First Direct / HSBC Customer service....

SHunt64

Advice please: I want to change my account from Abbey to somone else with better customer service. Research suggests that First Direct is great for customer service ( amongst other things ). But First Direct is part of HSBC which has a poor reputation for customer service ( apparently ). I can't square these conflicting views. Any thoughts anyone?


Thanks to all of you below for your thoughts - very helpful !!!!

skyrider007

FirstDirect is really nice but HSBC isn't that bad (just deal with enquiries by yourself over online banking rather than through a branch or telephone). I bank with HSBC and rare encounter any problem with them apart from the occasional long wait at the branch or talking with foreign call centre staff.

Grandmasu

First Direct are absolutely brilliant, rarely have to wait long for the phone to be answered and always what feels like a genuinely pleasant reply. I am just experimenting with on line banking with them and the system seems quite easy and all the back up you need on the phone by people who don't make you feel stupid.

I would recommend them every time.

username

First Direct have been pretty good for me. Always happy to answer enquiries, and you can use all of the HSBC gadgetry at their branches, such as the cash deposit machines (pay in notes and it hits your account straight away) and statement machines.

The only snag I have had with First Direct is their insistent use of rubbish courier service, SMS - (e)Special(lly useless) Mail Services to send cards out first time if you live in an area which they have had incidents of mail being tampered/intercepted. Seems they have large swathes of the country - I was told that the entire KT1 - KT24 area has to have their cards delivered by this "courier".

I've had a debit and a credit card not successfully delivered by this company, and for the debit, I waited in ALL day and not a single person came. I complained to FD and they paid me £25 compensation.

Same nightmare situation for the credit card, although I might have missed the courier as I wasn't in during the morning (and wasn't aware that it was going to be delivered, because the woman at FD insisted that 5-7 "working days from the date of signing up to the card).

Still, what bloody courier doesn't leave a calling card - yup, you guessed it, SMS. :mad:

Milarky

Whilst First Direct are very good at customer service there are some areas where I find their internet banking is a bit less than brilliant.

For example standing orders are requested - not set up by the customer - single payment arrangements cannot be amended once created. Small things perhaps, but worth highlighting. I actually found the HSBC online equivalent features much more 'user friendly'

So I agree with skyrider007 that HSBC is very good - as long as you do most/all your banking out of a branch

Cranston_2

I joined FD back in 1991 and have been with HSBC since 1980s.

No bank is perfect but both are OK. On balance I would recommend FD. When things go wrong they sort it out better then HSBC.

nzseries1

I've never had a problem with HSBC. Once my 6 months are up with First Direct I will be moving back to HSBC as FD's internet banking is awful.

KiKi

I can't fault FD's customer service. You get to speak to an actual person, it's quite refreshing.

Their internet banking system is criticised by some as not being as advanced as others, but it certainly does what I need it to, it covers the basics. And if you can't do it, you can just call them up.

I moved to them and wouldn't move back out yet!

KiKi

SparciaM

If you wanted to call a bank and not press buttons then First Direct, other than that I'd say HSBC or any of the others.

SMS is terrible, the internet banking is just annoying mainly cause you can't amend or delete one off transfers - you have to not use them for 13 months before they drop off.

I have 4 transfers, all to the same account but had to be differences references - so now they are just sitting there and as I make these transfers reguarly I worked out I'd have about 20 sitting there, which is just plain annoying.

Don't believe anything you read online, as FD say BACS take 4 days and will not budge and their online system will only show 4 days as well, so you never know when it'll get there without checking.

They are friendly on the phone, but useless in doing more than one thing. You speak first to a 'welcome advisor' who knows the basics. Wanna talk about anything else or do different things you'll be past round to different departments. One call I had I was passed to 5 different people (without even being told they were going to transfer me), was infuriating. Thankfully, I'm moving away from them and don't have to deal with it all anymore.

Rigoletto_2

This is all very interesting and helpful. I am thinking about moving the mortgage to FD offset and as a prelude, thought I would transfer my current account first. Perhaps I should do it the other way round if the c/a service is a bit lacking. I was then going to move the cash ISAs as they take ages to sort out, then savings accounts, then finally the mortgage when my current deal expires next May.

Specifically, do people find that the automatic sweeps from c/a to savings account work, or are they unreliable? The thought of having numerous stand- alone transfers that don't expire for a year is beginning to put me off!

Thanks for all the info.

7sefton

For what it's worth, HSBC are TERRIBLE. Branches are shabby, staff rude, queues for the few counter positions long, inflexible procedures, foreign call centres who can't answer basic questions, mountain of paperwork, confusing online banking... stay well clear.