Dear PNC,
I’m a new(ish) customer. However, throughout the whole process of becoming a customer I’ve been faced with frustration on top of frustration. I’ve vented my frustration to the reps on the phone (whom I have to talk to WAY too often), my local bank manager (who was actually very nice, but had no power to actually fix anything), and your online support (oh wait, you don’t actually have online support, I forgot).
Here are a four reasons why I am frustrated with PNC Bank.
1. I can’t do anything (with my own money) unless I call you first. I feel like I’m in middle school again and I have to ask my mom for permission to do anything. However, unlike my mom who was always available, you are only available between 9am and 5pm and I work during those hours. So if I want to reset my password, deposit my first check using your app, make a large purchase, or do anything basically I need to be completely inconvenienced and belittled by having to call you for your permission. Really?! What have I done to make you not trust me?
I do understand that 10 years ago the only way to get something done was by picking up the phone. However, this is no longer the case. And in case you haven’t heard, Millennials HATE picking up their phone.
2. You don’t understand technology or how to provide a good user experience. The idea of technology is that it’s supposed to make our lives easier… not harder. Here are six times that your technology has failed since I’ve been a customer:
- Password Mailer – I’m not normally the type of person who loses their password. However you have such odd requirements for a password that I did forget what my password was. Unlike most banks or online systems, I had to first call to talk to you (see complaint number one) and then you had to snail mail me a new password. Who uses snail mail to send a password?! Where is the simple reset password button?! How am I suppose to access my money for a week while I’m waiting for your stupid mailer?!
Faxing – I wanted to add an additional person to my account and get a credit increase on my card. To do this I had to email you (I’m at least grateful this didn’t require another phone call, but there really should have just been a link on your website) for a form. The form required me to print it out and fax it back to you. Really? Who still actually owns a fax machine? Shouldn’t there be an online form to complete this process?- No Online Support – On your website there is functionality that will allow me to send you an online support ticket. The one time I tried this the solution that your online support person provided was to call you. Why do you have online support if you don’t actually provide any support?! If I wanted to talk to you on the phone I would have called you to begin with.
- Lots of Logins – I understand security is important especially when it relates to your bank. However, you guys take things to an extreme. I’m a member of other banks, and they don’t require me to jump through multiple login screens before I can access my own money. I also don’t need a separate login to access my rewards points. Please tell me why these systems don’t seamlessly integrate?
- Lack of Website Functionality – Nothing on your website is easy to figure out and you are lacking documentation. From one marketer to another, I would highly encourage you (PNC) to do some website usability tests. I’m pretty tech savvy and I have no idea how to do anything on your site.
- Mobile Functionally Fail – There is one feature I wanted to use on your mobile app. That is check deposits. So I called you up (like always) and you tell me that there is a $1.50 fee per check if I want to deposit a check using your app… say what?! I complain and refuse to pay that. The person on the phone doesn’t care. So I complain again to the business banking person at my local branch. She explains to me that I can do checks under $1,500 for free and she enables the feature. Why wasn’t the feature just enabled to begin with?! Why is everything such a process?!
3. Lack of Communication and Setting Expectations. Before I became a customer I saw your PNC ad online for up to $300 cash back when you open a PNC business account. Your ad was lovely and well done. I filled out the landing page and I was contacted by a PNC rep. The rep was completely useless and he just told me that I needed to go into branch to finish the application process. Since I filled the info out online I assumed I could just complete the whole process online. However, that was the furthest thing from reality.
So I went into my local branch. What the initial phone rep didn’t tell me was there were a number of documents I needed to bring with me. So I had to go back to the branch a 2nd time. Well it also turns out that I needed to meet with the business banker in order to set up my account and she wasn’t there. So, I had to come back a 3rd time and set up an account. This whole fiasco could have been completely avoided if any one of the people that I talked to would have taken a moment to explain to me how the process worked. Or better yet, I would have loved to have seen step by step instruction online. But no, your website has no such information.
And to top off the whole situation I didn’t end up getting any of the cash back bonus that you offered in the initial ad. I didn’t read the fine print and I didn’t qualify. Although I’m still not sure why- I didn’t qualify. I didn’t want to have to call you up again to find out why.
4. The Right Hand Doesn’t Talk to the Left. I got a call from your fraud services not to long ago. They informed me that my recent purchase of 1k from a fabric store looked fraudulent. It was not fraudulent purchase. I really did want that fabric. The lady on the phone told me that my PNC credit card had a limit towards fabric stores and that if I wanted to make that purchase I would need to get my fabric store limit adjusted. However, she couldn’t make that adjustment. I would have to call another phone number during standard business hours to have make that happen… ugh. That next Monday I called the other number. The new rep tells me I don’t have any such fabric store limit and I should be fine to re-make the purchase. I’ve since made the exact same fabric store purchase three more times. Each time the purchase gets declined by you. Each time I have to talk to someone on the phone to get the transaction to go though. I’ve tried talking to fraud prevention services and my bank manger to get this flag removed however they both have told me there is noting they can do. I’ll just have to talk to them every time I make this monthly purchase. Let me tell you, that isn’t a solution and it’s a waste of both of our time.
