Another Fine Banking Representative

I got a call today regarding one of my listings from the lender on the property. The person was in the collections department, and it was one of those calls lenders sometimes make on a distress property. However, I think somewhere someone lost the memo that common sense would be a good idea, as I journeyed into bizarro bank land with this rube. 

After informing me that this was an attempt to collect and debt and all information collected would be used for that purpose, I reminded her that I was the broker, not the debtor. She was undeterred. She then asked me what the address was of the property, and I told her she gave me the address when I first answered the phone.  She was clearly following a script. She asked me to fax the listing agreement, which was hilarious- it had been faxed so many times I had them on speed dial. When I asked to whose attention it should be faxed, she said just fax it, it will get here. That went back and forth a few times too, but I finally got from her that the account number would go on the cover letter. Again. 

Then we really went into orbit. She wasked me at what number I could be reached. I reminded her that she had just called me. She again asked for the number. I said “the number you just called.” No, she needed a number. 

We went around in circles, on half a dozen other details that were either self evident or information already volunteered by this person. What made it so peculiar was the arrogant attitude. SHE was the bank. SHE was the boss. This is a switchboard grunt, clearly, a low level collector at best, and not a negotiator. 

This is the caliber of person dealing with the public at the big box bank. If she worked at a restaurant or office she’d have been sacked her first day if she conducted herself like this. Anywhere else (like for example, J. Philip Real Estate), such obtuse, arrogant robotic ineptitude would never be tolerated. We have MBAs out of work while this one collects a check for…what?  Something is wrong with this picture. Is it too much to ask that the people reaching out to the public from the banks at least know how to deal with the public?