I want you to read this quote attributed to John Carroll of HSBC Bank USA: “The importance of knowing and understanding the local market is ingrained in our corporate culture. Being local means more than just speaking the language, our offices around the world are staffed by local people who understand local customs and needs.”Is that so?Phone the Customer Care Centre. They aren’t Bermuda-based and there sure as heck aren’t any Bermudians talking to you.I learned this yesterday when I phoned there three times.The reason? On Saturday, I went online to purchase plane tickets to Australia.My wife, daughter and I are flying down there in August. Well, we are hoping to anyway. Our bank accounts are with HSBC and when it came time to paying the fare, which came to nearly $4000, I dutifully, as I have done countless times in the past, gave my debit card number to Qantas.Done. Accepted. No problems.This was until Sunday afternoon, when Qantas phoned me to say my card was declined by the bank.I called Customer Care, the number you find on the back of your HSBC card. Bermuda’s branch of HSBCs Customer Care is a middle-aged Malaysian man bearing an English name (mine was Irwin) trying to speak fluent English. He was in Malaysia, a fact he confirmed when asked.“Aghh, “ he said. “This is the problem. You only have a debit card and the limit is $2000 a day. That’s why it was declined by the merchant.”Hmmm, I muttered, “OK, could I get the limit raised for today so I can pay the fare please?”“No. That service has changed in Bermuda and we are allowing only $2000 limit per day of debit cards, sir,” he explained.“I am sorry sir but you will have to get the bank account details from the merchant and transfer money into his account.”“This is Qantas. They aren’t going to give me their private bank details so I can deposit money into their account. I have to have my limit raised.”He insisted that HSBC would not allow this.“Sir, the only other way is to buy one airfare today, and one for your wife tomorrow, then your daughter the next day.”What!“Are you an imbecile, Irwin?” I yelled. “I may not even get us all on the same flight, let alone sitting together. That’s the stupidest idea I have ever heard.”“I’m sorry sir, if you think it is stupid, but the service is no longer available to up the limit, so if you can’t get the merchant’s account details and you don’t want to buy the tickets over multiple days, I can’t help you get to Australia.”I hung up, and like all good husbands, complained to my wife. A look of panic overwhelmed her at the thought we may be trapped on the rock indefinitely.I phoned a new HSBC in Bermuda number on Monday. A pleasant Bermudian woman answered. I explained my story, and she said, “He should not have said that to you. He should have raised the limit. I have not heard that it has changed. What you need to do is complain to the manager of the Customer Call Centre, Jason Jacobs. He’ll fix this for you.”In the next moment, I was patched through ... and a Malaysian voice came on the line.“Hello, my name is Irwin, may I please be of assistance to you?”I yelled: “Irwin ... is that you? We spoke yesterday about my airline tickets.”“Yes sir I remember, you called me an imbecile. How may I help you today, sir?”I asked him could I speak to Jason Jacobs please.“Arghh, Mr Jason will want to know what is the nature of your call, sir. So, what is the nature of your call?”What!“Irwin, I want my limit raised or an alternative way to pay for my airline tickets and I am running out of hours before they sell my seats to someone else. That’s the nature of my call.”“OK, sir, let me see if he is available........no, I am sorry, Mr Jason is in a meeting and will not be able to assist you. Can I be of service, sir?”What!“Irwin ... no. You already said you can’t help. Can I leave my number for him to phone me back?”Jason Jacobs never phoned me back.My limit remains at $2000, as does yours if you have a debit card.Irwin did explain that if I took out a credit card, I could pay for my airfares. I don’t want a credit card.In the end I used my $2000 daily limit and my wife’s $2000 daily limit and our seats are secured ... together.I wanted to phone Irwin back and share my good news, apologise for the imbecile remark but I will wait until Jason Jacobs phones me.I’ll share my breakthrough with him.