I had a question about my account. This is one of those accounts that I can only access at home. If I login at work, it doesn't recognize my computer and directs me through their security obstacle course. They'll want to send me a confirmation link to an email account that I won't access at work, or they'll text my cell phone that I don't bring inside to work or, finally, the one they really want, they'll ask me to call them during their work hours, which quite naturally, coincide with my work hours. None of this is convenient or secure so I only access it at home. Their website has a "secure message center". When you click on that link, you have to login again. I'm not really sure what that step achieves but there you have it. I asked my question there in their secure message center from the privacy of my home during non-work hours. Their initial, automated response was that I'd have a response from a representative within two business days. I think that's ridiculously slow but I was OK with it. Their follow-up response? Call them to discuss it ... during their work hours, which coincide with my work hours, which means calling them from work, where I'm not supposed to make personal calls and where I have no time or expectation of privacy, yada, yada, yada. Making that unavoidable call at work is like eating lunch at work. The instant you get involved is the instant you'll have people and tasks hovering over you.
37 days until football season ...
Quote of the Day
Their 17 other children range in age from 20 months to 23 years old.
Associated Press
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Places I will never seek permanent body work at, number one: Pricks."
Security has been taken to ridiculous levels. If they're going to make you jump through hoops like that, they should be available to help at times when people don't work.
I really think their security concerns are defeating their users more than they're defeating the criminals, Kim.
I can almost guess which bank this is, but I won't - for security reasons.
A couple years ago I called that bank using the same phone number I memorized when I got my first account there at age 16. The bank had gone through a couple ownerships since the original local family owned it, so I was really surprised it still worked - even though it rang through to the bank's corporate office in another state. Anyway, without going into too much detail, I told the guy I wanted to talk to security in the Springfield, Illinois branch. (This was on behalf of my boss, not me, by the way.) The guy said they didn't have one, but would put me through to New York. Okay, I said. OMG! It was like Wall Street. That nice person, upon realizing I didn't want to buy any stocks or bonds, sent me back to the switchboard where I got the same person as before. I calmly and without laughing tried to explain I wanted the SECURITY department. This went on for a while with him offering trust, real estate, etc. Finally, I said, "does the bank have a police department?" He finally got it, whereupon he promptly connected me with the security officer in India. That guy couldn't understand one word I was saying and, needless to say, I couldn't understand him. I hung up, typed a letter explaining the problem, got in the car, and hand delivered it to the bank in Springfield. Sorry. I'm not sure why I'm telling you this long story.
"I can almost guess which bank this is, but I won't - for security reasons."
I think it's pretty much all of them these days, Marie.