Sunday, May 11, 2014

NBK? Reality of best ME’s Best Bank


It is my second bad service experience with NBK. First experience was that I took my ATM card in my hand and handed over to their customer service adviser. I told him I want to close this account. Also I got on paper in Arabic to show how him what exact I want to avoid any confusion or misunderstanding. He prepared the all required documents, told me that he is going to close this account, go to atm machine take out money and deposit it into your other account. I went to the atm machine took out money from the account and deposited into my other account. After finishing this physical ritual I went to the customer service adviser to inform him about completion of successful triumph, although he should have transferred it by electronically. He took my atm card, broke it and then put it into the bin and told me you can collect atm card for other account after three days. After three days I went to collect atm card for other account, after collection came back home. I have checked on line but surprised to see that he didn’t close the account and issued new card for same account. I went to the NBK again and told the service adviser that you didn’t close the account. He told me that there is direct debit on the account so I can not close the account unless person who put the direct debit on the account come in person to cancel it. What a 100’s years old rule?  I cant remember what happened next but it wasn’t easy and I had to make few trips to the branch.
After this incident I started to look on the internet about NBK customers bad experiences. I have found out one entry and they have resolved it very quickly. I tweeted to @NBK that Iam going to write a blog about your bad customer service but I could not write about it.

Few days ago I went to the NBK for same purpose, same procedure i.e paper in my hand written in Arabic and explained to the customer service adviser. He prepared the pile of documents and sent me to the counter. The cashier told me that system wouldn’t let it close because there is direct debit on the account. I have to bring that person in person to the branch to cancel the DD on the account. I told to the cashier that if there is dd on the account just cancels it. Cashiers supervisor told me bring that person she will do it quickly. Now I don’t know what to do next but coming to the one of the best bank in the middle east NBK has some mysterious dodgy dealings i.e one of my Kuwaiti friend borrowed money from the bank and after sometime they wanted to pay it back they went to many branches but they heard same answer there is a problem with system. It means that they can extend time by system problem and charge more interest on the loan. I don’t know what happened next but It wasn’t easy thing but I would call it triumph. I have told about this incident to another friend and they said it happened to them as well. I don’t know whether it is true that if you borrow any money from the bank in Kuwait they charge you interest for whole period of loan even if you pay it back before its end of duration because it is written in the contract (aqad). There is no cooling off period for signed contract like uk or states and as soon as you sign any contract you are in the trap like mouse cheenching to get out.

If you enter to the cabins of NBK customer service advisers interestingly you find lots of awards displayed on their desks or back cabinets. Once I had some dealing with one he took so long time and I told him I think you are the best employee of the bank because you have lots of rewards. He replied to me yes he is the best, he has some more rewards and no more place to display. Mater of fact he was very lazy fat guy unfit to work and walk. If I have power I take his rewards for his laziness. Iam not against fat but if you have assigned a duty it should be performed in reasonably time.


Have you ever dealt with NBK and have bad experience I would like to here about it. Please share with others. Please write to CBK (central Bank of Kuwait) and file a complaint and don’t let these guys cheat you further by excuses of system problem