PNC, I hope you understand that I’m leaving this letter here for you to help you. I feel that my complaints weren’t being listened to elsewhere. You need to know that your customers aren’t happy.
Sincerely,
A Very Frustrated Business Banking Customer
So as you can see, I’m not a fan of PNC Bank. I have found frustration in every part of the banking process. Do you also hate working with PNC? If so, tell me below in the comment section what frustrates you the most? Do you love working with PNC? Let me know what the company excels at. Maybe this will help me be a little more open-minded about the bank.
About the author: Kristeen
Most people say she is a busy girl. If you look at her to-do list you might agree. However if you ask her, she is just a recovering workaholic trying to enjoy life. She has a get-it-done attitude that carries her though life.
I have more personal reasons to hate PNC. They eliminated my sister’s job because her former manager a guy named Jay who exercised favoritism used that against my sister, Dorothy E Weatherly and she lost her job of 30 years. He was non-communicative, didn’t allow her to do her job. Yet one of her idiot former co-workers has the gall to tell me that unprofessional moron is well respected. I think she means he is good at brown-nosing.
I worked at PNC Bank from 2010 – 2018 and it was a nightmare so many issues.
1.) Branch Management getting in trouble due to a robbery. I wish I was joking, Loss Prevention actually told Assistant Manager she should have been standing in lobby 5 mins after close to guys with guns.
2.) Pay Scale – They wanted to bring in external people for position at a competitive pay scale and showed all of us seasoned employees what it would look like, but never fixed our pay. This happened in 2014.
3.) Interviews – I had an interview for a position that took 6 months with 4 interviews and 2 hour long presentations with the hiring manager sending me e-mails telling me to apply. All not to get the position with a standard e-mail on a Saturday (not even a phone call after six months). I found out later it was an Assistant Manager with a spouse high up in the company that got the position.
4.) Human Resources – They are awful, No one will return e-mails or phone calls with questions. The recruiters are un-professional and if your spouse receives a new position and you have to move, there is no re-locating policy, even if you are in the PNC Bank footprint. You have to find an open job, apply, and even take a pay cut. It has inspired me to pursue my next degree in HR so I can make sure no one goes through the same experience.
Customers have it easy compared to what they put the employees through.
Locked out of my online account after 3 tries? Called support and they said I did enter verification code. The number calls your phone and then you enter a four digit number. THE PROBLEM, when I answer the 1 800 number from PNC bank it hangs up?
Now I entered the right password on a new computer and they requested an answer to a question that I forgot, 3 tries, NO MONEY FOR YOU!
Time to find a new bank!!
I called support, she says they will send me a temporary password through the mail, GREAT I CAN”T ACCESS MY MONEY? WTF? what do I do if I can’t answer the stupid question on the new computer again. Catch 22 BS!
It is the worst bank ever, both from a commercial side and a personal banking side. Do NOT get involved in their Private Investment group, unless you like losing money. I thought Wells Fargo was bad with all their issues, but PNC just wears you out with all their stupid and non-competitive requirements and rules. Just try closing an account. It takes an Act of God to get that done. Then they will keep your personal information forever and keep your junk mail file full for the next 10 years. Do yourself a favor and NEVER step foot inside their doors. You will be glad you went somewhere else. Anywhere else! It will be better, I promise you.
I have my reasons as well. (I don’t know when to spend my own money). I always end up paying or about to pay an overdraft fee which is always most $40 for spending my own money cause they don’t pull the money out in a timely fashion . So they tell me not to shop on weekends cause some places don’t pull the money til the week day . Then I do that an still have the same problem saying that I over spent after seeing my money available to spend. Ps what they say is available normally be a set up for you to over spend so they can’t hit you with a overdraft fee that I ask them to remove off my account repeatedly an they say they cannot cause it comes with the account. It’s just a way for them to set you up an take more money from you. Almost $40 overdraft fee for spending your money after seeing it available… I’m going back to spending cash sick of banks robbing me.
Nothing has changed… Avoid at all costs! Mortgage was sold to them and, long story short, they’re horrible in every way…frequently providing inaccurate and conflicting information, typically failing to provide attendants with sufficient notes on account to answer questions, and refusing to to provide access to any level of support beyond those attendants. I’m seriously considering getting a new loan, at a worse rate, simply to ensure I never have to deal with again. Don’t get stuck, like me, especially with so many alternatives
THIS!!! Exactly! We have had nothing but terrible communication, redundancy and frustration with our loan! I would NEVER recommend PNC Bank to anyone!