November 21, 2006
Bank of America - Ms. Bunny Do-Good is Silenced but not Satisfied
I know you are all eager to hear the end of the Tale of Ms. Bunny Do-Good . The beginning can be found here, here, and here, and involves the arrest of Matthew Shinnick in the lobby of the Bank of America, and Ms. Bunny Do-Good's attempt to speak the truth to power. Bear with me, while I create an indelible record in cyberspace.
When last we checked, Ms. Bunny had just had her letter of protest deep sixed by one Ms. Hudder, who turned out to be a real person after all, and not an android. Ms. Hudder evidently took Ms. Bunny's suggestion and forwarded her letter to a superior. Ms. Kathleen Stammers replied promptly, as follows:
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Dear Ms. F, (Bunny Do-Good is a pseudonym)
Thank you for your inquiry dated 11/20/06 regarding Other. [doesn't that sentence scream canned? -Dak]
We are committed to providing you with the best banking experience
possible.
Our commitment is to provide the highest level of service possible.
These standards demand that we treat our customers and their requests
with understanding and respect.
We assure you that we have procedures in place to investigate reported
fraud incidents and counter measures to identify opportunities for
potential fraud. Actions will be taken to protect our customers
financial information. In the instance of confirmed fraud, we work with
authorities to prosecute those responsible.
With regards to Mr. Shinnick, in accordance with our fraud prevention
policies, the matter was appropriately escalated to law enforcement. It
was the decision of the San Francisco Police Department to detain and
arrest Mr. Shinnick, after they conducted their investigation. We
understand that this incident was very difficult for Mr. Shinnick;
however our greatest responsibility is to protect all of our customers
and to seek ways to make sure that other customers do not fall victim to
fraudulent financial schemes.
We apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused you.
If we may be of further assistance, please contact us again by e-mail.
Thank you for choosing Bank of America, we appreciate your business.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Stammers
Bank of America
Did you know? You can pay all your bills in minutes with Online Banking
with free, unlimited Bill Pay. Sign in to Online Banking and click on
the Bill Pay and e-Bills tab to get started paying bills today.
This message is in response to your recent request. If you are not the
addressee please contact us. Any reply to this e-mail will not be
secure; please do not respond with personal or confidential information
===================================================
.Dear Ms. Stammers,
Thank you for answering my letter. It is heartening to know that there is a real
person at Bank of America to address my concerns.
I must say that I found the process of giving Bank of America feedback on this
matter most discouraging. Especially the message at the end of a convoluted trail on your website to which Ms. Hudder directed me, which reads -- "While we appreciate your input we regret that we cannot respond individually to feedback submitted here". As I wrote to Ms. Hudder, the implication is that "feedback" left in this location will go directly to the recycle bin.
As to the issue of Matthew Shinnick, although I appreciate its intent, your fraud prevention program does not make
me feel safer as a Bank of America customer, I have often asked my bank
(formerly Fleet/ Bank of Boston) to verify that a check I received was supported by
sufficient funds. I would hate to think that I might be arrested for such an
inquiry.
I am certain that your legal department has advised you on the matter of Mr.
Shinnick. In my opinion, those who mistakenly "escalate", even if they think
it is appropriate, bear some responsiblity for the consequences of their
action.
On another subject entirely, I like the idea of being "greeted" when I enter a branch office. Unlike the greeting at Walmart, I find it actually saves time at the bank, and helps me to feel less like I'm dealing with a heartless corporate entity. No one likes that feeling.
Thank you again for your response.
Sincerely,
Ms F.
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I didn't clickie up my email, of course.
I did however stumble upon a site worth further exploration.
Photo note: Ms Bunny's nemesis, up close
Posted by Dakota at November 21, 2006 06:26 AM