'I lost my rag in a Lloyds TSB branch' blog discussion

kcm2010

I work for one of the main call centres, I just wish everyone would stop giving us a hard time. I go out of my way to do as much as I can for the customers I speak to on a daily basis.
Everyone's quick enough to talk down about call centres but in all honesty I'd love to work in branch but it's seen as a backwards step because of the pay cut.
I can understand when customers like Martin are stuck in that 'loop', where nobody seems too concerned about helping you. I'm sure they would've found your details over the phone if you said you wanted to buy a product. (They would've bent over backwards).

alexuk86

I feel martin's pain with banks.

I was with halifax for several years, and last year decided to change to alliance and leicester (on MSE recommendation, for the £100 incentive and the 5% interest), but when i came to closing my account with halifax i had the worst time of my life.

I think in total it took 7 phone calls, 2 trips to the branch, 2 paper forms posted to halifax and 4 MONTHS of effort! (on top of that i was effectively called a liar by one member of the telephone customer service staff.)

The only think i could think was that they were so desperate to keep me as a customer that they did everything to stop me leaving. The sad thing was, with a little customer service skill i would have never considered leaving halifax.

Kiyo

I can't even type about LloydsTSB without getting progressively more and more angry thinking about how I have been treated by them over the years. I would have closed my current account with them years ago except they have had me over a financial barrel ever since I left university in 1999 and I still haven't managed to escape from them. Even a member of staff in one of their own branches has advised me to put in a formal complain when she spoke to the call centre on my behalf and couldn't get any sense or tolerable level of customer service from them. Needless to say I have a complaint pending with the Banking ombudsman.

MothballsWallet

Martin's experience makes it seem like Lloyds TSB is run by a former USSR Party Boss, because that's like how you used to have to shop in the good old USSR, for example, to buy from the deli counter:

1. Queue for the deli counter.
2. Ask for what you wanted.
3. Get given a receipt for it.
4. Go and queue for the till.
5. Produce first receipt and pay for goods.
6. Get given a second receipt.
7. Return to the deli counter and queue again.
8. Produce second receipt and (finally, are you still awake?) get your goods.

See? Complicated way beyond the need for it.

BizzyLiz_2

I spent years working in a bank, and I've never heard of an account that 'doesn't really have a sort code'. Bank accounts are identified by means of the location (sort code) and number (specific account), because the same numbers may be used in different locations (I've seen it) (building societies operate different systems). Even if this was some sort of online account, surely there would still be a sort code because without it how could Martin transfer money into it from another account at the same bank? How could he put money into it from a different bank?

Very odd.

karatedragon

If they are THAT bad then surely he should follow his own advice and "Ditch and Switch"

pinkdrink

So glad to hear i'm not the only one who has suffered outrageously poor customer service at LTSB. I was so gobsmacked by my treatment (very much like Martin's) that i have now closed all my accounts with them as of last week. I would highly recommend everyone else do the same!

Candigirl69

I too have now closed all my LTSB accounts, because of my recent problems... I am gobsmacked at how bad this bank has got over the past year. There is no real level of customer service, and they only show interest in you if your coming up as eligiable for some banking product they want to palm off on you!! FedUpBankStaff is totally right, it doesn't matter what your job title is, I think even their cleaners have sales targets!! I was recently on the phone to clearence section to confirm a payment into my account and was asked if I'd like to buy their Home Insurance... Bit of a joke as I had already bought this policy, but they got my address wrong and sent all my personal Insurance info to my neighbour. Needless to say, I told them where to go!

jonesMUFCforever

Can I ask what sort of account is it?

John_Pierpoint

I've been an executor of a relations will twice in 5 years.

This means I have had to sort out bank current & savings accounts about which I know nothing.

Lloyds TSB: Well meaning but a bit chaotic - printed out bits and pieces there and then in the branch, but I had to write in to a bereavement section to get the full details.

Abbey: I'm sorry we have not got anyone suitable for probate information this afternoon - you will have to come back tomorrow.
Me: ...but I've made an appointment!!
This isn't rocket science, I'm not coming back tomorrow (1 hour round trip) I'll stand here at the counter until someone is free.......................................................
Eventually someone knowledgeable was found and I got the information needed by the tax man. I also heard someone else complaining that my presence had stopped her "getting off early".

Alliance and Leicester - Helpful but a bit Mickey Mouse:
Me: Can I open a trustee account - ie an account for the executors during the administration.
A&L: ??!!?? We don't do that here you will have to telephone this number.
[A&L did do some sort of trustee's account but with a fee and it all felt a bit like nobody would know the rules]
..........................................................................................
Me: I need to send a largish sum to the tax man paying IHT, rather than risk it in the post, can I pay it in here through BACS?
A&L: No but you could do it using your telephone banking service.
[In the event I paid it over the counter at the Bank of England.
Note: The tax man has recently changed his banking arrangements - causing a modicum of chaos - so if you are trying to beat a tax payment deadline check HMRC's site for their latest banking arrangements.]

Barclays: Words fail me.
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/31340073#Comment_31340073

HSBC: Brilliant, knowledgeable woman in my local branch, had forms to hand. Photo copies at the ready. Figures needed for probate. Tips for cashing dividend cheques during the probate period. Address and reference number for the bereavement department of the bank.
Bereavement department handled any other queries in writing promptly.
THIS IS THE STANDARD THAT THE 2,000 PEOPLE A DAY WHO DIE DESERVE.

Portman Building Society - opened an executors' account - no problems knowledgeable staff. Collected a bonus when they were taken over by Nationwide (who "don't do executors' accounts").

Yorkshire Building Society: Charming young woman in the branch filled in the forms to open an executor's account BUT could not get the computer system to accept them. Computer help people out of their depth.
I wrote to Head Office and got the glitch sorted out.

Investec Bank Opened a High Five account at head office to hold funds during the probate period. Expecting problems I called in at the head office.
Knowledgeable South African bank staff knew what they were doing.
[This account is no longer available to trustees - my deposit is under notice of withdrawal]