Wells Fargo - A model of inefficiancy

[Immy]

I've banked with them for almost 25 years (longer than some of the tellers have been on this planet!) but when I look in the mirror and see gray hairs popping in, I can't help but think they're partially responsible.

Encounter #1 - A couple of weeks ago I stopped by my CPA to pick up payroll. Since there's a WF near there I decided to cash my check. I'd been there a handful of times (not my regular branch) and only to deposit, so I figured there wouldn't be a problem. Wrong! They refused to cash it unless I deposited a portion of it. When I said I usually cash it at another branch and there's never a problem they suggested going there "Where they know you better." Never mind my gold bank card says "Customer since 1986." I left disgusted.

Encounter #2 - A few weeks earlier than #1 at yet a different branch, even more unbelievable. Same scenario, cashing my check. Since my boss is out of town frequently I often sign his name on payroll checks, but in this case I had forgotton, and I realized it after I handed it to the teller. She looked at it, handed it back to me and said "This needs to be signed before I can cash it." I said "No problem, I sign these" and put my best facsimile of my boss's John Hancock below the amount then signed my own different signature on the back. She looked at both, and asked me how I wanted my cash. Un-real.

It's no wonder I stopped asking for boxes. I can imagine how they'd screw it up.


On a positive note, I searched $50 in casino nickels last night. No silver but I completed my 11th roll of 1939's.

 

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[cyberdan]

I ONLY use them as a dump bank. So far I have only had minor problems with one branch and it is always the same teller. I have to learn to use other tellers. She really does not cause problems, she just tries to have me jump thru a couple of "her" hoops on transactions.

I know why she does this (she could get a job at any airport as a passenger screener, she already has the size 60 spandex pants and fills them out fully) she doesn't like her job and I am of a much lighter complexion.

 

[puckhead]

And I have the exact opposite experience with them, they order what I need at 1 branch and I even dump at a different branch and they always take them without a hassle. I think for your encounter #2 you would've been ticked off no matter what, either they do what they did, which they shouldn't have; or they hold you for check fraud and then you would've been even more ticked off, it really was a no win for them, so in reality they did exactly what you wanted them to do. My pain in the a$$ bank was BofA, where I no longer do any business whatsoever. People are everything at a business, from the management down to the workers, and just 1 bad person can really give someone a bad impression of a business.

 

[phrostie]

Two encounters with Wells Fargo...there are very few around me so I've only encountered them on 2 separate road trips.

The Good - Second ever road trip I stopped at a Wells Fargo to see if they have any halves. They do but all I have is rolled coins to exchange; however, they have a coin counter that I can use. Only problem is it's 9% surcharge for non-customers. Knowing that I'm not a banking customer, I inform the lady then try to play the military card, which doesn't ever work at banks...they could give a sh%%, understandable. Anyways, I remember I took out a loan for a ring which I had paid off a few years back, and she was able to look up my account and considered me a 'customer' so I could dump my halves. I dropped $600 and picked up a box, excellent deal!

The bad - Two road trips ago I stopped in a small town. I went in to buy their halves, they had $330 rolled. The gentleman was going to sell them to me when, not a teller but some lady greeter / manager said are you a customer. I said I believe so, I had a loan out with you guys. The lady said, we only do stuff for our checking/ saving customers. I sit here to myself thinking the following...(if I had a mortgage, and paid you guys all the interest on that outstanding balance, and you're unwilling to help me...but here comes some poor joe with a checking and savings account with a balance of $100 and you treat him well). It was an absolute joke. A customer is a customer, regardless of what section you do your business with. If Wells Fargo gets my money you better believe I'm a customer). But since it was a loan that was paid off, I didn't press it, because in the lady's black heart she didn't want me to have those halves.

It's ridiculous how loose the standard operating procedures are at same banks different branches. And yet I wonder why our economy is in the crapper...

 

[Goes4ever]

wells fargo is a horrible bank IMHO, I dropped them awhile bank when they dropped the "F" word on me, I pulled all my cash out and went to another bank who does not charge fees, and no I did not have $100 in a savings account, I quite a decent amount of money there plus 3 CD's
when the CD's matured I pulled them out as well, and reminded them it was because of the "F" word.

 

[minton7]

I am rolling off my chair at the original post... that is funny as can be.... isnt it odd how different branches of the same bank can be so different and have such radically different policies...... I have had the bets luck with local banks and not the national ones..... the chain banks seem to not be as friendly as the home town ones in my area..... I have one , which I dont have any account with and they are aware of this, yet they still let me swap rolls for rolls at will and even let me cash in when I need to.... only thing I dont dump there are halves.. I buy all the halves they get in, which tickles them to death.. this is why they let me roll swap I think..... plus I think it is my magnetic charm LOL..... but seriously a polite, positive, friendly attitude goes a LONG way in this hobby... also calling ahead.... I will do that and they will say.. yeah we have XX amount of haalves you can buy.. then when I get there the teller says they cant sell me anything cause I dont have accounts there... then I inform her that I talked to (name of person) earlier and they said I could buy them... never said ne thing bout having to have an acct.. and I drove all this way just for this.... which is true .... and I have never been refused that way...... where as if I just walked in.. they prolly wouldnt have broken the policy

 

[Immy]

I think for your encounter #2 you would've been ticked off no matter what

I wasn't ticked off at all. I was lucky they didn't have a problem with what I did, but it still represents a careless way of doing business.

 

[killerwine]

Hey Immy...good to see your still around. I haven't been for about 12 months...don't recognize a lot of the names on here from the "old days." Looks like I have a lot of catch up reading of posts to do...WF was my first bank out of college and I had to fire them. I work for them now but still don't have an account.....

 

[Immy]

Yup, still here! Though my searching #'s have been seriously curtailed by 55-hour work weeks since Feb. (not complaining, lucky to be among the working these days).

Good to see another familiar name back on the board, KW. Any "insider" stories from WF world?

 

[killerwine]

Yup, still here! Though my searching #'s have been seriously curtailed by 55-hour work weeks since Feb. (not complaining, lucky to be among the working these days).

Good to see another familiar name back on the board, KW. Any "insider" stories from WF world?

I'm just getting back into it myself... WFC's (stock symbol) value has been cut in half...but is moving up from being down by much more... I'm maxing out my 401K in order to average my price per share down. Wells will be back...It also helps that I have the luxury of waiting 25+ years until I need the cash! Might all be living in caves by then....