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

noh

or just dial the number as stated with the +44

SuiDreams

I've never had a problem with FD, think they are great. Love the fact that the phone is answered by a human and not some automated service. It can take ages to manage to get transferred to a human and then you still get transferred elsewhere, the people answering the phones at FD can answer most questions and just transfer you for the more complicated ones. With other banks you can get transferred to 3 or 4 different people before you get your problem solved.

FD will also call you back at an allotted time, and they always call when they say they will.

suburbanwifey

dfh wrote: »

An excellent bank like FD does not need a rubbish customer like you.

I agree with you! That lady above sounds the patronising one and its perfectly logical that First Direct customer service staff ask your post code at the first point of contact so that they can access your details so to better serve you.

I've been with them since almost they first started (around 16 years) and had many calls with them, they are courteous, professional, always solve your problem if you have one (maybe I have had 3 in 16 years and it wasnt their fault!) and they do what they can for you.

I am quite sure that First Direct do not want a customer like the poster we both speak of.....goodness me! she should open an account with Santander or Barclays to really see what rubbish banks are like! :eek:

suburbanwifey

username wrote: »

Well they've "disguised" it as the "international" number, so the majority of people will just ring the 0845. A lot of places do this to be 'annoying' as they probably do get a few pence kickback per call.

The only shock comes in when people get their mobile bill through and find they're being charged 30/40p per min for calling an 0845.

In my time of being with FD I have never rung the 0845 and have never had any problems on the 0113 number.

Top tip for any company which has "international" phone numbers, drop the +44, and replace with a 0 and you're laughing - a phone call for a fraction of the 0845 cost.

I always phone them on the 0113 number (minus the +44) and never once have they complained.

7sefton

dfh wrote: »

An excellent bank like FD does not need a rubbish customer like you.

What a stupid comment. Can you explain how an 'excellent' bank gave me such rubbish (i.e. completely incorrect) information about their £100 switching offer? Then maybe rephrase your comment... it's people like you who give FD a cult status that, in my experience, is a tad over-the-top

7sefton

suburbanwifey wrote: »

I agree with you! That lady above sounds the patronising one and its perfectly logical that First Direct customer service staff ask your post code at the first point of contact so that they can access your details so to better serve you.

I've been with them since almost they first started (around 16 years) and had many calls with them, they are courteous, professional, always solve your problem if you have one (maybe I have had 3 in 16 years and it wasnt their fault!) and they do what they can for you.

I am quite sure that First Direct do not want a customer like the poster we both speak of.....goodness me! she should open an account with Santander or Barclays to really see what rubbish banks are like! :eek:

Same applies to you.

oxenryd

7sefton wrote: »

From what I've read on here and elsewhere, perhaps my expectations of First Direct were *too* high, but...

First time I called, to ask about procedures for paying into a FD account at an HSBC branch. The lady was incredibly patronising and spoke to me like I'd never been into a bank branch before. She also left loads of awkward pauses in the conversation and didn't make me feel comfortable asking any more questions. She also hung up before I'd said 'thanks, bye.'

Second time I called, I wanted to know if I could claim the £100 bonus if I switched my current account to FD even though I already hold an e-ISA with them. The advisor said that holding a savings account already would still entitle me to the £100 switching bonus because it was 'having a bank account that mattered'. She then put me through to someone in the applications department to get the ball rolling. Before I went ahead with the application though I thought I would double check, and the second advisor told me the advice I had previously been given was totally incorrect. Regardless of the type of product held, if you already had a relationship with FD you did not get the £100 bonus.

And another thing - they make such a big deal about answering each call personally, but the first thing they ask for is a postcode so they can track you down on their computer. I know this is necessary, but the way they advertise you would think they answered the call using your first name or something! They are impersonal as all the other bank call centres I've dealt with.

Not great at all. The advice I received was confused, and the service wasn't exactly warm. I think perhaps FD rely too much on the heaps of praise poured on them every day and consider themselves beyond reproach. I'm sticking with the Co-op Bank.

I know this might be unusual and perhaps unpopular, but I just needed to get it off my chest!

I understand what you mean, don't get me wrong I have an account with them and love them/would not move away, but the way they promote themselves you are bound to have very high expectations - their fault really for raising the bar so high - which means at the slightest mistake you will be very disappointed.

I had the same problem but with Coop last year, opened an account but had a few questions so rung them, the guy on the phone sounded soooooooooooo bored and patronising when answering so I closed my account days after.

Wyndham

I could join the 'First Direct are not as good as they think they are' club!

I've had real problems with my direct debit transfer to them. First Direct sent out the orders, but 5 out of the 15 didn't then set up the new direct debit. FD told me they had confirmed and it was nothing to do with them. Given the levels of service they purport to give, I'd have thought they would do at least one chase on those which didn't come through. Or am I being unrealistic? I think I relaxed as their website and literature assured me it would be hassle free - and it really, really wasn't.

The other thing is the postcode 'identification' process. I have a joint account with my husband who also has the same postcode as me. One time I rang, gave the postcode, then name, then was asked for security information. They then told me that I'd given the wrong information. When I said I was confident I hadn't, he double checked my initial then said 'oh, OK' - so I think I can conclude that hubby and I don't have the same password

So, not 100% impressed, but am thinking that they may be the best of a bad lot - though I still might take the £100 for moving away just on principle for the DD fiasco.

Rich1976

While I like First direct overall, I agree that they boast about their service levels to a certain extent that when thrings go wrong the customer is left disappointed.

They messed up one of my direct debits when i moved to them because they don't give the dd companies enough notice to change their records. An DD was supposed to come out of my account on the 5th but the DD company only received the details the day before - by which time they had already applied to my previous bank - who had already deleted the DD off the system at the request of first direct.

When I phoned fd to moan about it they couldn't care less and just said it is the responsibility of each company to update their records - but how can they when they have already applied to take the dd from my old account!!

I don't very often phone them but when I have some of their advisors have come across as bored and uninterested and not the chatty 'be your friend' type that they claim to be.

DrSyn

Could 7sefton work for another bank, I wonder?