Tangle in Bank Mandiri

Tangle in Bank Mandiri

From Bisnis Indonesia

On May 25, 2000 I made a deposit at Bank Mandiri Wisma
Metropolitan Sudirman branch office in Jakarta. I used my Mandiri
savings book (the new book from former BDN Melawai branch
office). However, the latest balance could not be printed in the
savings book but, according to the teller, this posed no problem.

On June 8, 2000 I withdrew some money, using the same account
and savings book as I did on May 25, 2000, also from Bank Mandiri
Wisma Metropolitan branch office. However, the withdrawal was
rejected by the teller on the grounds that the computer was
offline and the amount of money to be withdrawn was bigger than
the amount printed in the savings book.

She was right of course because the amount of money printed
was the balance prior to my deposit made on May 25, 2000 at the
very same bank.

Unfortunately, in this unfavorable situation neither Bank
Mandiri Wisma Metropolitan branch nor I had the phone number of
BDN Melawai branch, so we could not enquire about how much money
was left in my savings account.

I suggested that the teller contact 108. She did make a call
(I had no way of knowing which number she called) but she said
she could not get through because the tone suggested that the
line had not been installed. So, she asked me to return in the
afternoon. I could not accept this outcome. So she suggested that
I go to Bank Mandiri branch on the ground floor of Wisma Diner's
Club (across the street), a former Bank Exim branch.

Before I left, I asked the teller to confirm that I could
withdraw my money at this branch office across the street. I was
told that I could withdraw my money there as she had contacted
the person in charge.

It turned out that the Bank Mandiri branch office across the
street was not a former Bank Exim branch. It was in fact a former
BDN branch. Nevertheless I was told that they were still using
the old system. Then I asked the person in charge where I could
find a former Bank Exim branch. I was told it was on the ground
floor of Wisma Dharmala Sakti, the next building.

I went there but I did not go to the teller's counter because
there was a long line. I asked a security guard on duty whether
this Bank Mandiri branch used to be a branch office of Bank Exim.

I got an affirmative answer and then I went to the customer
service counter to enquire whether I could make a transaction at
this branch office. I also produced my Mandiri Savings book and
told the person in charge what I had gone through earlier.
Unfortunately, the only person in charge at this counter was
suffering from a serious lack of hospitality.

Finally I decided to join the long line. Unluckily for me, the
transaction could not be made in my case because the computer was
offline and also because the original branch office was not that
of Bank Exim.

A lady officer at the bank overheard my complaint and offered
some help. Although it took about half an hour I could finally
withdraw my money.

I needn't have gone through this uncomfortable situation if
only there had been some coordination between the Bank Mandiri
branch offices, which shouldn't be difficult given that the bank
is a merger of a number of other banks. At the very least, they
should have the latest telephone numbers of other Bank Mandiri
branch offices to enable them to communicate with one another.

REGINA

Jakarta