Vancity

I had been a VanCity client at the Abbotsford branch for almost 20 years. Every couple of years or so, something stupid would happen to me there, but I am a pretty forgiving person – plus, changing financial institutions is a pain, so satisfactory is good enough for me. I have a longer story, but it is too long for Unilocal,so here is a summary of my final confrontation at VanCity.
On Monday, September 28, 2015, I went to VanCity to request a photocopy of a cheque that I had deposited earlier in the month via the ATM machine. Jasmin helped me. She told me that it would hopefully be available in about two days. I wanted it in four (I needed it for sure by Monday, which is five in «business days»), so I had no worries. I was to receive a phone call.
Four days later, on Friday, I went to VanCity, stood in line, and asked a friendly teller if there were any news regarding my photocopy. He had no idea, but he went to the back and spoke to Jasmin, who then looked my way and announced that it would be available on Monday. I was disappointed but still okay with this.
A couple of hours later, Jasmin called me at home and told me that there was a big backlog of requests like mine, and my photocopy would be available on Monday (this was at least a little bit redundant but alright, as I can appreciate confirmations). Then Jasmin told me about a $ 15 fee for this. I politely thanked her and told her to hold off on this request, then, while I confirmed whether or not I did, in fact, need this photocopy, or if I could save $ 15. I went to the office that wanted this photocopy, waited in queue, got my confirmation, and went back to VanCity where I saw Jasmin again.
She told me to go and stand in line to talk to a teller, as she was off at this time; as I was waiting, she approached me and told me that she would take care of me, even though she was off. Throughout this process, she reminded me at least three times that things were taking a while because she had been logged off but was logging back on to do me this favour. Finally, the request was submitted, I was told again that my photocopy should be in by Monday, and I was on my way.
On Wednesday, October 7, 2015, because I heard nothing from VanCity on Monday or Tuesday, I went back to find out what was happening. I saw Jasmin on my way in, and I am certain that she saw me. She did not acknowledge me, and I did not want to talk to her again, anyway. Fortunately, my favourite teller was there, so I told her what was happening. She could find no information for me. The «boss» at the Abbotsford branch (I did not get her name, but this is how my favourite teller described her to me) told me to have a seat while they figured things out. I waited for about ten minutes until she told me to come into her office.
The «boss» told me that they had two copies for me since Monday, and that Jasmin left me a message.
I took my copies and went back in line to see a teller about withdrawing my money and closing my account; as I was doing this, Jasmin, back from her break, approached me, told me that she had told me about the $ 15 charge two Mondays prior, and she also emphasised that she had told me that this ordeal would «HOPEFULLY» take two days. She then scurried off – you know, the way that some bosses do when they order you to do something but do not allow you to respond.
Nobody at VanCity’s Abbotsford branch said anything like «please don’t go» or anything like that; in fact, I was scolded by somebody who was blatantly lying about noting the $ 15 charge during the first time I made my request, as well as lying about calling me on Monday, October 5, and leaving a message with somebody in my household.
I welcome any investigation into my home’s phone logs. On my phone’s caller ID log, I can see «VanCity» on Friday. I do not see «VanCity» on the following Monday. Also, nobody in my home received a call from VanCity, which I am certain about, because I had the phone near me all day – most of the time, it was even within an arm’s reach.
I also welcome an explanation as to why, if I had been told about the $ 15 charge on Day One, why did Jasmin call me on the following Friday, only a short time after telling me explicitly, in person, that my photocopy was going to be available on the Monday following?
Everything at VanCity has come full circle for me. I am going to continue my banking at a nearby Toronto Dominion Bank, where I have a no-​longer-​used business account. Why? Because, during my early days at VanCity, when I started my own business and wanted to open a business account, I had to make an appointment to do so; when I showed up, on time, for this appointment, the agent whom I was supposed to see was not there – so I went to the nearby TD to do this, and I got it done immediately.
Wanna know what my very first negative experience was at this VanCity branch? It was when a teller scolded me for my «messy» signature. It was Jasmin.