I’m not understanding why they would do anything differently just because he’s the Pope. They shouldn’t have hung up on him but that’s the only customer service issue here.
Well, that's why it was his last-ditch effort, because it was unlikely to work.
But the reasoning is that many companies will go out of their way to help "VIPs" and may even have a separate team to handle them that has more discretion than normal front-line support staff would.
I'm curious to why does the Pope need a bank account at all. He's provided housing. He's fed and watered. His transportation is covered. He has a Swiss Guard security detail. For life.
Why would a bank require someone to go to a branch to change their phone number? I can change my contact info on the website for all the financial institutions I use.
Why should it be an exception? Why is it a rule that he has to show up in person in the first place? What is the point of even having security questions if they don't trust them? Who, exactly, is changing their address to _Vatican City_ that will not require special handling _no matter what the circumstance_?
I sat in a Wells Fargo once locked in a staring contest with a banker there. They wanted a debit card to process a wire transfer to pay the down payment on a house. I signed up for the account online and had chosen not to get a debit card. I could withdraw all of my money as a cashier's check if I wanted, but standard procedure would not initiate a wire transfer. It was not, in fact, an "exception" to allow me to bank with them that day, it was a stupid rule that prevented me from doing so initially.
Imagine being detained in another country where you're prevented from leaving. Should the bank still say "nah, you've got to come here in person, we don't make exceptions." They could call the US embassy where you're located for proof. There are a lot of things they could do to resolve the situation. In fact, arguably _the whole value proposition_ for the bank having a customer service line _is to resolve exceptions_.
The whole value proposition for the bank having a customer service line is to RESOLVE exceptions.
Yes, perhaps the first-line customer service should stick with the policy. If they cannot handle the situation (either to lack of knowledge or authority), the first line reps should ALSO FIND and ESCALATE the exceptions to a rep who DOES have the knowledge and authority to resolve the problem
When a company does not do that, they demonstrate that, despite all their marketing statements that they care about and value their customers, they, in fact NEITHER give a fck about nor value their customers.
> Scianna then somehow connected with the bank's president, who reiterated that its policy requires in-person changes. The response was simple, McCarthy said.
> "Well, then the pope is going to move his account to a different bank."
> In the end, the bank made an exception.
Honestly, he should have moved his account anyway if the bank in Chicago has a strict in-person policy for some actions. That's never going to be practical for a person who lives in Vatican City. If he's going to be living in the Vatican until he dies he might as well use a local bank.
> That's never going to be practical for a person who lives in Vatican City. If he's going to be living in the Vatican until he dies he might as well use a local bank.
These may have been 'legacy' accounts, as he was a bishop in Peru for almost a decade:
So he was born and raised, and had early ministries in the area, but has been outside of Chicago for a number of recent years. It may have been easy enough for him to travel back home (?) when he was 'only' a bishop or cardinal, but has been more difficult more recently.
Dealing with / consolidating old accounts may not have been a priority for him.
I’m not understanding why they would do anything differently just because he’s the Pope. They shouldn’t have hung up on him but that’s the only customer service issue here.
Why can't they call the Vatican and confirm? You can, in fact, call (edit: and fax!) the Vatican switchboard:
https://www.vatican.va/content/vatican/en/info.html
Well, that's why it was his last-ditch effort, because it was unlikely to work.
But the reasoning is that many companies will go out of their way to help "VIPs" and may even have a separate team to handle them that has more discretion than normal front-line support staff would.
So sure, worth a shot if all else fails.
Because the pope isn’t on par with a random person. He’s like the figurehead for more than a billion people.
I'm curious to why does the Pope need a bank account at all. He's provided housing. He's fed and watered. His transportation is covered. He has a Swiss Guard security detail. For life.
Sometimes even the pope wants to buy a birthday card for a niece or nephew.
Why would a bank require someone to go to a branch to change their phone number? I can change my contact info on the website for all the financial institutions I use.
Maybe they don't except email addresses with .va TLD
Did he try asking to speak with their manager?
Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs called The Pope. So what?
Good! Security should never make up front exceptions.
Why should it be an exception? Why is it a rule that he has to show up in person in the first place? What is the point of even having security questions if they don't trust them? Who, exactly, is changing their address to _Vatican City_ that will not require special handling _no matter what the circumstance_?
I sat in a Wells Fargo once locked in a staring contest with a banker there. They wanted a debit card to process a wire transfer to pay the down payment on a house. I signed up for the account online and had chosen not to get a debit card. I could withdraw all of my money as a cashier's check if I wanted, but standard procedure would not initiate a wire transfer. It was not, in fact, an "exception" to allow me to bank with them that day, it was a stupid rule that prevented me from doing so initially.
Imagine being detained in another country where you're prevented from leaving. Should the bank still say "nah, you've got to come here in person, we don't make exceptions." They could call the US embassy where you're located for proof. There are a lot of things they could do to resolve the situation. In fact, arguably _the whole value proposition_ for the bank having a customer service line _is to resolve exceptions_.
This deserves reiterating:
The whole value proposition for the bank having a customer service line is to RESOLVE exceptions.
Yes, perhaps the first-line customer service should stick with the policy. If they cannot handle the situation (either to lack of knowledge or authority), the first line reps should ALSO FIND and ESCALATE the exceptions to a rep who DOES have the knowledge and authority to resolve the problem
When a company does not do that, they demonstrate that, despite all their marketing statements that they care about and value their customers, they, in fact NEITHER give a fck about nor value their customers.
> Scianna then somehow connected with the bank's president, who reiterated that its policy requires in-person changes. The response was simple, McCarthy said.
> "Well, then the pope is going to move his account to a different bank."
> In the end, the bank made an exception.
Honestly, he should have moved his account anyway if the bank in Chicago has a strict in-person policy for some actions. That's never going to be practical for a person who lives in Vatican City. If he's going to be living in the Vatican until he dies he might as well use a local bank.
> That's never going to be practical for a person who lives in Vatican City. If he's going to be living in the Vatican until he dies he might as well use a local bank.
These may have been 'legacy' accounts, as he was a bishop in Peru for almost a decade:
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Leo_XIV#Bishop_of_Chiclay...
So he was born and raised, and had early ministries in the area, but has been outside of Chicago for a number of recent years. It may have been easy enough for him to travel back home (?) when he was 'only' a bishop or cardinal, but has been more difficult more recently.
Dealing with / consolidating old accounts may not have been a priority for him.
> If he's going to be living in the Vatican until he dies he might as well use a local bank.
Like, say, the Vatican's own bank? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institute_for_the_Works_of_Rel...
Maybe he owns property in the US or has accounts here or something where it would be more of a hassle to use a foreign bank