Tag Archives: People’s United Bank

Next weekend, People’s United Bank becomes part of M&T Bank.

Longtime Westporter (and People’s customer) Peter Blau read a recent “06880” story on my very positive experience with M&T’s customer service department with interest.

And with a high degree of skepticism. He writes:

You published a [mostly] complimentary piece about M&T customer service. But I just got an email demonstrates what a shit show these bank mergers really are.  If you read carefully, you find out:

1) You will lose access to all online banking from September 1 (when Peoples.com turns off) until September 6, when the M&T app becomes active (assuming all goes as planned).

2) Also: “a minimum of 90 days of your People’s United transaction history will be available initially. We are working to provide additional transaction history as soon as possible.”

#1 is a minor inconvenience for most; a major inconvenience for a few, like someone who needs to transfer emergency money into their kid’s account (remember, this is over Labor Day weekend.)

Next weekend, People’s United Bank becomes M&T.

#2 is the bigger deal for people who rely on online data for their taxes, as the bank promises to only give access to 90 days of history initially, while we’re used to getting 18 months. You need to download all the past transaction activity you need before the old platform shuts down next Thursday, September 1.

A couple of questions left unanswered here, but which I checked on via their answer line:

3A)  Will you be able to continue to use your old People’s checks?,

“Yes.” You can continue to use the old checks, as routing and account numbers stay the same.

3B) And will M&T give you a free supply of new checks with their bank name on it?

“No.” Could you imagine a bank actually giving you checks when they could make a few bucks selling them to you?

4) Will M&T be giving any kind of incentive for keeping your accounts there?  After all, other banks give you bonuses to switch your accounts to them. Chase right now offers $600 for switching just one checking and one savings account.

“No.” However, the M&T rep told me that like other banks, M&T periodically offers these incentives for people who open new accounts (these typically exclude anyone who has an existing account with the bank). Consider that a “disloyalty” program.

There you have it. If you think there’s anything new in the retail banking business in the last 30 years, you’re mistaken!

(No matter what, you can always “bank” on “06880.” Please click here to help support your local blog.)

Like many People’s United Bank customers, I’ve dreaded the switchover to M&T Bank.

People’s was founded in 1842. As it grew larger, it gobbled up small banks. So I guess it was inevitable that it was gobbled up in turn by a bigger one (though one that until last year I’d never hear of.

The trickle of emails from People’s about the change has been replaced by a torrent from M&T. They include detailed instructions on how to prepare, with new ways to access services like the app, and a “token” for logging in that always changes.

This morning, I bit the bullet. I waded through all the instructions, logged on for the first time, and —voilà! — got the dreaded red exclamation point.

“Incorrect password,” it said — despite using the new password I had just cut-and-pasted from M&T’s email.

Fortunately, the 800 help number was right there. I did not have to click through 6 pages to find it.

I called and — this was a good voilà! — someone picked up on the 2nd ring.

Astonishingly, she spoke perfect English. Quickly, she diagnosed the problem.

Unfortunately, she could not fix it.

Fortunately, she said, someone higher up could. That someone would call back.

You know what that means. “Someone” never does.

Fortunately, someone did — in less than an hour.

Unfortunately, I was driving.

No problem! The woman — who also spoke perfect English — left a callback number.

An hour later, I returned the call. Voilà! A third woman — with an equally adept knowledge of English — answered quickly.

Are you sitting down for this next part?

In what may be a first for customer service in the 21st century, she:

• Knew beforehand what the problem was, and did not ask me to repeat it.
• Did not troubleshoot steps already tried in the previous call.
• Asked which browser I use (Chrome), and immediately walked me through fixes. She told me exactly where to find every dropdown arrow, and where to click next.
• She never asked me to “hold” (customer service-ese for “I’m helping 3 other customers at the same time”).

And … she never asked a stupid question. Nor did she ever talk down to me, or make me feel stupid.

You know that idiotic line, “Your call is important to us”? I actually felt it was.

She solved the problem in 10 minutes. Then — sounding as if she had all the time in the world — she suggested I log out and log back in, “just to be sure it works.”

The entire experience was like a painless root canal.

I’ve always enjoyed People’s. But — based on this morning — I think I might love M&T.

Until, perhaps, they’re gobbled up by a bigger bank.

No longer fearing the change.