[Resolved]  GOLD LOAN — Serious misbehavior and harassment by your Shyambazar HDFC, Kolkata branch

11th April 2008

To,
The HDFC complain cell
India


Sub: Serious misbehavior and harassment by your Shyambazar HDFC, Kolkata branch


Dear Sir,

I Asad Siddiqui, CEO of Sofia House of Tourism faced a very humiliating and harass treatment by the staff of HDFC, Kolkata Shyambazar branch yesterday 10th April 2008. The fact in brief as under and I need to see a proper justified action on this matter.

I went to HDFC Central Avenue, Kolkata branch to take Loan against Gold on 07th April 2008.

Now before proceeding further I would like to let you know that I have a track record of one time of taking a gold loan from that branch and than released on time. So I am your old client.
The staff of central avenue branch Mr. Partha cell no: [protected] & [protected] told me that at the moment in this branch the vault is full so I can have this facility either from Shyambazar branch or Central Plaza branch. Since this is a matter of keeping gold I requested him to be at the branch during the time of taking the loan. So on 09th April 2008 Mr. Partha (who was all the time very cooperative as well as knows customer service well) went to the Shyambazar Branch for me. That particular day I have given my PAN card number but since my driving license is expired they have asked for another address proof. Since the point was valid and I came back with a promise to come next day.

On 10th April 2008 I went again to the HDFC Shyambazar Branch at 11.30 am and handed over the following documents;

1. PAN CARD
2. Post Paid Telephone bill of my residence as well as office.
3. My visiting card (which has enough value if checked nicely)

Now the particular staff operation in charge of the Gold Loan Mr. Arijit Sikdar first of all he will not interact directly with the customer as per him and this he has told in front of the Branch Manager and he has created the entire problem.

Partha has told me that he will get the personal verification done from the office and asked me do I have any problem? I said no and gladly he can go ahead with the telephonic verification. Some one from the branch called my office. The reception Mr.Uttam Mondal cell no: [protected] picked up the phone and when he came to know that the call is from the bank, he transferred the line to Panditji in the administration. Note down the conversation took place very nicely:

HDFC: I am calling from HDFC bank.

PANDITJI: Yes tell me what is regarding?

HDFC: Asad Siddiqui is working in Sofia House of Tourism?

PANDITJI: No is not a staff of the company but he is the CEO of this company.

HDFC: What is your name?

PANDITJI: Panditji.

(The person who called kept the phone down. This is exactly what is Panditji narrated to me when I questioned him afterward).

After the verification Partha came and told me that my staff didn’t tell the full name and asked me his name and age. I told him that his full name is Shyamal Kumar Pandit and his age is above 60 cell number [protected]

(Now tell me one thing that if someone verifies from the office that I am the CEO of this company, is it not enough for verification? Second question if you would like to know the full name of the person than why you have not asked from him that for bank record he needs the full name and why he kept the phone down. Another question is that when I told Partha as well as to Arijit Sikdar that his full name is Shyamal Kumar Pandit and his age is 60+ (a senior citizen), is that not enough for Arijit.

Well after that Partha again came to me and told that Arijit has told that loan against gold will be given but I have to open the saving account in HDFC since verification is not clear and Panditji didn’t said the full name. At that time I became angry since it already crossed 3 hours staying in the bank and it was around 1.30 pm. I told that why should I open a saving account when I am a person to give my identification in a nice way since I have a good identity nationwide in travel and tourism industry. I told if it is a request to open the saving account than the request can be kept but for any invalid reason or decision from your unprofessional staff I will not open the saving account and requested Partha to tell Arijit to stop filthy marketing policies since I know top level marketing. At that time Arijit told to Partha that if I will not open account loan will not be given. At that time I asked to meet Arijit but he refused to talk to me and playing all the game of harassing me the way unfortunately in West Bengal most of the places working culture exists.

When I asked to meet the branch manager again Partha tried to solve the problem. I told Partha that he can have my verification from my house as well but talk to my mother or niece who is above 24 years. I requested not to talk to my wife since she is a patient of depression. Also the gold belongs to my mummy and not my wife. But my request has been totally refused by Arijit Sikdar.

• I fail to understand why that person instead of cooperating with me he was trying options to refuse me to give the loan in case of emergency.
• I fail to understand when I am very boldly trying to prove my identity from every angle but he was adamant not even to talk or listen my justification. He was hiding inside the office room and throwing the ball on Partha’s court so that he cannot be blamed even.
• I fail to understand that having a previous track record as a customer of HDFC still Arijit Sikdar why trying to find options to refuse the case instead of cooperating with me.

I went to the branch manager and placed the complain. The branch manager called Arijit Sikdar and in front of Branch Manager I repeatedly challenged to call even to my house now and talk to my mummy as well as he can call to my office and re-check the authenticity of the person who has come to you in an emergency. He is neither a fraud or thief or ordinary person so far the name is concerned. But Arijit Sikdar told that further verification cannot be done and now personally someone will go my house for verification which will cost one day more and I were not having the time else why should one will come with gold to take the money to HDFC. You advertise that in 30 minutes loan will be given and my 4 ½ hours wasted because of the most unprofessional, dark hearted staff Arijit Sikdar than tell me how your esteemed organization will carry the reputation of the commitment being made boldly every where. It’s a shame on part of HDFC management for selection o[censored]nprofessional staffs like Arijit Sikdar. I don’t have any personal grudge against Arijit Sikdar but I am always against those staffs particularly in West Bengal who takes the wrong advantage of their position and harasses the clients.

Another pathetic part which I would like to let you know since I conduct top level management meeting not only in my office but to other organization also. The mode of conversation should be respected. I was talking to the Branch Manager and Arijit Sikdar in English and in return they were talking to me in broken Hindi. Can you understand the logic behind it? Since I am Asad Siddiqui and I am Non Bengali they were trying to show me that by talking to me in broken Hindi. I am a Bengali by birth and can speak & write very good Bengali. So the bottom line was that either your branch manager & Arijit Sikdar didn’t know English or they don’t know the discipline of mode of conservation or they were trying to humiliate me. In all the cases it is nothing but spitting on the fame, name and reputation of HDFC.

Now I request to have proper verification (I don’t mind calling me, my staffs, visiting my home, office or what ever possible verification required from your side) to stop this type of non sense again to be happened to other clients in future. I have refused to take the loan and availed the facility from your other competitor on 10th April 2008 only since I were running short of time. I have promised the branch manager that I will take up this matter in a nice way to the head office and if required to RBI proper cell. So I will be waiting to see how you put FULL STOP OF ALL THE COMPLAINTS AND GREVANCIES OF YOUR VALUED CLIENTS by doing proper justification of my case at the earliest.


Thanks and best regards
Asad Siddiqui
[protected]

Attached: Few nationwide coverage from different newspapers and magazines which will show that neither SOFIA HOUSE OF TOURISM nor the CEO is a person whose loan amount between 50 to 75 thousand should be refused by HDFC.

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Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:21:03 +0000 (GMT)
From: [protected]@vsnl.net
To: [protected]@hdfcbank.com
Subject: Sub: Serious misbehavior and harassment by your Shyambazar HDFC,
Kolkata branch

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