Today is my 38th wedding anniversary and I'm whisking Mrs Mike off to Athens at the week end for a few days break. So, I tipped up at my bank this morning (Lloyds TSB) to get 'euroed up' only to find that the main branch in the County town of Kent could only rustle up 1 cashier at the tills. Bad Start. Queued for 20 minutes, came to my turn, placed my order and was told to please join this second queue as the man who had the key to the Euro stash could not be found. Other mortals in this second queue were standing forlornly just accepting their fate. I couldn't do this however and I asked for a more satisfactory explanation as to why only 1 person in the main branch was entrusted with a key. Two further members of staff later the truth actually emerged.
Said key holder had gone missing in the branch - he was subsequently discovered in the toilet doing No.2's and another male member of staff had been dispatched to get him to slide the key under the door of the trap!!
There are notices all around the branches of Lloyds TSB (well, there are in my area anyway) saying that Lloyds TSB were voted bank of the year 2007. When I was eventually served I'm afraid to say that my comment "that if you are bank of the year then goodness only knows how bad the others must be" was not well received by my new chum, the manager. I always make a point of saying thank you to people who give good service in the same way that I politely complain if I feel it is justified, but sometimes I just wonder why I bother! And I've only been a customer there for 40 years.
