I went to the bank this morning and there was one person at the counter with six customers waiting. So I thought I'd come back at a less busy time (even though 8:56am in the morning is normally a quiet period
). I went to the bank at 15:11. I waited 25 minutes in the f*&$%^g queue just to get served. Initially there were two people at the counter but one disappeared and there was a queue of 12 people this time.
When I finally got served, it appeared that I am apparently not Ms A_Person (even though my driver's license matched me in person as did my signature that I provided
) and and the bill I wanted to p*y was apparently over the threshold and as I didn't have a pin I'd have to go through security. Security involved answering a numerous amount of questions relating to my account over the past 8 years. I passed that. Then the manager now needed to see it. So the counter lady pissed off for another fifteen minutes to do this.
By the time she came back I was going
Finally I managed to pass all their tests. And the bill itself took 2 minutes to process. 45 minutes of wait for a 2 minute job. If I had know it would have taken this long I would have pissed off to Barclays and be done in fifteen minutes.
Now I'm all for security but in this case I felt it was excessive -
1) They claimed I hadn't given my PIN although my signature matched that that was shown on the account plus provided my drivers license which clearly matched my face.
2) even if I had my PIN, I could have been someone else but apparently no drivers license is sought for a PIN? I mean WTF? My sister could have been using my card if she knew my PIN and you wouldn't double check that but just because I forgot to bring my PIN in my frenchies today, you're not going to let me p*y my bill without waiting twenty f&*^%$g minutes?
Should it have been the case I wanted to p*y a bill without a correct signature/photo license, I would completely understand them being excessive with this procedure but come on.... what more do you need for me to prove who I am? Shall I strip naked too perhaps?
LLoyds and Barclays are not that long in getting a simple payment across.
What made me laugh more is that Natwest have produced a customer charter in which number one on the list is:
Stupid Natwest wrote:We are committed to making banking easy
This year we’ll introduce a new queue busting programme in our busiest branches to ensure every available member of staff is out serving customers during busy periods.
Yeh right! Complete bullshit. Firstly this branch is ALWAYS busy. They ALWAYS have staff walking on the floor but not one of them seem to place their bum on the counter. Lucky for me a lady actually complained and argued with the manager at the length of time she waited pointing out that four of them are walking around doing nothing but looking pretty. Two other customers then joined in and said this is always alway always the case with this particular branch and if they want their customers to stay then they better start shaping up.
Rant over. 45 minutes bloody waste of time. I could have watched half a movie in this time.
Member No. 2 of the "100 free films in 2015" club. 3 seen, 97 to go!
Realistic target: 5
Preferred cinema list:
1) Cineworld: West India Quays or Greenwich, 02, Vue Westfield - Stratford City or Picturehouse Stratford
2) Picturehouse Greenwich
3) Any central London cinema including Islington (excluding Shepherd's Bush, and Whiteleys unless it's some super duper cool film)
4) Odeon Greenwich or Odeon Surrey Quays
Member No. 1 of the "100 free films in 2020" club. 7 seen 
Member No. 1 of the "104 free previews in 2008" club. 92 seen