I tried contacting a bank’s customer service hotline four times over seven working days recently over a specific banking transaction issue. Each time, I endured repeated messages saying “we are experiencing high call volume” for at least 20 minutes, but still did not get connected to a customer service officer.

During one of these calls, I chose the option to have a customer service officer call me back but, after five working days, I did not hear back from the bank. I also sent a secured e-mail through the bank’s app to request a callback but again, after five working days, I did not receive any response.

When I ask people around me about their experience with bank hotlines, it seems everyone has encountered similarly frustrating experiences. If high call volume is a perennial issue faced by banks, does that mean they are not deploying an adequate number of customer service officers to man their hotlines?

While many customer requests can be addressed via automated options on these hotlines, there remain various banking issues that customers need to verbally explain to an officer to get the help they need.

This consistent inability to cope with customers’ calls reflects a serious lapse in customer service.

Tan Chor Hoon