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Are Lloyds taking the P***?
paulmcerlean
Posts: 831 Forumite
I applied for a new classic current account with Lloyds after reading good reviews and positive experiences. I applied on line and before Christmas received an acceptance letter saying the account had been opened for me with an £1000 overdraft.
The letter told me to pop into my local branch with a passport or drivers licence and my account would be opened and I would receive the account materials, debit card etc... within 3 - 5 days. Seems simple, straightforward and great!
Since that stage, all has gone wrong...
11.30am:
I called into my local branch (Southampton Row, London) and asked customer services who could help me complete my account opening. The polite Eastern European lady informed me she could assist and asked me for my passport to photocopy. This took 15 minutes which I felt was a little long but none the less, she came back asking me to sign the mandate form and informed me that she would now send the details to the direct bank accounts department who would complete my account opening.
I asked her what the time frame would be on this? Her response was: 11.50am :rolleyes: I left...
I called the number on my letter at around 14.00PM to ask them the question I had earlier not been given an answer to - the time frame from branch verification to getting my account materials / being able to transfer money from my old account.
She checked my reference number and told me I had to go back to the branch as the branch should have brought my account up on screen, and activated it, ordered the cards etc... and sent the photocopies to them. She confirmed that my account was still in the 'suspended' state as it had not been opened by the branch.
I went back to the branch shortly after (on a working day) and after checking with THREE people, they all insisted that branches do NOT activate accounts and their role is to photocopy and send the forms back and that direct accounts activate and open the account. They told me to call direct accounts today as the forms should have been with them and the account should be made live.
I called direct accounts today who told me the opposite again, and that I should visit an alternative branch who will do the job properly - i.e. bring the details on screen, verify the ID and order up the cards etc...
They even asked me to get the branch to ring them if they dont do it! I just dont get this?!
I mean I work full time - I allocated an hour to do this, not trek from branch to branch trying to find help opening an account.
Does someone know what I should do? Go to another branch? Call back direct accounts? I mean surely it cant be this hard to complete the opening of a current account!
The letter told me to pop into my local branch with a passport or drivers licence and my account would be opened and I would receive the account materials, debit card etc... within 3 - 5 days. Seems simple, straightforward and great!
Since that stage, all has gone wrong...
11.30am:
I called into my local branch (Southampton Row, London) and asked customer services who could help me complete my account opening. The polite Eastern European lady informed me she could assist and asked me for my passport to photocopy. This took 15 minutes which I felt was a little long but none the less, she came back asking me to sign the mandate form and informed me that she would now send the details to the direct bank accounts department who would complete my account opening.
I asked her what the time frame would be on this? Her response was: 11.50am :rolleyes: I left...
I called the number on my letter at around 14.00PM to ask them the question I had earlier not been given an answer to - the time frame from branch verification to getting my account materials / being able to transfer money from my old account.
She checked my reference number and told me I had to go back to the branch as the branch should have brought my account up on screen, and activated it, ordered the cards etc... and sent the photocopies to them. She confirmed that my account was still in the 'suspended' state as it had not been opened by the branch.
I went back to the branch shortly after (on a working day) and after checking with THREE people, they all insisted that branches do NOT activate accounts and their role is to photocopy and send the forms back and that direct accounts activate and open the account. They told me to call direct accounts today as the forms should have been with them and the account should be made live.
I called direct accounts today who told me the opposite again, and that I should visit an alternative branch who will do the job properly - i.e. bring the details on screen, verify the ID and order up the cards etc...
They even asked me to get the branch to ring them if they dont do it! I just dont get this?!
I mean I work full time - I allocated an hour to do this, not trek from branch to branch trying to find help opening an account.
Does someone know what I should do? Go to another branch? Call back direct accounts? I mean surely it cant be this hard to complete the opening of a current account!
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Comments
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They do seem to be giving you the royal run around, Personally I'd go open account with another bank, I'd also think about writing a letter to there customer service department to let them know of whats went on and ask them to raise this as a training issue with the staff, as someone doesn't have a clue what there doing0
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That would have been enough for me to tell them to stick it and go to another bank.
Complete idiots.0 -
I had a similar experience when opening an account with Cooperative - in the end I told telephone banking to ring the branch and sort it between themselves. They rang back with a named person (assistant branch manager) who I was to ask for. Then wrote a letter of complaint and got a few tenners credited to my account.
Declutterbug-in-progress.⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️0 -
I concur with Stella...Starting Debt: ~£20,000 01/01/2009. DFD: 20/11/2009 :j
Do something amazing. GIVE BLOOD.0 -
But surely they open new accounts everyday? How can they be so unaware of their own procedures!!!!!!!!!!!!!?0
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It may have something to do with the competitive nature of different departments within the bank.paulmcerlean wrote: »But surely they open new accounts everyday? How can they be so unaware of their own procedures!!!!!!!!!!!!!?
If internet banking opens an account it is that person who gets any 'credit' for the 'sale' - the person sitting in the branch gets nothing even though they have to spend time with you getting everything sorted.
Not great customer service but understandable in the world we live in.0 -
jonesMUFCforever wrote: »It may have something to do with the competitive nature of different departments within the bank.
If internet banking opens an account it is that person who gets any 'credit' for the 'sale' - the person sitting in the branch gets nothing even though they have to spend time with you getting everything sorted.
Not great customer service but understandable in the world we live in.
As you just said, I bet they are in competition with each other.
If you 've opened your account via the website, as far as the branch staff are concerned, you may as well have opened it with another bank, no credit to be earned for the sale/helping out.Originally Posted by Dr Cuckoo3
Your bank and bank card does say something about the kind of person you are: Big 4 banks=sheep;),Santander=someone who doesnt mind incompetence:p,COOP=Ethical views,a campaigner:cool:,First Direct/Coventry=someone who thinks they are better than others:o,NI Bank card when living on the mainland=Aspergers0 -
As you just said, I bet they are in competition with each other.
If you 've opened your account via the website, as far as the branch staff are concerned, you may as well have opened it with another bank, no credit to be earned for the sale/helping out.
If that is the case they should look at the wider picture.
P**s your general customers off and they leave 'the' bank and also pass the negative experience to potential new 'sales'.0 -
If it was me I would call the bank while you are in your local branch, and put them on the phone to each other. Followed by a letter of complaint, detailing any costs these phone calls might have incurred.0
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Don't shoot the messenger!stella2009 wrote: »If that is the case they should look at the wider picture.
P**s your general customers off and they leave 'the' bank and also pass the negative experience to potential new 'sales'.
If YOU the customers don't tell the bank what they want it will continue!!0
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