Wells Fargo Bank

First and last vist…
The reason I ended up at this bank was because I needed some foreign currency, just $ 250 worth, not much. And the only branch that had it on hand were the two banks in Berkeley. I could have ordered it online but the bankers at the Pinole location weren’t that helpful and didn’t know if the money had to be signed off upon delivery and I am not comfortable with $ 250 of my money just being out there without any assurance of it making it’s way back to me. The other option was ordering it over the phone, which would have cost $ 7. Ehh, no thanks.
So I called the bank on Saturday and «ordered» the money as instructed by the lady on the phone. Gave her my account number and everything. They said it will be ready on Monday, I informed her I was not able to pick it up on Monday bit will be there Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest.
Tuesday around 1:45 walked in bank as for the foreign currency person, and was informed he was on break and would be back in 10 – 15 minutes. I asked anybody else would be able to help me or at least start the process, NO nobody was trained to that, (really?, not even a manager?) Was offered water. And sat down with my 3 year old son and mom upon sitting down, a guy walks in front of us wich was the foreign currency guy, but didn’t greet us until 10 – 15 minutes later.
Anyways the transaction was just write my name, phone number, account number and date on a post it note. And sign my name on a bank slip. He counted the money, counted it again, and once more with me. Then the whole Thank you have a nice day blah blah.
On our next stop my mom and I counted the money, all there.
Later around 5:30 I get a call, DID WE GIVE YOU ANY EXTRA MONEY, MY TELLER IS SHORT. No, he counted it 3 times and I counted it, it’s all there nothing less nothing more. ARE YOU SURE BECAUSE HE IS SHORT?! Yes Mam, but if he is missing $ 500 in the foreign currency, I did see him have that bill seprate from the others, maybe ask him. ARE YOU SURE BECAUSE HE IS SHORT. I am sure.
Next morning, I recount it, because I felt insulted and maybe we had all just counted wrong, so again recount it with my mom, and all there not one more bill not one less bill. My mom was also upset, first thing she said, they should check thier camera’s before calling and accusing people of stealing.
So even though I ordered it, I still had to wait for someone to help me, then wait to have the money counted 3 times in front of me, then get a call accusing me of stealing. No thanks, will find another bank so next time I travel I don’t have to go through the hassle for foreign currency.
Been a loyal customer since 99′ and I am only 22.

This review is for Mariela Moreno Murray, a senior mortgage consultant at this Wells Fargo branch. She works independently from the rest of the bank so don’t look at the subpar rating of the branch itself.
We were very lucky to have found Mariela when we were looking to purchase our first home in 2010. We had walked into several banks prior to inquire about loans, until we met Mariela. She was knowledgeable, welcoming and most importantly genuine, which was why we decided to work with her instantly. Being new to purchasing, Mariela not only guided us through this process, but also looked out for our best interest.
Fast forward to 2015, we wanted to know if it was feasible to purchase another home closer to work. Things were a bit more financially complicated (RSUs, various incomes) this time, but Mariela was able to work through mounds of paperwork, provided strategies and stretched my borrowing power in this competitive market, making my Silicon Valley purchase a reality. Throughout the entire process, Mariela was always available (and positive) when we needed her, reinforcing the reason why we chose to work with her again even though I was 50 miles away.
If you are looking for someone to help you with purchasing a home that you can trust, look no further! Seriously, someone like Mariela is hard to find. There are only a handful of people I’ve dealt with in my entire life that I can offer such praise. It is clear that Mariela loves what she does and she honestly cares about the people she works with.

Unbelievable how horrific this branch has gotten. The previous manager Raj along with staff Mohammaddin, David, Lisa, and Sonia were a delight to work with. The energy in the branch was positive and banking was fun rather than a chore. Cut to the new manager. Basically the woman sits at her desk glaring at customers with a permanent frown. The tension so thick you can slice it with a knife. On a side note, I have cut back going inside the bank and do as many atm transactions as I can. Why is this you ask? Well, the bank is extremely hot and uncomfortable especially during one of the worst allergy seasons. I brought this up to the teller and she curtly responded by saying both managers like the heat. She walked over to the thermostat and shook her head at me saying «It’s set to 80 degrees». I can honestly say those of us who live in the Berkeley, El Cerrito, and Emeryville area are there for the cool comfortable weather. Why would you keep a bank’s temperature at 80 when room temperature and average bay temperature is 68 – 70? Perhaps this is why the parking lot stays empty now. I sincerely hope my review will not be wasted in vain.

This review is for Mariela Moreno who got my Father and I preapproved for a home loan. We really enjoyed working with her and were impressed by her ability to land us a much higher loan amount than the previous mortgage broker we had been working with. What’s equally impressive is that even though my Dad had a mediocre credit score, she was still able to pull it off. I’d highly recommend Mariela.

