Stuck Between a Bank and a Hard Place

November 9, 2007

Yesterday, I attempted to make a payment on my student loan online. But the Sallie Mae site wanted me to pay using information from an actual check (routing number + account number), not a check card number.

I’m out of checks, except for one, but the routing number was illegible. So I signed onto my bank’s site, Wachovia. Unable to find the routing number, I called the customer service line. But I couldn’t figure out how to get a live human on the phone and none of the automated options provided me with the routing number.

Today, I tried calling again, and this time I just chose “Address Change” in hopes of reaching a live human. This proved to be a success, though probably not in Wachovia’s opinion. Still, my customer service representative Martha was very nice. She sounded like the kind of person who could bake a really nice apple pie.

Finally, I was able to make my payment.

But a word of advice to both Sallie Mae and Wachovia - make it easier on your customers! (Though I will say I truly do love banking with Wachovia. I hear nightmares about other people’s banks and am relieved I don’t have the same problems).

Posted in Site Planning by Nathania Johnson