Dear Editor,

The banks continue to dish out poor customer service to their clients because competition is largely nonexistent in the financial sector, and the imposition of transaction fees helps to boost their profits.

The meltdown of the financial sector has resulted in the banks operating more like cartels.

On August 25 I tried to facilitate a transaction from one bank to another.

The bank from which the transaction was being made asked that I present them with the code of the branch where my account is located. I called the branch and a so-called customer service representative with a thick accent came on the line. I had to repeat what I was saying several times for him to figure out what I was requesting.

He said the only thing he could do was to provide me with the contact number for the branch — the very number on which we were speaking. I asked to speak with a supervisor, he said that person would tell me the same thing. I, however, insisted. After a long wait, he came back on the line and told me that no supervisor was available to speak with me.

This bank was established in Canada in 1832 and came to Jamaica in 1889. Are the people of Canada subject to the service being given to Jamaicans by this bank?

Does its mission, which says “We are committed to being the institution of choice in the financial sector, providing superior products and services, and being a good corporate citizen to the benefit of our customers, shareholders, and staff”, apply to the Jamaican consumers?

Garfield L Angus

garfieldangus@gmail.com