I called Ally Bank because I wanted to talk to someone about what they could offer me if I chose to open a savings account. While I have looked over their online website extensively, I find that sometimes when you talk to someone you learn about options that might not be highlighted online. Of course, banks usually have intricate directories so I really wasn't sure what to expect when calling.
There are dozens of reasons why people might end up calling Ally Bank including problems with their bank accounts, signing up for new bank accounts, or reporting fraud. Therefore, I could understand if I ended up on hold for a while, but I actually got through the call line pretty easily. This made me happy because if you choose a company for an online bank, you want strong customer support since you can't just go into a branch office for help when you need it.
When I first called, the phone line said, "Welcome to Ally Bank. Please enter the account number you would like to access followed by the hash key." This was slightly annoying because I don't have an account number. I kept saying I didn't have an account number and it repeated itself three times before finally acknowledging that and saying, "For quality assurance purposes your call many be monitored and recorded. Please stay on the line to talk to a live agent." There was only a second wait and then I was instantly connected with an agent named Dave. This means it only took a little over a minute to talk to someone. Dave was helpful but had a bit of a catch in his voice that made him hard to understand. Regardless, I got the information I needed and would call again if needed.