Comments on: An Open Letter to Amalgamated Bank

By: GS

GS — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 19:14:04 +0000

I understand your frustration with Amalgamated Bank. I have been with them since I moved to Manhattan 29 years ago. I use to get great customer service. I knew the people on the platform who knew me and my accounts. AB are always at least 3 years behind on development. When they went on-line, it was very confusing–just look at their website. You have to hunt just to find where to login-in. Go Ahead–try it!! They surely don’t come up immediately when you Google, only that it is a misleading link. I usually have to try 3 times (I do it so infrequently). Half of the time their ATM’s don’t work. You can’t get a mini-statement any longer from the machine. You have to give your SS# verbally on the telephone. The head of customer service in the branch isn’t even a “nice guy” anymore. And yes…I am weening myself off from my original financial institution. Why am I still with them–maybe because they are still the “no fees” bank. But all the new ones offer this too. Yet there is something to say about longevity and being the “workers’ bank” as opposed to the investor’s bank. And that it is something that remotely traces the vestiges of the east village and my early years here. They have been there for me through all my struggles. etc etc

Amalgamated is a VERY conservative establishment. And I think as long as they are, change will be difficult for them.
They should be more universally adaptable. They should be more accommodating to their customers’ needs. Especially basic and the primary ones–i.e.: managing your account. They moved their branch to 14th Street and look more plastic and contemporary, but that isn’t enough. I believe their customers are leaving them, finally. With the availability of 7-day week banks on every other block why should we pledge out allegiance to an institution which doesn’t fulfill our requirements?

By: Barky VonSchauzer

Barky VonSchauzer — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 13:33:07 +0000

Amalgamated has failed to respond to my 25 emails and 10 voicemails regarding my application to open a CD online two weeks ago. Wouldn’t care but they’ve got copies of my and my wife’s driver’s licenses (required to open account) and the approval to withdraw significant $ from my checking account at another bank.

By: Life focus pro

Life focus pro — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 07:36:54 +0000

I think the banks have the right to impose their own requirements for security in online banking. It makes be feel safer than if they relied only on open standards. All this is too sensitive to be complaining.

By: Clive

Clive — Wed, 03 May 2006 12:50:10 +0000

lol - it made me think of the good old Dresdner Bank over here in (D) … their online site didn’t work with Mac / Safari well, but they had a Mac in their ads for online banking! Talk about misleading

By: jeffcityjon

jeffcityjon — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 20:23:18 +0000

I happen to be a lead Web Developer for a group of banks. I do believe in Open Standards. I personally see to it that all of our sites work on all significant browsers. You should check us out.

By: anon

anon — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 00:31:41 +0000

Why would you think it is stupid? Why not change a bank if you are not happy with… whatever? Or even, why not change a bank if you feel like that, for no reason whatsoever? Who’s a cutomer?

By: Elliotte Rusty Harold

Elliotte Rusty Harold — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 12:29:04 +0000

The JavaScript issue is just a symptom. I wouldn’t switch for that alone. The reason I’m looking for a new bank is because their terms of service specifically require me to use Windows. I’d rather switch banks than operating systems.

That being said, though, the use of JavaScript to replace mailto links is indicative of poor website design and general lack of competence. It doesn’t give me a great deal of faith in this bank’s ability to protect my information or provide a decent user experience, on Windows or otherwise.

Finally, I didn’t write most of the software for this site, and I do know there are some problems. If there are specific issues, especially with regards to standards compliance, please point them out, and I can probably fix them However, I think the only JavaScript you’ll find on public pages is from Google ads, so if that’s what’s confusing IE, then you’ll have to talk to Google.

By: Oliver Mason

Oliver Mason — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 11:47:30 +0000

I don’t think he’s switching banks just due to some javascript. It’s the principle that counts. If we don’t fight for open standards you will soon find that more and more webservices won’t work until you’ve got the latest version of Windows and IE, and possibly also Flash and whatnot.

And the main point is that this is not even necessary at all. I suspect it’s just ignorance, as the people in charge of the web at the bank can’t imagine that anybody would run anything else but Windows/IE. Or they think it’s cheaper to only support one browser.

By: Barend Garvelink

Barend Garvelink — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 09:41:53 +0000

At least it’s JavaScript; you could have fixed it with Greasemonkey even if you shouldn’t have to. I’m aware of several sites that rely on VBScript. Now there’s a dead end.

What I can’t tell from your open letter is whether you’ve asked them for Mac support and got flat out rejected before announcing you would close your account for lack of it, or whether you just announced you’d close your account for lack of Mac support. I’ve found my own bank to be quite responsive to feedback on their Internet services. It saves them a lot of overhead cost, so there’s a real driver for contiunually improving it.

By: Leave a Reply

Leave a Reply — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 09:10:55 +0000

LOL ! I can see “Done, but with errors on page” message in my MSIE
Your blog is not MSIE compatible