I want to share with you how much I hate Wells Fargo Bank. I deposited a check from our B of A account to one of my (several) WF accounts, on Saturday at noon. If you go to their faqs page, under when will my deposit will be credited, you see that the funds should have landed in my account on the next business day (today). I looked up the faqs, called their 1 – 800 number, and was told, no, sorry, tomorrow. So I went down to my branch, with a printout of our B of A account, and spoke with two humans. They said, sorry, no. I have only been banking with them since 1984, and have never had any trouble. My record is spotless. So I came home, flustered, and called the branch back and read them their own damn faqs*. The branch manager called me back to ask how much of that deposit I needed credited today, and WHAT I WAS INTENDING TO DO WITH IT. I said «that’s insulting, I want the whole thing credited, and it is none of your business what I am doing with it.» She said the faqs were not clear. I said they are absolutely clear and you are in violation of your own stated policy. The minute I can disentangle myself from these troglodytes, it is sayonara forever, Worst Bank On Earth.
*If you make your deposit before the displayed branch or ATM cut-​off time on a business day, we will generally credit the deposit to your account the same business day. If you make your deposit after the cut-​off time or on a non-​business day, we will credit it to your account on the next business day.

This review is for Mariela Moreno, a mortgage lender at this WF branch.
As a first time home buyer, I was new to the world of mortgages, although by no means not interested in understanding the process or my options. From the first time I met Mariela, she was interested in empowering me — I like nothing more! She carefully, and anything but patronizingly, walked me through how various issues worked and my options. I felt no pressure from her, and reassurance that I was ready to buy based on factual analysis of where my finances were at.
Once things got moving, Mariela was a machine. She and her assistant Kira dealt with trying cross-​border issues and the complexities of gifting with patience and grace — and always with speed! Mariela watched the markets on my behalf to lock in at an advantageous interest rate: taking advantage of fluctuations that can happen on a daily or hourly basis. This — and a little market luck — ended up saving me 0.3% on my rate.
I did wonder if it might be productive to provide clients with a basic roadmap/​timing checklist, which could help to organize time for those of us who work and can’t always be responsive on short timelines during the frenzy of the short closes that are basically required on most property transactions now occurring in the Bay Area.
When I closed on my home, Mariela met me at 8pm, out of the office, to talk me through the final list of costs associated with closing, to assure I understood where all charges were coming from, and could ask any last questions I had.
Mariela is just wonderful — highly competent as a lender and just a high energy, positive, kind person. I feel very lucky to have found and worked with her in the acquisition of my first home. Highly, highly recommended.

I’ve never had to do anything exotic, and I don’t go in that often, but when I do they are always very helpful and pleasant.

I only give them 1 star because I can’t give them .5 or .0. The only reason they would get a .5 is because of convenience and a parking lot. The tellers and the supervisors are the least knowledgable bankers in the business. I get it, they are underpaid, young, and unexperienced but common sense and customer care should be a priority. I could go on for days about my recent encounter but I don’t have the time or space. I am absolutely taking my business elsewhere. Saying you’re sorry doesn’t cut it. Stupidity just doesn’t make it in the banking business. Messing with people’s account and hard earned money is where I draw the line. Bye bye WF.

I’ve banked there for decades. Despite having a «free» series of accounts thru there PMA program, they mange to have a few odd rules pop up that require fees, until I go in and talk to them. The biggest PTA is that downloads only work sporadically with Quicken. It turns out that the problem is on the Wells side as they won’t accept information in a format that other banks can handle. It’s going to be a major pain to change banks, but I’ve got to have things automated. If this isn’t an issue for you, they’re a fine bank.
The one star is for not playing well with Quicken.

This bank has the absolute best customer service, bar none. When you enter the bank, a friendly supervisor or banker greets you and directs you to the right place. This is so welcome, and I love the feeling of being acknowledged and helped right from the get go.
This same person will make sure that the lines are moving and, if not, he or she will usually get another teller to help you. Again, this is rare among banks, or anywhere else. The tellers are very friendly, as are the bankers and managers. They will all go the extra mile to be helpful and welcoming.

