Complaint Review: Washington Mutual - Seattle Washington

I noticed you are in Oregon, so perhaps you can remember how WaMu "used to be". Well, things have changed. When I started with WaMu back in '99, they were only in the NW and they were very personal and had a local flavor in their call center-in Lynnwood WA. Part of,--or perhaps, the reason I was hired was during '99, they acquired Home Savings of America, in CA and FL, and their call center in Chatsworth. WaMu moved their call center to a larger location in Canyon Park, Bothell in '99) We, in Washington spent the next couple years training, and undo-ing all the mistakes the CA call center did, and finally, through "knocking heads" back and forth btw CA and WA, came up with a pretty consistent cust svc base, and everything was going well, then they acquired Dime of NY, and THEIR call center. Thats when things started to fall down hill. The New Yorkers were rude, they set standards so low that now it was the West coast always cleaning up what the East coast had blundered. They were difficult, but at that time, it marked the beginning of believing FRONT LINE (telephone bankers) werent that important. Somewhere inbetween CA and NY acquisition, WaMu started Business Banking and followed by Business Online Banking. I was on the team that PIONEERED the Business ONLINE banking team. I was one of the FIRST Business/Online bankers to serve WaMu customers. The WA Call Center started everything related to telephone/online banking. WaMu HAD to start small business banking because Dime had a business customer base, and up until then, Wamu had just opened PERSONAL accounts, and with branch manager exception only, allowed cusomers put business names on them--and they did not open CORPORATE accounts. WaMu did not have an official business bankig department--and training manual until 2003 or so! I said all of that to sat this. i agree, they had deep inconsistencies in their reference manuals for their bankers, and alot was left for the bankers interpreation of the rules. The bank grew faster than it could manage, and alot of what the telephone bankers use for reference is pieced together and updated in order of importance. It is only if you called and got a Senior Banker, would you be insured a consistent, and correct response. Notice I said "called" in past tense, that is how it was up until I left 8 mos ago, WHEN WAMU CLOSED THEIR CALL CENTERS, LAID EVERYONE OFF, AND OUTSOURCED THEIR CALL CENTERS TO THE PHILLIPINES! AND PUERTO RICO (for Spanish calls). THEY OUTSOURCED APPROX 2000 LOCAL NORTHWEST JOBS! Not even counting the call centers in Chatsworth, Albion and the small one in Texas. Now if you call, and ask if they are in Washington or Albion or Chatsworth, they will say, "I'm sorry, I cannot disclose my location", (in a thick accent). Their customer service level is now next to NIL. you will get a different answer to an obscure question nearly EVERY TIME. I worked for WaMu 8 years, and i was PROUD of my company, and the fact that they put customers first, but they gave in to big corporate, and now dont even register on my scale as an employer--or as a banking service provider. RUN, DONT WALK, to a nearby LOCAL BANK, if you want consistent, good customer service. BofA and Wells Fargo and other larger banks are WORSE, so I am not endorsing them either. BTW, the anser to your question is: Sole Props CAN transfer btw PERS and BUS, as long as the caller is an owner of the business and a owner on the personal account. Period. All of hte rest are not allowed or have to be done at the branch. This was a mistake made by "rookie" or ill-trained bankers OFTEN. however, business bankers were supposed to have been shosen from SENIOR PERSONAL bankers and then trained in BUSINESS BANKING and eventually BUSINESS ONLINE BANKING. So here is a clue i will give all business customers. when you call in, make the selection for an online business banker and in theory, you will get the banker most likely to give you a correct answer. They have to help everyone that they get, even if personal! This choice for someone to help you is my choice over your branch, over ANYONE else you can reach for a business banking matter or even personal, because the personal bankers are the LEAST TRAINED, and the newest employees. Or at least thats the way it was when i was there. now everything is in the Phillipines, I have NO IDEA who will help you or their experience, but i will tell you they havent been working for the bank for any more than 9 mos, because that was when true customer service ended for Washington Mutual.