy din ito? Word of mouth is one of the most effective way of promoting/marketing a service, in this case, banking service. Pasensya ha, Memphis Raines. service oriented kasi ang work ko eh.

Tama po kayo dyan. Even I found the answer to be unacceptable because yung mga "privileged" clients nila minsan nakikita ko sinasalubong pa nila sa waiting area then transfers them to his office with their choice of coffee or juice pa. May Inquirer pang nakahintay.

Another thing, kanina I was in the bank to make a deposit, but I brought along my own reading material hehe, tapos I was like number 20+ so I had to wait in line. May dumating na special client with two pouches na laman dami cash. She went straight to one of only two tellers tapos sabi babalikan nalang daw niya ang receipt sa deposit nya. Yung teller naman sabi agad na wag na raw because she can immediately issue the receipt agad samantalang kami eh nakahintay like everybody else.

Kakainis kasi palakasan rin

[uls]

ganyan talaga mga malaking bangko

priority nila corporate accounts

pag individual depositor ka, di ka importante

Threaten to close ur account?

Will it hurt them?

di pa maramdaman ng kalingkingan nila yan