I have been a client at Chase for the last two years. My experience varies from many people but I wish to point out why I need a bank like Chase Bank.
I am on my way to building my empire. A young, single, ambitious woman, who takes on the world in heels. I had searched far and wide to get a bank that is not just a bank but a relationship center. A bank where I could walk in, ask a few questions on financials and get employees willing to respond to all of my queries.
Chase Bank was not just a bank, it was a friend.
A week after i joined Chase Bank, a client relations officer called me to ask about my business. We had a 5 minute chat and by the end of the conversation he had already invited me for a cocktail for Chase Women, a golf tournament and a chance to visit my branch and chat with anyone about the challenges of running a business.
I found a friend in Chase Bank
Valentines 2014, I got a call from my client relations officer. She asked me if I still lived in the home address I registered with. She then asked if I was home. 30 minutes later, a rider showed up at my door with a rose, a branded polo shirt and a sticker with the words ‘My B got my Back’
I found love in Chase Bank.
I travelled to Europe for business and if you have ever travelled abroad, you would know that your worst fear is travelling with a card that does not work. I travelled with my Chase debit card and my credit card. Every time I did a purchase, I would immediately get an sms and an email on the spot. This enabled me raise any dispute with any establishment immediately.
As I pen this down, I am in South Africa. I travelled with a Nakumatt Global card as Chase Bank did what they did. I made a purchase at H&M and the store did a wrong debit and had to refund some amount back to my card. I have spent 72 hours trying to contact Nakumatt and Diamond Trust to confirm if the refund was done as I will be leaving soon. I have had to cut my spending as I have no clue what the balance on my card is.
I found a reliable partner in Chase Bank and I miss it.
Last year I travelled again and I had to extend a night in the hotel. I had maxed out my card. I called my bank, and they immediately raised my limit to enable me check out of the hotel. When I returned back to the country, I received a call from the bank to ask if I experienced any problem with the hotel.
I found a caring partner in Chase Bank.
I feel I have lost a friend, a confidant and a caring partner. Someone joked and told me ‘move on’. I simply cannot move on from Chase Bank. I am waiting for them to solve their issues so I can go back to being a customer. I am still a frustrated with the situation at the bank right now, I feel betrayed. Don’t get me wrong, I am still angry at the Directors who we entrusted our money to. I am angry that they never considered their customers when they ran the bank down. They never considered that they had relations with small businesses that depended on them for support. They were simply selfish.
All said and done, I am longing for the kind of friend I had in Chase Bank. They were dreamers. They encouraged us to dream more, dream bigger. They motivated us to work smarter. They were the link between my small business now and my big business in the near future.
Did they let me down? Yes. Big time. Do I want to give them a second chance? Yes. Everyone deserves a second chance, right? I will be the first person to give them a second chance.
I do not want a bank that only calls me when my account is running on empty or when my loan is overdue. I do not want a bank that has no idea what my business is all about. I do not want a bank that asks me for title deeds before they look at my statements.
I want a bank that is a friend. A bank that will be part on my entrepreneurial journey. I want a confidant. Someone I can share my fears in business with. Someone who will enable me to grow into the business I want to become. I want a friend in business. Period.
Chase Bank was my friend!
Now, can they just resolve their issues so we can get back to being friends?