5/3 BANK WEST TAMPA BRANCH MANAGER
ALEX CORTES ID 1760055

It's his job to make sure his employees are well-trained, know their jobs, represent their services accurately, and fix things when they go wrong.  Instead, he is all about "I."

• Incompetent
• Immature
• Impudent
• Inflexible
• Inept
• Incapable of managing his employees or considering his customer's needs.
• Interrupter, yet is quick to point out when he is interrupted.
• Ignorer - Doesn't listen to customer's input, instead changes subject when an intelligent, relevant response is required.  (One that requires individual thinking.)
• In-the-box thinker (See "Ignorer.")
• Improper - like the fraction 5/3

There are many other "I" words to describe Mr. Cortes.

JOSE FLOREZ, ID 1092963
WT BRANCH 5/3 BANK Personal Banker II

• Needs to go back down to Personal Banker 0
• Pre-programmed autobot with responses that don't even apply, even when shown the non-applicability of his response.
• A real bull-crapper and breeze-shooter at another client's expense.
• Doesn't like being told it was not appreciated that he wasted a client's time by shooting the breeze with his previous customer, with door wide open.
• Didn't like being told that speaking Spanish is not any kind of secure encryption that prevents others sitting outside his door from understanding what they're talking about.
• Distinct "deer-in-the-headlights" look when realizing he's not putting one over on the customer.
   

Last year the account was set up for us by a male associate.  His name escapes me, people come and go all the time from this place.  The next two visits were with a female associate, same one each time, very nice, very polite, very businesslike, very apologetic for the inconveniences we had experienced.  I came away feeling she had really fixed the issue.

And now this visit with Mr. Florez on Jan. 3 who had the distinction of being the "Last Straw" for this camel.  And it's not because I arrived like a powder keg.  But I did come with documentation and with intent of being blunt.

So we arrive mid-afternoon and all three associates are busy with clients in their office.  We sit down about fifteen feet from the office of Jose Florez who is currently assisting another client, with his door open, so we can hear him shooting the breeze and bull-crapping with the customer.  Both speaking in Spanish (which we both fully understand) and talking nothing about business or the man's account. In fact, I couldn't figure out what business the guy was there for, as I heard none being discussed.  This goes on for almost half-an-hour, while now and then (in between 5 to 10 minutes of bull-crapping) I hear about 10 seconds of typing on a keyboard.  When he's wasted almost  half an hour of our time, he draws his chat-fest to a close by typing for a few seconds and bidding his client a good day.  Probably because he saw that I moved from where I was sitting to right next to his doorway.  The office wall to the lobby is all window.

Upon our being seated, I inform Mr. Jose Florez of my displeasure resulting from his wasting almost 30 minutes of our time while he bull-crapped and shot the breeze with his client, with his door wide open.  (No telling how long they had been doing this by the time we arrived.)

This didn't seem to set well with Mr. Florez.  Perhaps a mistake on my part.  You may think I should have reported this to his manager afterward, but I believe an  EMPLOYEE should first be made aware of their unprofessionalism, and let them take the criticism directly so they can make adjustment, and not have them get blindsided by their manager by me reporting this the management.  At least, that's the way I'd like to be treated.

But you will soon see that going to the manager first would have been futile, because the manager can't take criticism either.

So I explain to Mr. Florez how our account is not performing the way the previous two associates told us on three different visits, and each had assured us that what they did would fixed the problem. 

I explained the details to Mr. Florez that this is the fourth visit after dealing with two prior associates, and still the account isn't working as it was supposed to, and I expect a banking institution such as his to be able to represent their products accurately.

So by now Mr. Florez is showing signs of being miffed, and he proceeds to give me a fourth and different explanation as to why the account is not performing up to the previous associates claims.  I point out to him that his explanation is not only NOT what was explained to us on our previous visits, it's opposite of what the website shows for this particular feature.

So Mr. Florez starts using the old "FOR THE CUSTOMER'S SECURITY" excuse, which you will see policy is actually a higher security risk.  This was obviously a PRE-PROGRAMMED ROBOTIC KNEE-JERK RESPONSE because it was irrelevant to the problem. A sign of someone not really thinking things out.

