Fifth Third Bank & ATM Tynecastle Hwy, Banner Elk

CAUTION! Ineffective and Unresponsive!! My first contact with the Banner Elk branch was on January 14, 2020 when I called to pursue a home equity line of credit. I spoke with the Financial Center Manager who did preliminary underwriting calculations, said the process would take approximately 50 days to complete, and told me that shortly I would hear from her "data gatherer" with a list of needed items (pay stubs, bank statements, etc.). The "data gatherer" took an astounding 3 weeks to get back to me (February 4). The process she required was cumbersome; nevertheless, I promptly submitted all required items and waited to hear back from the Financial Center Manager. I waited ... and waited ... and waited for another 39 days, until March 14 when, finally, the Finance Center Manager called to tell me the underwriting was complete but that a slightly smaller loan amount would be needed, to which I agreed. The call ended with her telling me I would hear back from her in a few days. I then endured another week of silence, until finally on March 23 I called the Finance Center Manager and left a voice mail message telling her "we need to talk." I also immediately called back and spoke with a person in the branch to stress the urgency of the situation. This person was very professional, and assured me she would immediately tell the Finance Center Manager that I called and that I needed to speak with her. As of April 15 -- a whopping 23 days from when I left my "we need to talk" messages -- I still have not been contacted! I understand that underwriting and closing schedules need to be fluid, but what is not and never will be fluid is the need - and courtesy - to stay in contact with your customer, particularly during stressful and uncertain (virus) times. Furthermore, as of April 15 a total of 92 days have passed since my first contact on January 15, and still I have nothing definitive from Fifth Third. They may attempt to blame their ineffectiveness on the Corona virus; however, much of the time they frittered away was during the January and February period when the virus impact was minimal. To put it in context, on March 24 I initiated an equity line application with a competing bank and closed in only 2 weeks for a higher amount, all the while the U. S. economy was in the midst of the full-on virus lock down. Simply put: Fifth Third failed where a competitor succeeded. In summary, the closing comment in the email sent to me by the Finance Center Manager following our initial chat on January 14 stated "Thank you for your interest in Fifth Third and we hope to earn your business." Their pathetic handling of this has earned only disdain. In my humble opinion, this branch of Fifth Third Bank is not a credible financial institution if you are considering getting a loan.

Just called about opening an account my construction project on Beech Mtn, the young lady was so nice and helpful, will be in to open an account soon!

Thanks, Fifth Third Bank. Professional & friendly people. ALWAYS helpful!!

Location, location, location and a respectful, intelligent staff too boot.