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

Mags_cat

I've just switched my main current account to FD and I'm very impressed with them. I've had an ISA with them for a while and the customer service had been great.

The D/D switch went fine - one D/D failed, but I have the proof that FD did ask the company to change it, and the originator admitted they lost the paperwork so I can't blame FD for that. When I queried it, the FD staff member was very helpful and asked if I'd incurred any charges because of it which they offered to replay.

They have also just told me that the interest rate on my ISA has been wrong (their fault) for the last year. They have repaid the interest and given me another twelve months at an elevated rate to say sorry.

Can't fault them

Olipro

dfh wrote: »

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

was it really necessary for you to make such a comment to a thread started in March of last year?

I think someone needs to get the MSE team to add a necropost warning when people attempt to reply on such old threads... especially when their post adds *absolutely nothing of value* to the topic.

Tygermoth

Necropost or not............. thumbs up from me! Not one single problem, fast, helpful and never had to wait in a call queue.

Five star rating from me.

adamc260

glider3560 wrote: »

First Direct don't do and have never had any automated telephone services. It is actually one of their selling points. At the end of the day, does it really matter if you read your postcode to a computer or a human?

Aye like you say, I'd much rather get through to a person straight away and just give them my name and postcode than

'press option 1 for this' then you get 'press option 4 for this' then 'please say your postcode' etc etc... I'd rather just speak to a human and they get it right first time straight away ...

Martinslovechild

Hazzanet wrote: »

<rant mode>
This is something I absolutely detest to be honest. O2 call me by my first name regularly, without asking whether I'm comfortable with it, which I am not. It then makes it really awkward when I correct them by asking them to call me Mr Hazzanet.

It's a service-provider/customer relationship, not a chinwag over coffee; I'm their customer and that doesn't give them the right to call me by my first name.
</rant mode>

I hate banks calling me by my first name.

Mind you, my first name is Tosspot.:rotfl:

(only kidding!)

Hazzanet

Martinslovechild wrote: »

I hate banks calling me by my first name.

Mind you, my first name is Tosspot.:rotfl:

(only kidding!)

Hmm, would appear I'm one on my own here :P

I'm happy to reciprocate by calling the call centre person Mr/Miss/Ms/Mrs Smith. It may be helpful to elaborate why I don't like being called by my first name; the only person that would normally use it is my Mother... when she's gunning for my blood otherwise a nickname (not Tosspot incidentally) would be used

Still; I do feel first names are a little too informal for a bank/customer relationship and it's something that, in my experience, would rarely happen in a bank branch - only where there's anonymity over the 'phone.

tellmeitsfriday

I wonder if it's a gender thing... (I don't know whether you're male or female)

...but I rang them this morning, and the lady called me Miss .... the whole way through. In fact, I think that's normal (iirc)

michaels

New customers get all sorts of freebies for re mortgaging to FD (free valuation, legals etc) but for an existing customer they currently do not have any discounts off their £999 arrangement fee.

Not surprising that they are willing to pay out extra to get a new customer but a really customer service focussed bank would make sure that existing customers were not given inferior treatment.

pauljoecoe

I moved to FD in November as I opened a offset mortgage.

Moving current account with 20 or so direct debits and standing orders is no mean feat and all went very smoothly (bar 1 direct debit but that is not necessarily FD's fault - it could be the other organisation. FD to warn you to keep an eye out in the first month or so) including my £100 cash back. Also their 8% regular savings is one of the best at the moment.

I'm not too bothered by telephone service but I do like going straight to a UK based human being.

Their online service is good but not quite up to IF and Halifax that I have been using (and Halifax are about to upgrade theirs)

It seems to me that when you set up a DD or SO online at FD it is actually done by a real person and not an automated set up which seem odd.

I was disappointed that when moving initially it was a 0800 number and then as soon as you are a customer it goes to 0845.