First Direct - am I the only one to think they're rubbish?

WASHER

FD are absolutely fantastic, in every way, never been rude to me, always found them very polite and very helpful. Even when I got my card details stolen a couple of weeks ago, and i didn't notice anything unusual on my account, the fraud team phoned me and within minutes the card (which I still had and not lost) was stopped and a replacement was sent two days later and the money taken from my account by the card fraud refunded the same day.

I wouldn't bank with anyone else. EVER.

anselld

Rupert_Bear wrote: »

When Kaufphing Edge had a call centre I rang them a few times and it was all very friendly and greeted me like a long long customer or friend.

However when they went into administration and the advisors knew their fate was sealed it was very different story. I remember ringing to find out about my savings and the person answered the phone with the words
Yes what do you want.

I thought how fickle and false these chicken factories are.

The difference is FD were one of the first ( if not the first) into direct banking. They have been doing this constently well for a very long time.

Not only that they are one of the few banks which are not owned or part owned by the Government and did not hoover up vast amounts of tax payers money to survive the banking crisis.

Some may be fickle but no sign of that at FD.

TighterThanTwoCoatsOfPain

cottager wrote: »

Can be done. Pre-filtering, menus or voice methods, and some work really well.......
.........Some you verbally answer auto-questions before being put through, some you key in account details from the keypad
.

Its funny what different people like...

Granted, as an example of our intelligent technology can be i find it impressive, HOWEVER, i detest using this sort of system on a day to day basis..

I can ring FD and have me account details on screen and query answered in less than 1 minute by the first person that answers usually.. Much quicker than the time it takes to correct the automated system that didnt recognise my account number or surname...

Computer: "Did you mean xyz...."
ME: "No I didnt mean that, i meant what i said the first time!" :rotfl:

No better start to good customer service than speaking to the right person, first time answering the phone without so much as 23 rings..

FD for the win! :beer:

SparciaM

I think FD are better than most banks. They still have their faults, but not as bad as others. The major problem I had with them, was when they sent my new cc to a shut down HSBC branch (as they couldn't send it to my home address without a signed for courier server and couldn't give a time on the day when they'd arrive - meaning staying in all day), and then because the branch was shut down the card was sent back to FD, who then decided to send it to a depot in London (I'm in Manchester) and not bother telling me. After calling up three times, we got down to the problem, but still they had no way of knowing when they could get the card from London to Manchester, so I told them to just cancel the card and send a new one to my work (that way I'll be in to sign for it). They then sent it to my work, via regular mail and left it at the main desk reception open. It was a right shambles, thankfully after a few more phone calls they admitted their error and gave me compensation for all the trouble.

My only two minor gripes with them are when you call up and (in my experiences), the first advisor is just a welcome and advisor and knows very little and so they have to always ask other departments all transfer you through (as FD told me, that they have a department for c/a, department for savings etc and the people that answer the phone are the basic 'hello, can I help' advisors), and when they have transferred me through to another department they never mention I'm being transferred and just put me on hold and then I get someone else on the line. FD apologised for this, saying that the advisor should always say when you are being transferred.

Overall they are a good bank and their internet banking site is good to use, if a little out of touch. When I don't have to call or deal with them everything goes fine

EarthBoy

I've never been transferred to another adviser. On the rare occasions I've had to ring First Direct, the person who answered the phone has always been able to help me with my current account, bills payments, savings and credit card. They certainly haven't been just a "welcome person".

TheEffect

I moved to first direct from HSBC and personally do not find them that much better. Sure their phone banking is better then HSBC's, but I do not ring them enough for it to affect me that much. First directs internet banking is rubbish compared to HSBC's.

Sure they're a great bank for customer servic, but they lack the latest technology. I believe every bank offers something different and it just depends on what you're looking for.

I will be sticking with first direct for now though.

cottager

TighterThanTwoCoatsOfPain wrote: »

Its funny what different people like...

I didn't say I liked it
But if it's done well and a good system, it can be very efficient. Personally I don't have any strong feelings one way or the other, whether it's automated/pre-filtered or getting straight through to a human and answering questions that way -- still the same end result, so I've no preference as long as it works well.
I was only answering the comment by dfh, 'How can anybody answer a telephone call using a first name unless they know who you are.'

[BTW, if they're aware of who I am before we speak and then greet me with my first name, I don't really mind TBH, but it's something I do still 'notice' as it's a more recent development than I've been accustomed to for most of my life. I'm sure it must be a generational thing: I was born early 50s, and when I worked in a customer-facing job and answering/making calls, I wouldn't have dreamt of addressing anyone by their first name unless invited to, young or old alike: it was considered unprofessional, so was always Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms Bloggs. Now I accept we've moved on into the 'friendly approach' so I don't actually mind but do still notice. What I mind rather more is when a complete stranger who I don't know from a bar of soap, who I've never spoken to before, phones me up from a company and kicks off by asking how I am. Totally irrelevant; just get on with whatever you want to say!]

On answering calls, and casting the net wider than just banks etc, what I cannot abide are:

(a) hanging on for hours and losing the will to live, while being told my call is 'important to us'; but it seems there's no avoiding it these days in many cases.

(b) endless multi-option menu choices, where it's often not clear which is the one I need, and where it's apparently impossible to choose one which gets me to a human being. Perfect example is BT. When I've needed to speak to a real person about something I have redialled several times, been sure to take different options from previous attempts, and still never found the route to a real person; then given up and written a letter instead. Has anyone discovered, as I have more than once, that it's quite possible to follow certain choices and arrive at a dead-end, and be cut off? An atrocious system in my view, ill thought out, decidedly unhelpful and user-unfriendly. Royal Mail is quite similar.

Thank heavens the banks and building societies I've come into contact with have not been anywhere near this low level, no matter what system they employ. I don't have any personal experience of FD, only through reading many favourable and positive comments on MSE.

stella2009

I guess it's down to each persons preference.

Personally I would opt to speak to a human straight away over any other method.

I absolutely detest IVRs and the endless routes they can take etc

I call First Direct and within seconds the call is answered and within another few seconds security is done and we are chatting about the nature of the call.

You won't get that from an automated system.

dfh

FD have UK Based Call Centres and they are quick and efficient.

nearlyrich

You have to be joking right?

Do you think they give each customer a different phone number and they have someone on call waiting for you to ring? My assistant must be pretty bored as I only call occaisonally.

I have to say I have been a customer since early 1992 and I have rarely had cause to moan, I had an experience with Barclay's call cantre a few weeks ago and to be honest if they were the only alternative I would put my money under the bed.