I have some advice, but it may be too late. (In the least, it may help you if you're ever confronted with a similar situation.)

Complain. Complain complain complain. Complain to the branch manager, complain to the area manager, complain to the city manager, complain to the regional manager, complain to the regional vice president.

Complain loud enough and high enough, at least with ERAC, you will usually get just about anything you want. Go high enough and someone whose salary won't be greatly effected by reimbursing you will be happy to sacrifice that in the name of good customer service. (See managers are tight because they make money off of one branch, area managers off of a handful of branches, their boss off of more, etc...)

You'll get what you want or some other form of compensation 99% of the time.