Wells Fargo

I went to the Wells Fargo at Greenwood Village for a very, very small concern. It seems after at least 20 years, (30 if you count the take over acquisitions in the 80s and 90s); WF put a $3.50 charge on my account for "monthly check image fee". When I called the 1-800 customer service line to remove the charge, the agent said it would be only for one time and then proceeded to try and up-sell me to a different product as the ONLY way to permanently remove the fee. He said I had to go to a physical bank to make the changes.

I arrived at the Greenwood Village Wells Fargo around 4:45 pm (bank closes at 6pm). After standing in the lobby area near the banker cubicles, a tall slender man said without any friendliness or smile, "Do you need help with something." I proceeded to explain to him what I was needed. A couple of minutes went by, and a couple of bankers that were talking in a cubicle ended their conversation. Brian, a banker, had me sit down in his cube. He asked for my debit card, assuming I had one, and I said I don't have one. He then asked for my ID. I presented him with my ID, and put it away after he had a look. Then Brian asked me my name and how to spell it. This stuck me as odd, as he just looked at my ID. I obliged the information twice, spelled my last name twice before he could type it correctly in the computer.

Once he had the account up, he said, "It looks like there are several. Are you on (and he named an address) and it was nothing familiar.

I was a victim of Identity theft 10 years ago, so I expressed, "Absolutely not, there is not more than one of me in the state of Colorado as far as I know". (My name isn't the most common - "

The he said, "Are you on "Street A?""

I said, "No, that is my mother."

He said, Oh... that’s a Brook."

I said, no, there is no Brook, at that address.

He said, "Right, and you are on "street A"."

I said, no "I'm on "street B". Do you show me on the "street B?"

He said, "No, you are on "street A."

-- I think you get the picture.

I, the customer, the one loaning money to the bank, is sitting in front of a banker that is very confused and is INSISTING that I live on Street A .

So I tell him that is the wrong information, and he proceeds to get defensive and say things like "Well, that’s not what it says!"

I frankly asked him, "Is there a banker or manager that can maybe help me and knows their way around the computer?"

At that point he shut down the window on the computer and said, "If you don't want me to help you, then I won't." and stormed off to locate a manager.

I can definitely see how his ego was hurt by my comment, but the truth is, he definitely didn't seem to know what he was doing. As I mentioned above, he looked at my ID, but didn't read it and was very confused about the information and who was who on his screen.

Brian went to get a manager. I followed him. The manager he spoke with was too busy to deal with me, so Brian went off to find another manager. I followed him to Crystal's corner office and waited outside. Crystal came out with a scowl on her face and begrudgingly introduced herself. I explained what had happened. She wanted to dismiss my concern (opinion) and just get done what I came in for. In my opinion, that is one way to alienate a customer as a person, and just see them as an account number.

She then rushed over to a terminal in another cubical, got my information and kept my ID out for verification of account information (as I believe is required under Wells Fargo Rules). She then proceeded to say things like, "Lets me show you why Brian was telling you lived on Street A."

At this point what I'm observing, is a fellow employee being more concerned about defending another employee than taking care of a customer.

Crystal then began to blame me for not changing my information somewhere along the way.

Really? In the past 30 years, I've lived at three different address and consistently updated information as directed by whatever Wells Fargo employee was helping me. Seems to me, it was the Wells Fargo employees who were not updating the information correctly since I've never had "hands on" access to a WF computer.

An argument then ensued as to "who's fault the unchanged address was" ---Really? I came in to get a $3.50 cent charge removed from my account, and I'm involved in a "professional" argument" about my address. Crystal then wanted to jump to getting done what I came in for, and I wanted to get my address corrected.

Crystal then began bargaining, and said "I will help you if you stop being condescending and undermining me."

I asked, "How am I being condescending and undermining you?"

She said, "You insulted one of MY bankers. You need to act like an adult." (Insulting, and as far as I could tell, Brian is an employee of WF, not of Crystal... it is not her bank.)

I was floored. I'm a 43 year old man, and I have a 24 year old girl telling me, I need to act like an adult."

I frankly said, "What did you just say? --And you're accusing me being condescending?"

At that juncture, Crystal said, you need to leave the bank now or I'm calling security and having you escorted out."

I said, "I will leave, but I want the name of your regional manager."

She said, "Leave now, or I'm calling security."

I said, " I said I would leave, just give me the name of or regional manager."

She said, "You can call our 1-800 number to get that information.

I proceeded to leave, totally floored at the treatment I had just received.

I said to Crystal on my way out, "You have a lot to learn in your youth about how to treat customers." To which she made a "whatever" gesture and comment. --About what I would expect from someone with little experience and lack of customer service skills, and someone who poses as THE bank manager.

In all my life I have never been treated so poorly in any business, especially a bank that is BORROWING money from me (and every other customer with an asset account) and LOANING it out at 10x its value to the bank's advantage.

Seems to me, Crystal and Brian have forgotten about where the bank's funds come from and are more concerned about proving their own young egos. I would never hire or work with employees who miss the big picture of what their jobs are about --- customer service, not customer threats and abusive harassment. FYI- I also later became aware that Crystal had portrayed herself to me as "the bank manager" when she is actually a "service manager."

CONVERSELY, when I went immediately to the E. Hampden Branch, I was greeted near the entrance with Angelique Flodstrom's SMILING FACE (nothing but scowls at Greenwood) and a cheery, "Hello! Can I help you with something today!"

Yes, I said. Angelique escorted me back to her desk and proceeded to take care of me quite professionally and efficently. I made Angelique aware of my problem with the other branch, and she was apologetic on their behalf, not defensive, as Crystal had been about Brian.

When Angelique had taken care of the business at hand, she then proceeded to try and find the regional manger's info for me. Instead, what I got was a personal visit by the branch manager, Robert Lopez. Robert expressed sincere concern of my overall experience at Greenwood and Crystal's threatening attitude and deception about her manager status.

I appreciate Robert and Angelique's true professionalism. They were actually able to remove the $3.50 charge that Crystal and Brian couldn't even get to because they were more concerned with their pride.

I definitely will be recommending the E. Hampden branch. As far as I'm concerned, Greenwood branch has been fired by not only myself, but also my family, friends, and anyone else who has been treated poorly by Brian and Crystal.