Bank Loses Money

I bank with one of the major High Street banks and have done so for over thirty years. They’re not brilliant, but they’re not terrible either. And I do have good overdraft facilities with them. But are they in the dark ages?
I needed to make a CHAPS payment recently. I had to go to a branch to do this. I then had to fill in a form in handwriting – not the best idea in my case. Well, the £1500 has gone from my bank account, but has not arrived in the American one into which I am paying. I went back to the branch to chase it up.
“Oh, I’m afraid we can’t deal with it. You’ll have to phone the International Group. I was allowed to do that from a free phone in the branch. However, I still had to go through a switch board as the option for International Payments was not listed. And of course, it was engaged.
So, I could have phoned form the comfort of my own home. Which I have tried to do ever since. I’ve not managed to get through.
The people to whom I’m paying are now chasing it. I wish them luck. The copy of the receipt that I have is very faint and the clerk’s writing is just as bad – if not worse – than mine. Apparently, this is pretty common with this bank – which is probably why one can’t get through on the phone.
Pity I didn’t use my Alliance and Leicester bank account. I can make CHAPS payments directly from that. But honestly, why does a respected High Street bank still rely on personal presence and handwriting in the 21st Century.