California Bank & Trust

Reviews

• CT

  Cynthia Trejo

  Sep 30, 2026
  1.0
  I’m writing this review to warn others about the horrible customer service my husband and I experienced at California Bank & Trust’s Brea branch. I say this as someone who has worked in the banking industry and understands how important customer service and client relationships are. I took great pride in making my customers feel valued and respected. My husband and I specifically left a large bank because we wanted the more personal experience of a smaller bank, where we would be treated like customers rather than numbers. Unfortunately, that is not what we experienced here. Even routine transactions seemed to take an excessive amount of time—often over an hour. I eventually dreaded going into the branch because of the way we were treated. Our experiences with Mary Jane were consistently unpleasant. There was rarely a friendly greeting, smile, or conversation. Her demeanor was cold and unwelcoming, and at times we were made to feel as though we were doing something wrong simply by conducting normal banking transactions. I do want to acknowledge Tran, who was always pleasant and helpful. I found myself hoping she would be available whenever I went in because my experiences with her were completely different. The final incident was enough for us to close our accounts. While my husband and I were on vacation, he received a paper payroll check issued through ADP because his direct deposit had not yet been established. The check was larger than his normal paycheck because it included his bonus and sales compensation. Since we were out of town, I asked my daughter to deposit it for us. I completely understood that, because of the amount, the bank might place an extended hold on the funds. That was never the issue. We simply wanted to get the deposit process started because we had bills to pay. After approximately 40 minutes, my daughter texted me because she had an appointment and needed to leave. I called the branch to ask if there was a problem. Mary Jane answered, and I explained that this was my husband’s legitimate ADP payroll check and that I understood there could be a lengthy hold. Instead of simply explaining the delay, she was extremely rude and dismissive. She told me that because I had called, it was now going to take even longer. She then said they might not accept the check and that we most likely would not be able to continue banking there. But what I found most unacceptable happened inside the branch. My daughter told me that the branch manager had approved accepting my husband’s ADP payroll check, yet Mary Jane refused to accept it anyway. According to my daughter, Mary Jane responded to her own manager, “No, I’m not taking it.” That was the final straw for me. This was no longer simply about a transaction taking too long. An employee refused to accept a legitimate payroll check after her own manager had approved the deposit. At that point, the interaction felt personal rather than professional. I told Mary Jane that I would be closing our accounts when I returned from vacation, and I was then placed on an extended hold. What makes this experience even more disappointing is that we were customers making substantial deposits into this bank. Having worked in banking myself, I understand that deposits and customer relationships matter to a branch. You would think a bank would want to build and retain those relationships, especially with customers who are actively bringing deposits and business into the branch. I certainly don’t expect special treatment because of the size of our deposits—but I do expect basic courtesy, professionalism, and to be treated like a valued customer. I have never been treated this poorly by a financial institution. The service we received from Mary Jane, along with the way this entire situation was handled by branch management, was cold, disrespectful, and completely unprofessional. We have decided to take our accounts and our business elsewhere. I hope leadership reviews the Brea branch because customers should never be made to feel like criminals.
• AA

  aceyorba

  Apr 2, 2026
  4.0
  Nice bank, great parking, nice employees
• JG

  Juan Gonzalez

  Mar 15, 2017
  5.0
  Excellent customer service. All staff greets walking clients. Ying Hoang does a superb job setting up new accounts.