OMEN
09-18-2007, 09:06 AM
A man with a squeaky voice has been barred from phone banking - because staff keep thinking he's a woman.
Graham O'Brien, 29, who admits he has a high-pitched voice, had his request to the Halifax blocked five times.
Graham, a lecturer in business management and law, said: "It has been unbelievable. I feel I have been humiliated."
He said that when he was away from his home in Collyhurst, Greater Manchester, he rang the Halifax to check that his salary had been paid in.
He was told an on-screen message on the bank's system had marked him down as a 'suspect' customer who was possibly a woman.
Three days later he visited a branch and his tele-banking facility was reinstated. But after being able to use the service for three or four days, the same thing happened again.
Every time Graham called the bank, staff refused to accept that he was who he said he was.
He said: "I answered all the security questions every time I phoned and they still wouldn't accept I was Graham O'Brien."
A Halifax spokesman said they had contacted Mr O'Brien to apologise.
Annanova
Graham O'Brien, 29, who admits he has a high-pitched voice, had his request to the Halifax blocked five times.
Graham, a lecturer in business management and law, said: "It has been unbelievable. I feel I have been humiliated."
He said that when he was away from his home in Collyhurst, Greater Manchester, he rang the Halifax to check that his salary had been paid in.
He was told an on-screen message on the bank's system had marked him down as a 'suspect' customer who was possibly a woman.
Three days later he visited a branch and his tele-banking facility was reinstated. But after being able to use the service for three or four days, the same thing happened again.
Every time Graham called the bank, staff refused to accept that he was who he said he was.
He said: "I answered all the security questions every time I phoned and they still wouldn't accept I was Graham O'Brien."
A Halifax spokesman said they had contacted Mr O'Brien to apologise.
Annanova