YOU SUCK, M. & T.!!

Let us locals be!

You suck M & T!

I recently had a not-so-nice experience with my grandmother at a former Wilmington Trust branch.

For those of you who do not live in Delaware, one of the major local banks that we had, Wilmington Trust, was recently  acquired by M & T Bank in Buffalo, NY.  M&T bought Wilmington Trust for a bargain basement price and it has been the subject of much anger by locals who for many years have had assets with Wilmington Trust.

The merger has not gone so smoothly and M&T has gone back on its word.  Initially it was going to keep the name Wilmington Trust for the benefit of the locals, and to show that a national bank cares about regional loyalties.  Well, all Wilmington Trust's names are completely gone, and the gaudy green and yellow lettering of M&T now adorns every branch and ATM.  Except, that is, for the one in my school cafeteria.  Perhaps M&T does not care about educational institutions?   That last comment was sour grapes.

Furthermore, during the "merger week" a little while ago the delays at the branch in Fairfax that I went to were so significant that my grandmother and I waited 30 minutes to be seen for someone.  What did we need? 

We needed a Signature Guarantee (a.k.a. Medallion stamp) in order to change an incorrect social security number on an account.  By the time we got our turn, we waited another 15 minutes only to be told that they had lost the Stamp.  Seriously?? 

We had to come back a second time to get the guarantee, and were in the office about 15 minutes.  But what was astonishing is that of the five people they had in offices besides ours the second time, all were STILL with the same people as when they started, and the line kept getting longer. 

The incident I'm talking about, though, occurred this past Friday.  And L, the teller, you will get a written complaint filed against you the next time I am in your branch. 

Most people are sympathetic, if not empathetic based on their own experiences, with older people.  Not L, the bitch from Buffalo.  Normally I accompany my grandmother to the teller window in case she needs anything.  I did not this time as she told me to grab a seat and wait for her.  All she was doing was cashing a check.

She was at the window longer than I expected so I looked over and heard L tell her that she needed to date the check.  L said "You need to go over there to the desk to get validated," and looked down, clearly done with the situation.  When my 90-year old grandmother followed that up with a "Which desk do you mean?" as there are several offices and some desks outside of them, this smarmy women said "I told you...go to the desk to get validated."  She waved her hands and pointed toward Lord only knows where, clearly done.

This irked me, but I got up to help my grandmother find this mysterious "desk" that this middle-aged burnout scallywag had mentioned.  When we were walking away from the teller, L took the next person in line and let out a peel of laughter, asking, "You're not with that weird lady there, are you?" clearly referring to my grandmother. The customer just looked at her.

I was starving and we were going to lunch afterwards so I wanted to get out of there, but now I was determined to say something.  When my grandmother came back to another teller to cash the check, now dated, I got in line behind her and went up to L.

She did not call next in line or say "I'll be with you in a minute."  She sat there looking down; she wasn't writing, she wasn't doing anything.  Then she looked up and said in a nasally voice (she sounded like Muriel Goldman from "Family Guy"), "I guess I'm ready for you now."  Really lady?  You guess you're ready for me? 

Me: "Is there a reason you made my 90-year old grandmother walk over to your office area with such nebulous directions?"

L: "I assure you (snort), I don't know who you're referring to."

Me: "My 90-year old grandmother, at the teller window next to me."

L: "She didn't date her check."

Me: "And you couldn't have asked her to date it there in front of you, like I've seen other banks let people do?"

L: "Sir, I assure you we are not allowed to do that, sir."  It sounded like someone was pinching her nose every time she slobbered out some words.

Me: "Well, that's a bunch of bull.  But regardless, you could have asked someone to come over to see her as you can see she is older.  Or better yet, you could have walked her over or asked someone else to do it for you."

L: "But she didn't date her check."

Me: "Not the point.  Is there something wrong with you?  You can see she's older.  Why were you so rude and dismissive? "

L: "I don't think I was (EDITORIAL COMMENT: TRUST ME, SHE WAS), but if you'd like an apology I apologize."

Me: "Uh-huh.  I've seen you around and you've seen us here before.  You know the accounts that she has and I know you've waited on her before."

L: "I just came here last week (LIAR!) but I apologize sir if you thought I was rude."

Me: "Uh-huh.  Whatever."  And I took my grandmother and left. 

Normally I don't worry about people like that.  Assholes will be assholes.  But to make fun of my grandmother to another customer (which I didn't bring up but will next time) means that you have a misplaced inflated sense of self.  It means you think it's ok, in a business setting, to do that.  Loudly. It just pissed me off.

Clearly L is not used to dealing with older people.  Perhaps her parents died when she was young and she doesn't know that you are supposed to be patient with your elders.  Or perhaps she didn't have a mother or father at all and was spawned from the miasma of all that is wrong with the world.

Either way, she lacks social skills and is a poor representative of M & T, the bank that is supposed to be helping seamlessly usher in an era of change for Wilmington Trust customers.

I can assure you, though, that once we get all of the issues settled with the old Wilmington Trust accounts, they will be losing a significant customer.