Citibank…where you at?

Citibank is one of the largest, most well respected banks in the world. All across the internet, experts would recommend their services. They have plenty of great offers, the most atm locations of any major bank, and online banking. Too bad, they couldn’t figure out the internet…

Let me air some dirty laundry. Specifically, three very annoying features (one kinda humorous one) that have turned me off to Citibank.

First, Citibank, why do you send me a letter, every month in snail-mail to notify me that my paperless bill is ready. So, lets get this straight. I sign-up for paperless statements and then you send me a paper statement to let me know I have a paperless statement. They do this every month, I am not kidding. I get this letter every month, I even took a picture of it (on right). Here is the wording in the letter: “This notification is part of the All-Electronic Program you enrolled in to receive your statements online only instead of in the mail”.

(laughing now)

So, as part of my “all-Electronic” statements that are “online only” they still send me a letter. Stupid, Citibank mean what you say!

Second issue with Citibank, their site stinks. No other way to put it. I mean, on the positive side, it does most of what I need it to do. Beyond that it is horrible. No clear organization of where the necessary tools are. Intuitiveness, readability, and sophistication are just completely thrown out of the window. Seriously, the entire thing looks like a crappy piece of white paper. I am not kidding, it even has this old school ledger for your statement that is all black & white. It looks like something that elementary school students would use to do online banking. Citibank is that what you think your customers are, 7 years old?

Third and final issue. They are considered one of the best online banks and they stink! Yes, their are some nice services, like a cash incentive for signing up and a good savings rate. Great, so how hard is it to get online banking right? Is it possible that the cash incentive comes from the fact that they have no staff for the website, only a pet monkey throwing html on a page? I have been doing online banking for almost a decade now and this is sad. I feel like I am regressing. The best banking site I ever had was with a small credit union in California. I hope that Citibank, and the many other guilty parties (you know who you are!), start investing a little time and money in site design, usability, and improving their online services. Seriously, the web is the future of your business and how are handling your future?

Another frustrated customer, with a paperless, paper statement, who will be switching banks soon. E-trade I hope you pass the test…