Smile banking - terrible online service?!

7sefton

OK - I've heard so much good about smile that I feel I might be the odd one out here, but is anyone else really disappointed with the online service?

Here's the problems so far:

- 'Available balance' is not updated instantly following a debit card payment
- Mini statement online does not have a 'balance' column, just money in and out
- Cannot change names of Standing Orders online
- Cannot include a reference in Money Transfers; must make a bill payment instead (even if the payement is to a savings account, not paying a bill!)
- Not alerted to new private messages when logging in
- General old-fashioned feel to the layout

I've emailed smile about this and they've sent me a nice email back, but doubt anything will be done. I'm quite unhappy and surprised about this, and am considering moving accounts because I use internet banking so much. Halifax and Nationwide blow smile out of the water!

Extant

7sefton wrote: »

- 'Available balance' is not updated instantly following a debit card payment

Nor should it - your available balance shouldn't be reduced until the entry actually posts to the account, only your balance should. Debit card payments start with an authorization, which is not always collected from your account - and some times relate to processing errors where a payment might be authorized twice.

This also depends on where and how the debit card transaction is made - if it's under the floor limit of your card, then the transaction wouldn't be processed until days, maybe hours, later.

I've emailed smile about this and they've sent me a nice email back, but doubt anything will be done.

What other company have you come across that tailored their services to you simply because you complained?

7sefton

BarclaysManager wrote: »

Nor should it - your available balance shouldn't be reduced until the entry actually posts to the account, only your balance should. Debit card payments start with an authorization, which is not always collected from your account - and some times relate to processing errors where a payment might be authorized twice.

In my experience, the available balance is reduced immediately after a debit card purchase or ATM withdrawal, with the actual/cleared balance being updated a few days later once the transaction has appeared on your statement. This does not happen with smile, unlike Halifax and Natiownide, and I want to know why. It also helps customers know exactly where they stand in terms of their balance, without having to remember recent transactions yet to appear. I.e. better money management.

As for the comment about expecting tailored services, a few points:

1. Smile make a big-deal about being open to suggestions and feedback from customers, and invite you to tell them what you would like improving.

2. Surely it is the customer's right to point out issues that affect the banking experience - issues which many other customers may have. The bank's way of doing things may not be the best, and it is customers who are best-placed to ask for improvements. (I speak as someone who has worked in Customer Relations for Lufthansa German Airlines.)

3. At least smile were polite in responding to my query - I'd dread to imagine dealing with you as an ambassador of Barclays.

Extant

7sefton wrote: »

It also helps customers know exactly where they stand in terms of their balance, without having to remember recent transactions yet to appear. I.e. better money management.

If you can't remember what you've recently spent, I doubt the way your balance is displayed is going to have any real impact on your ability to manage money.

As for the comment about expecting tailored services, a few points:

1. Smile make a big-deal about being open to suggestions and feedback from customers, and invite you to tell them what you would like improving.

2. Surely it is the customer's right to point out issues that affect the banking experience - issues which many other customers may have. The bank's way of doing things may not be the best, and it is customers who are best-placed to ask for improvements. (I speak as someone who has worked in Customer Relations for Lufthansa German Airlines.)

Please quote the part of my post where I said you didn't have a right to complain. I was making light of you saying "but doubt anything will be done." They're obviously not going to act on the suggestions of one customer, especially when what you might perceive to be "little changes" are actually considerably larger in reality and require both time and money to be thrown at them. Even if they did take your suggestion on board and decide to implement it, these things really aren't easy to action.

3. At least smile were polite in responding to my query - I'd dread to imagine dealing with you as an ambassador of Barclays.

What makes you think I'd act anything like I do around here with Barclays customers? I no longer have to work with customers, but when I did I was polite and courteous. However, as I'm sure you are aware, this is the internet.

savagej

If you have a Barclays bank account and check your balance before you use your debit card and say it is £100, you then go and spend £20 in Tesco, your balance will still show as £100 and your available balance will instantly show on-line as £80, both on-line, on an ATM, and on telephone banking. Your balance will then either drop to £80 when the debit hits, or the authoirsation will "fall off" if 3-4 days time otherwise.

Give it a try.

[Deleted User]

you will get familiar with smile before long OP. I have been with them and previously the co-op, for 28 years and it is a fantastic bank. If I have ever had a query then their cs has dealt with it straight away. Their online site is easy to use and I like the way I can keep a float in my savings account and just transfer what I need into current, instantly and I love dealing with a real person in GB. No complaints at all from me, only recommendations

Bernie

Another pro-Smile here, just checked, we are now on Statement 129 so that's over 10 years with them. We too were with the Co-op/Girobank - the first bank to operated via the Post Office so was also the first to be available on Saturday mornings. This also meant banking facilities were available wherever the PO set up with the military so basically anywhere the Queen sent me when in the RAF. Smile have provided my family and I with good, solid service at no cost over donkeys years.

Other sites may have better interfaces, we also have accounts with Cahoot, Natwest, Lloyds, Nationwide as we've moved ISAs and standard accounts because of our nomadic lifestyle. We've found that each one has slicker, neater solutions to little things (eg Cahoot is best for one-off payments, Smile definately aint)!

We've ended up always returning to Smile as our central core accounts using the others for eBay-ing, holidays money, whatever they're best at.

savagej

I am not knocking the Co-op I am with them as well and find their services is excellent, my only issue is that my available balance is not real-time as it is with other banks.

oldagetraveller

"- Cannot change names of Standing Orders online"
Yes you can. Cancel the existing SO and set up another.

"- Not alerted to new private messages when logging in"
Yes you are. The "Secure Message" pulses when there is a new one.

"- General old-fashioned feel to the layout"
Yes, simple to use! Sometimes "old fashioned" is best.

Been with smile for years and find them excellent in spite of the now v. poor interest rates which do not put me off. Rates not everything when it's possible to talk to someone in the U.K. who is polite, knowledgeable and understandable! There have been two occasions of fraudulent card use on my account and they were on to it straight away and sorted quickly with no subsequent loss to me.
If you don't like them then you have every right to go elsewhere. I tried it once and went back to smile/Co-op very quickly.

Slippy-23

Hi.. I've always found Smiles service to be superb.. I did notice something very odd yesterday afternoon though: My balance has been much higher for most of last month due to transferring some savings temporarily until I sort out a new savings account. Now the weird thing is that my interest for last month was showing less than half the amount it was for the previous three months even though I have about 10 times the amount in that I usually do! Also.. I was going to send them a secure message yesterday afternoon to query it and the site seems to be down.. hmm.

opinions4u

Slippy-23 wrote: »

Now the weird thing is that my interest for last month was showing less than half the amount it was for the previous three months even though I have about 10 times the amount in that I usually do!

Could that be anything to do with them dropping the rate to 0.12%?

Sometimes the most simple explanation is the right one.