I have been a Citibank customer for more than 20 years. This is the first time I have ever had a negative service experience. I wish I could rate this experience as a zero. I will be following up with a complaint to the Customer Service on the specifics.
So, my motive in visiting the Parsons Blvd branch office is that the location has very little volume when compared to the branch in Flushing. As I only needed a signature and notary stamp on two contracts I thought this would only take a few minutes.
First the staff at the door are the reason that one star isn't a joke. They really were polite and tried to help me.
So I request a notary and I am told okay just wait a couple of minutes. The staff suggests that I have a seat. After a few more minutes, the staff comes back and says that the notary will be available after 45 mins as she is stepping out to lunch. I am still jovial and say no problem, we can come back.
We go to eat and take our time so that we arrive back after 45 mins. We are told it will only be two minutes so please have a seat. We are happy to do so, and we wait. Ten minutes pass and my wife asks how much longer it will be. The staff looking a bit uncomfortable (but still helpful) looks in to the cube and comes back that the person needs 10-15 more minutes. Okay, so we wait some more, a bit less jovially.
20 minutes later I just wave at a staff member with my hands outstretched as if to say "what now?". We are ushered in to see the person in the cubical. Now we have been sitting looking at the cubical for at least 20 mins with no one else entering or leaving so we expect to hear the person on the phone, see a clutter of papers on the desk or something, right?
Well, absolutely nothing of the kind was going on. In fact, because we were curious about the delay and we were seeing no one in the cube and could not hear anyone on the phone it turns out we were just being put on hold as an annoyance. The person then proceeded to tell me that she could not notarize the document in an area that says "witnessed by."
She said that she could either notarize the document or witness it but not do both (there were only two places to sign, mine and the witness/notary). I asked her to notarize the document but wondered why this has never happened before in any contract that I have had previously notarized.
So overall it seems her intent was to antagonize and be as unhelpful as possible. I do not know why, but I will be filing a complaint against her unprofessional behavior. As stated, I am a Citibank customer for over 20 years and this is the first time I have ever left a branch, feeling bitter and angry about the way service was provide.
CSR: Olga M. "helped" me today.