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| - I wish I could choose something lower than one star. I have had a home equity line line with RBC since 2008, and I've been pretty shocked by how much the bank lives in the stone age. I bank with Charles Schwab, which is awesome on rates, zero fees, range of banking/lending/brokerage/retirement services, customer service, and super hip technology. I don't expect Schwab-level performance from other banks, but my first mortgage, for example, is with Wells Fargo, and they at least auto-debit my payment every month like a normal modern bank so I never have to deal with their bureaucratic customer service in the first place.
I'll get to RBC's customer service in a minute. But first, let's talk about the fact that they offer me no option to even make a payment online, much less to choose auto debit. What's more, they send me a paper bill every month WITH NO RETURN ENVELOPE so I have to go buy a freaking box of envelopes, buy stamps, write out addresses, and then find a mailbox to drop my bill in. Over four years, this has become a tremendous hassle.
As for the customer service, I've had to deal with them several times when my bill didn't show (lost in the mail - shocker!) or when my payment didn't arrive at their offices (lost in the mail room - shocker!). They pretty consistently do what they can to not think (the robotic, canned response voice of a complacent bureaucrat - you know the sound) and not be helpful. The people in the branches are nicer, but definitely not snappy.
If your mortgage broker turns these guys up, I'd recommend paying a couple extra basis points on your rate and going with a real bank. The lack of time wasted buying envelopes and dealing with customer service will be well worth it over time.
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