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the withdrawal was rejected by the teller on the grounds that the computer was offline and the amount of money to be withdrawn was bigger than the amount printed in the savings book.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