Just to answer Qatari’s question about this institution. Why the staff are so smiley, but untrained and incompetent.
1. I normally do not go to the bank. I use ATM and on-line banking. But if I have to go there, each time it takes me from 1 or 2 hours of my workday before I can leave the place.
2. The bank has nothing to do with HSBC UK, it just shares the same name, every thing else is local, including all procedures, hence it is still under commissioning.
3. The institution is good for two kinds of operations only: one is depositing money, and the other is taking out money. Any other transaction, you’re in for a surprise.
4. Joint accounts: anywhere in the West, you just ask to add the name and the signature of the second person to an existing account. Normally it takes 5 minutes. Not at HSBC, they will open a new account for you. But they will not tell you that they are opening a new account, your old account will become frozen for a week, and you will not be able to use it. Nobody will advise you of this procedure ahead of time.
5. You are supposed to submit your RP number when you receive it a few months later, but nobody will inform you of this requirement. Instead they will freeze your account without calling you, and if this happens during a weekend when you need cash, well tough!
6. One-line electronic transfers. To use this function you have to fill in and sign a form first for limits. But nobody will advise of this when opening your account.
7. On-line electronic transfers; even if you give the full detail and the correct SWIFT number of your bank, your money can travel from one HSBC correspondent bank to another HSBC correspondent bank before it reaches its final destination. For example HSBC Qatar can very well send your money to HSBC London, who can send it to HSBC USA, then finally to HSBC Mexico, and they will all take their 50 QR cut along the way, and issue no receipts. Excuse given? HSBC Qatar cannot control its foreign correspondent banks. So why not send the money directly to where it is supposed to go when the complete information is given??? No answer of course.
8. Exchange rate commissions for electronic transfers: 2 to 3% more than Al-Sadd Exchange. Better to carry cash than pay a useless commission charge.
9. On-line banking: you have to press the funny “control” button on your keyboard for the log-on page to open. Never seen this for any other western bank, and I deal with 5 at the present time.
9. HSBC Visa: no detailed transaction list provided on-line. Just one number: the total amount. You have to keep you’re your own records and figure out if the total is correct. No monthly statements issued even if you call repeatedly their very polite help desk in Dubai.
10. Staff training: no single person can carry out to the end the service you’re requiring, before having to ask 2 or 3 other people.
11. No account statements issued: (1) received in six months.
12. The Manager: fully smiling, gives a lot of free of charge “yes sirrrs”, and takes you to a person who will try to understand your problem. His job is to smile, ignore your problem and say “yes sirrrr”.
13. Unwanted, unclear, confirmation of accounts and cards held are sent bi-monthly by mail. No one knows why? when asked for the purpose is this, the answer is don’t worry, it’s the computer.
Just to answer Qatari’s question about this institution. Why the staff are so smiley, but untrained and incompetent.
1. I normally do not go to the bank. I use ATM and on-line banking. But if I have to go there, each time it takes me from 1 or 2 hours of my workday before I can leave the place.
2. The bank has nothing to do with HSBC UK, it just shares the same name, every thing else is local, including all procedures, hence it is still under commissioning.
3. The institution is good for two kinds of operations only: one is depositing money, and the other is taking out money. Any other transaction, you’re in for a surprise.
4. Joint accounts: anywhere in the West, you just ask to add the name and the signature of the second person to an existing account. Normally it takes 5 minutes. Not at HSBC, they will open a new account for you. But they will not tell you that they are opening a new account, your old account will become frozen for a week, and you will not be able to use it. Nobody will advise you of this procedure ahead of time.
5. You are supposed to submit your RP number when you receive it a few months later, but nobody will inform you of this requirement. Instead they will freeze your account without calling you, and if this happens during a weekend when you need cash, well tough!
6. One-line electronic transfers. To use this function you have to fill in and sign a form first for limits. But nobody will advise of this when opening your account.
7. On-line electronic transfers; even if you give the full detail and the correct SWIFT number of your bank, your money can travel from one HSBC correspondent bank to another HSBC correspondent bank before it reaches its final destination. For example HSBC Qatar can very well send your money to HSBC London, who can send it to HSBC USA, then finally to HSBC Mexico, and they will all take their 50 QR cut along the way, and issue no receipts. Excuse given? HSBC Qatar cannot control its foreign correspondent banks. So why not send the money directly to where it is supposed to go when the complete information is given??? No answer of course.
8. Exchange rate commissions for electronic transfers: 2 to 3% more than Al-Sadd Exchange. Better to carry cash than pay a useless commission charge.
9. On-line banking: you have to press the funny “control” button on your keyboard for the log-on page to open. Never seen this for any other western bank, and I deal with 5 at the present time.
9. HSBC Visa: no detailed transaction list provided on-line. Just one number: the total amount. You have to keep you’re your own records and figure out if the total is correct. No monthly statements issued even if you call repeatedly their very polite help desk in Dubai.
10. Staff training: no single person can carry out to the end the service you’re requiring, before having to ask 2 or 3 other people.
11. No account statements issued: (1) received in six months.
12. The Manager: fully smiling, gives a lot of free of charge “yes sirrrs”, and takes you to a person who will try to understand your problem. His job is to smile, ignore your problem and say “yes sirrrr”.
13. Unwanted, unclear, confirmation of accounts and cards held are sent bi-monthly by mail. No one knows why? when asked for the purpose is this, the answer is don’t worry, it’s the computer.
Useless or not, it’s up to you to decide !
Moudir