Poor system execution

Because I was a customer of CBA I took up the option to use Commonwealth Securities (Comsec) online trading service. The business unit makes alot of sense, so its been a sensible strategy for them. Common sense though. Not the decision of genius. But they were the first banks to do it big time.

One day I went to the Martin Place office of CBA to apply for an account to trade exchange traded options. The girl there was helping me fill out the form. Sadly I could have done a better job if she hadn't. As it turned out the next time I went to that office, she was being retrained. But the result of this bungle was that she had opened a new account rather than add a new feature to my existing account. Clearly she didnt understand the procedures as she already knew I had an account, she had accessed it for me.

I did not realise that I had a 'new' account (as opposed to an ETO trading facility) until a week later when I started receiving duplicate copies of junk mail from Comsec. Now clearly this bungle was an extension of the previous one. But there was more to it. I was growing tired of CBA Group bungles, so I was getting annoyed.

Some time after I received an email asking me if I wanted to fill in a questionaire on CBA service. Now I welcome customer feedback opportunities. But nothing pisses me too more than executives that use these services to feather their butt. This questionaire was a blatant attempt to make this executive look like he was doing a good job, and not a sincere attempt to improve services. Customers dont like to be pigeon-holed, but this questionaire offered no opportunity to comment on CBA services, specifically or generally. It was a multiple choice option...why....its something the division MD could place on his reports to Group CEO. I saw right through it, and sent the MD comments suggesting he should be fired. Interestingly I got a reply from him...an empty reply. I actually thought I had a reasonable case to make, albeit in frustration and vented as anger. I think from that day I was placed on a 'marked persons list'.
You might wonder - Did I not expect his to respond the way he did? Honestly no. I thought the facts supported my point. I thought a MD would have a healthy self esteem, and would be keen to address any problems. I perhaps also expected some empathy for the stuff ups that I had endured.

These companies have earnings of $2-3 billion each - they are cash cows. I would have expected them to get their systems in order. Systems management is one of the basic components of running a business. Clearly there are no critical thinkers in the organisation. So to be getting two emails from the marketing office highlighted poor training, staff selection, and it was compounded by poor marketing software design. No contingency planning there.

Maybe I could have been more tactful, but I thought he would be more threatened if I asked for his job. Honestly, I guess I just didn't think someone in such a senior role would have some a distorted sense of reality. It saids something about the work cultures of big institutions.