Santander - a fresh start?

Gambit

Hey guys,

I had a thought today about the whole Santander merger. Are people out there seeing Santander as a new company and thus giving them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to customer service? Or do you still think they are Abbey/Bradford & Bingley/A&L underneath? I know it's the same staff that will be working there but will the new branding improve them?

Also I've had SO many problems with Abbey and think they have the worst customer service in the world but at the same time have used A&L who always seem to be very helpful. Should I assume Santander will provide customer service as bad as Abbey or as good as A&L?

Discuss...

dealer_wins

No - It'll still have the same staff so the customer service will be the same

I have found Abbey to have the most horrific customer service of any bank, in fact the only worse company I have ever dealt with was 3 Mobile.

With Abbey if you ever have a problem then it really is hours of misery on their call centre getting past from pillar to post.

I cant see it ever improving to be honest.

intranix

dealer_wins wrote: »

I cant see it ever improving to be honest.

why is that?

Gambit

Dunno - Will wait to see what others say about them in the next few weeks

dealer_wins wrote: »

I have found Abbey to have the most horrific customer service of any bank, in fact the only worse company I have ever dealt with was 3 Mobile.

With Abbey if you ever have a problem then it really is hours of misery on their call centre getting past from pillar to post.

I cant see it ever improving to be honest.

I see what you are saying but with Santander you wont just be dealing with ex-Abbey staff but also ex-Bradford and Bingley and ex-Alliance and Leicester staff. And while I've had terrible customer service from Abbey, I've had some good experiences with the other two. So can Santander be tarnished with Abbey's bad rep?

Anihilator

I'd suggest at least 90% of bank complaints/errors are actually related to people not understanding their terms, making mistakes or spending money they dont have.

Just easier to blame a bank.

Storck

Santander have owned Abbey for ages now, so I can not see much change. The other two brands and staff will just get phased out with Abbey taking over.

MoneySavingNovice

No - It'll still have the same staff so the customer service will be the same

Anihilator wrote: »

I'd suggest at least 90% of bank complaints/errors are actually related to people not understanding their terms, making mistakes or spending money they dont have.

Just easier to blame a bank.

There is truth to what you say, in my view, especially relating to people spending money they don't have.

However on the issue of customer services, however I do recall some time back making a simple mistake with the Abbeys on-line banking - nothing complicated I managed to enter the wrong account number in a small balance transfer. I realised more or less at once and rang Abbey to ask for there help to rectify the mistake. The responce from them once I got through was 'urr I won't help, I don't care its all your fault, I will transfer you to some one else who had the same shabby attitude. It took weeks and a lot of hassle to solve a simple problem.

I moved banks because of this - going for a bank which has a reputation for good customer service - and on only other occasion I have made a error found that 'smile' would solve anything there and then with people who actually wanted to help.

I know the bank I wouldn't be using ever again!

In seems to be easier not to make mistakes,

Gambit

Dunno - Will wait to see what others say about them in the next few weeks

Anihilator wrote: »

I'd suggest at least 90% of bank complaints/errors are actually related to people not understanding their terms, making mistakes or spending money they dont have.

Just easier to blame a bank.

Interesting view but I would have to disagree. Yes, there are a handful of people who probably make mistakes themselves but I doubt that 9 out of 10 people create their own problems. I've had a few problems with Abbey and I've not even used them that much:

1. Tried to transfer my account using their switching service. They said they would arrange to have my salary paid into the account and would contact my employer. After about 6 weeks I receieved a letter from a Camden employer saying that they were being sent letters from Abbey trying to get my salary paid into the account - I work in Kensington. What's more I opened this account in Kensington so no idea where they had the idea I worked in Kensington

2. I tried to open an Abbey Zero credit card more recently. I was given a photocopied credit card application and told to fill that out. After weeks of chasing it up I was told that the application dept could not read my application as the branch had faxed them my photocopied application and so it was very unclear.

dacouch

You cannot polish a t(_)rd

jessilu1

No - It'll still have the same staff so the customer service will be the same

Abbey are an absolute nightmare as a bank, if they were a doctor they'd be struck off by now, and nothing would convince me to bank with them ....however, I have had an account in the past with Santander Espana, and it was fine!!

biscit

Gambit wrote: »

Interesting view but I would have to disagree. Yes, there are a handful of people who probably make mistakes themselves but I doubt that 9 out of 10 people create their own problems.

I think he was going by the number who complain loudly about their problems.