My letter to Solano Ave Wells Fargo, January 16, 2013. Never heard back from them. Guess they don’t really care.
To whom it may concern:
Today, after eight years banking with Wells Fargo, I closed my last checking account. I was helped by three people and not one banker, teller or the manager
asked me why I was leaving Wells Fargo. I have been a loyal client for eight + years and have had multiple accounts with WF. I decided to leave WF for
a number of reasons:
1. Too large of a bank. Lacking personalized customer service. I never had a personal banker as employees were always changing.
2. Tellers are nice but ask the same question every time «Having any good plans for the weekend?»
I even was asked that by two tellers in one day. Seems very insincere when it comes twice in one visit! Left me thinking, Is that the question of the day?
3. $ 30 fee for my account when it was under $ 20,000 — this occurred as I was moving my money away from WF. My account held on an average $ 40 – 50,000 at most times during 8 years.
4. My new bank, First Republic, only charges a fee when checking accounts are under $ 3500.
5. Excessive ATM fees when using other banks’ ATMS. First Republic Bank charges NO ATM fees **ever** at any US bank or international ATM machines.
6. Sat down with a banker «Joel» who belittled me when I wanted only $ 50k in a home equity line. Told me «You have to do a minimum of $ 100K and it’s really not that much money as I do loans MUCH higher than that amount.» Well, to me that is a lot of money to be tied up in a credit line.
7. When I went to close my mother’s account, who had died in September 2012. The banker said «Ok, all done and I will transfer the balance to your account.»
This was never done and I continued to get statements for two months after. Not until I handed the December statement to the new manager, did it get dealt with.
It’s just disappointing in these current times to have such poor customer service. I have run my own business for 20 years and treat every customer with
respect — no matter if they are spending $ 99 or $ 3000. I know that my customers are my marketing and public relations. Happy customers stories are well received by friends, colleagues and bring more business my way. Poor customer service stories travel further and damage the longevity of your customer base and public image.
Best of luck!

I needed help transferring money to my son’s account, and everyone I came into contact with was helpful and friendly. This seems like a very caring bank with great customer service.

i just love this branch of Wells Fargo. Everyone is so friendly and you never have to wait in line. They have safe ATMS and sometimes they have cookies and coffee in the lobby.

just read the reviews of the bank, and feel inclined to say something much nicer. I find each of the many changing bank tellers incredibly nice and friendly. Also Kathy and Scott that work in the investment side are amazing — both for customer service and results. I have been working with them for over 20 years now, and very happily so. And I have a small car, so had never really thought about the much discussed parking lot.

Today I had the most unpleasant experience at the Wells Fargo Solano Branch, Berkeley. I have done all my banking since the 1980s at Wells Fargo. As others have mentioned, I agree that the service is getting worse. Last week, I called to order some Costa Rican currency for an upcoming trip (after a complicated and lengthy telephone run around, it seemed to have been organized finally). I was told they would get it in a week and gave me a definite appointment for today at 10 AM to pick it up. I would pay then and all would be in order. Friendly enough. Today, I got there at 10AM and found out that no order had been placed and acc. to the tellers, no other branch in town, or even in SF had any Costa Rican currency in stock ad could not get any till Monday which is too late for me. No other solution was offered except a suggestion to get it at the airport (always expensive) or by using my ATM card, once I got to CR for which they generously offered to wave the $ 5.00 fee just once! Great solution when I wanted the cash IN my wallet, to pay the taxi in local currency upon arrival! I was offered NO other help. They would not call another bank to see if they had the currency. «Sorry, it was because of a «mis-​communication», as the teller/​receptionist called it to whom I had spoken last week… She apologized… but that did not help me since time was of the essence. I leave on the weekend. Turns out that Mechanics Bank was able to help, they do foreign currency and indeed I could go there and pick it up, right there and then! BESIDES, Mechanics Bank does NOT charge $ 5.00 each time I use their ATM card when traveling abroad. I have had a Mechanics Bank account for that very reason for several years now… so maybe it’s time to switch all banking to Mechanics Bank! Friendly, competent and pleasant service!
EHP

This Wells Fargo Bank is at the top of Solano, and the first thing folks like me want to do is snag one of their parking spots and walk onwards. However, the Bank is wise to that and there is usually an underpaid «Security» guard watching the lot. If I just need money, I’ll park there, do my ATM business, and carefully exit to the side street on a narrow and sight impaired driveway. Other parking options in this neighbourhood include Andronicos, the small lot behind Mechanic’s Bank, or one the unmetered side streets. Of course from my Albany home, I could just walk!

My experiences at this bank, where I have banked for nearly 2 decades, are not good, especially lately. The management treats even established customers with large balances as if they are trying to pull something. I have had to come back over and over again to have this branch accept a Power of Attorney form that no other businesses have found problematic. Not much resourceful assistance available here.

This Wells Fargo parking lot is REALLY dangerous. There’s pedestrians all over the place, the spaces are tight, and the security guard in the lot could stand to help a little more. I got so frustrated trying to park then trying to get out that I think I will try to avoid this location as much as possible. Too bad I forgot to go to the bank nearer my house and ended up here.

I remember coming in here when I was 18 asking to open a Roth IRA. They told me point blank go somewhere else. They told me I was young and I could put my money in higher risk investments. Looking back I really appreciate that they were looking out for me and not just trying to earn a buck.