By this time we are getting as loud as Mr. Florez was with his previous client, but that loudness didn't seem to bother the manager, I guess because the previous client and Mr. Florez were just shooting the breeze.

So the man you see pictured first marches into the office and says my volume level has gotten the attention of the security guard. He introduces himself but not his position, so I have to ask him what role he plays here.  "Branch Manager."

So I explain to Mr. Branch Manager the whole story of this being our FOURTH VISIT with THREE (counting Florez) DIFFERENT ASSOCIATES giving three different explanations and not one of the previous being able to solve the problem. But instead of listening to what the problem was and responding with an offer of solutions, or let's see what we can do for you about this, he AUTHORITATIVELY begins to explain why they can't do what I'm expecting (which is what the previous associates said could be done) and is basically the same pre-programmed response.  "WE DO THIS FOR THE CUSTOMER'S SECURITY."  MALARKEY!  YOU WILL SEE.

So I asked him why it was that each time I came in I was given a different reason why the account was not performing as expected.  (The original male assoc. who set up the account, the ensuing next two visits with the same female associate who said it was because I wasn't set up as the primary account holder, which is what I originally requested, and now this visit with Mr. Florez.)

HIS RESPONSE?  He says, "DID YOU SPEAK TO ME?" What does this mean, that I should not believe what an associate is telling me and only trust what a manager says?  Should I really have to ask for a manager each time I deal with an associate in order to verify what they said was correct? 

So I bluntly  ask him, "as Branch Manager, is it not your responsibility to train your employees and make sure they fully understand the services which they are selling?  To make sure they are all on the same page?  That they all give consistent answers?  And because you seem to say that you are the source for correct answers, it means YOU are not doing YOUR job, or you're not very adept at it.

Now he's turning red and veins are beginning to pop out and throb from the top of his head. 

Basically, it's like closing the barn door after the cows have escaped. The most important security hurdle has already been jumped once they send out the log in text code.  What additional risk is there to let those customers know that their account is being used?

But what's worse is that Mr. Cortes doesn't understand how ridiculous this is and keeps insisting if for the customer's security.  Pre-programmed robotic response.  When I informed him that the website specifically says "ONLY ONE MOBILE DEVICE PER CUSTOMER CAN BE ENTERED TO RECEIVE MOBILE TEXT ALERTS"  he (and apparently the corporate ladder) doesn't see the difference between that and TWO CUSTOMERS SHARING THE SAME NUMBER FOR TEXT ALERTS.

He must have realized the insanity of saying it's for security reasons and then said it's so as not to confuse the customer!  Is that it?  They think all their customers are easily confused?  Wouldn't two customers who come in together who share the same cell phone number expect that the notices could be from activity on two different accounts?

WHY CAN TWO DIFFERENT CUSTOMERS USE THE SAME PHONE NUMBER TO RECEIVE 2ND LEVEL LOG IN CODES?  "Well" says Mr. Cortes, "because you came here and set up the account like that."  OK, so now I'm here in person saying you can use the same number you have on file for the log in AND for account usage alerts."  Because I know for fact having both sent to the same number is allowed.  I reminded him that the last associate I met with there told me I could go home, log in to that account, and use that same number for text alerts.) But when you try this, the site says, "sorry, that number has already been entered." 

BACK TO THE SHOUTING MATCH:
Mr. Cortes then got testy and rude when he was informed that he's not doing his job if three employees give different explanations as to how an online account can be set up.  So he begins asking my elderly relative questions (90+ years old, on oxygen and partly deaf) like, "Do you have a cell phone with your own number?"  A question for which I've already provided the answer.  So I answer, "I've already told you that she doesn't." 

Then HE HAS THE AUDACITY TO SAY "I WAS TALKING TO HER, NOT YOU."  I will not tell you what ill will I desired to happen to this immature jerk.  He can't admit he's not doing his job.  Why did his employees not come to him and say, "look, these long-time customers have been here before with this same issue and the response I gave them isn't what the previous associate told them last time."  Maybe because he's immature and unapproachable.

Mr. Cortes then barks at me, "DO YOU HAVE A POWER OF ATTORNEY?"  I couldn't believe what I was hearing from a BANK MANAGER.  I inform Mr. Cortes that having worked at a law firm for 40 years and having encountered this situation before in the medical field,  I know for a fact that I don't need a power of attorney to answer questions for her when she herself is present, in person, and informs him of the same.

So he can hear it from her, I tell my relative loudly so she can hear, to let this man know that I answer questions for her.  I've been through this before at doctors offices and hospitals.   Then Mr. Cortes has the AUDACITY to threaten me with ELDERLY ABUSE!  I was ready to pounce.

I told him, oh, now I get it.  You're one of those whiners who thinks whatever you don't like is illegal and some sort of violation of your civil rights.  That you're all about free speech when it's yours or when it's something you agree with.  That really set him off.  Must have been the truth.

So it's around this time that he tells us to leave, and that he doesn't care what I think. I told him, WE are not done here.  I want these cards closed. I slide the cards thru the little hole that protects Mr. Florez from airborne pathogens, accidentally knocking it over toward Mr. Florez. It was not fastened to the desk, just on a flimsy stand.   I catch it just in time and I APOLOGIZE, this was not done on purpose.

Both all flustered now, Mr. Florez enters one of the card numbers and says, we can't close these because you have a balance.  You have to pay it off first.  

Good, this leads to the next issue.  Then I show Mr. Florez AND Mr. Cortes the screen snips of my two attempts to pay off the balance online, each time GETTING A CONFIRMATION NUMBER, seen on the screen snips.  I said if you'll look at the account, you'll see on XX/XX/XXXX I transferred the total amount due and received this confirmation number.  X days later I logged in and the balance was still owed, and the funds were not transferred, and a message says "Transaction failed."  WHY?  You can see there's plenty of funds there for the small transaction.

Momentary silence while they enter the confirmation number.  Then befuddlement. Customer is right again, but trying to find some reason to blame me for the mistake.  Typical immature whiner.

Now look again a few days later, on XX/XX/XXXX, another transfer of funds for the balance.  Look, no error message this time.  There's the confirmation number of the transfer.  There's the balance still unchanged today.  Nearly close of business now and still X days later my transaction has not gone through, even though I have confirmation number.

I said, I've proven the balance should be zero, I'm not leaving until those two cards are closed and the cards destroyed.  So he cuts them in half.  Then I see Mr. Florez typing away, and Mr. Cortes asks him, "Have you printed the cashier's checks?"  Mr. Florez looks puzzled, his typing is slower.

I said, "WHOA THERE, what cashier's checks are you referring to?"  You know what he says?  "I was talking to HIM, NOT YOU." THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS IMMATURE IMPOSTER BANK MANAGER USES THIS LINE.   How mature is that??? HOW PROFESSIONAL IS THAT?   I say, "Well I AM TALKING TO YOU, what checks are you referring to?"  He says, for the funds in all your accounts and her accounts that you're closing.   By now I'm ready to explode, and believe me we will be pulling all our accounts just as soon as I set them up with a more professional institution, one that knows how to BANK and cater to their customers. 

So I ask Mr. Cortes "Did I EVER say to close all our accounts?  SEE, YOU DON'T LISTEN."  I knew Mr. Florez was listening because he couldn't figure out why he asked him that, I could see it on his face.  "All you're about is barking back why I'm wrong, why you can't do what I need, even though TWO employees before Mr. Florez said you could."  "I slid these two cards through that hole and said "CLOSE THESE CARDS."  Specifically I said cards."  He could have no response for this accusation because he knew it was true. But there was no apology, even when it was obvious he didn't listen.  Typical childish reaction.   I supposed the next excuse was going to be Putin's invasion of Ukraine, Republican Americans buying things they don't want and things they don't need, causing the supply chain crisis, and a Russian disinformation campaign.

He then says "GET OUT OF MY BANK."  So I tell him, "YOUR bank?  You're just the manager here, you're expendable middle management."  He threatens to have me thrown out by security so I tell him, I'M NOT DONE HERE.  I'm going to withdraw some cash, are you denying me access to my funds?  So he says "The teller will do that for you."

So this is the kind of treatment you can expect when things go wrong and they have no idea how to fix it.