'Which is the worst customer service bank?' poll discussion

jet9cat

First Direct are excellent, can't praise or recommend them enough when it comes to customer service although I agree with a previous poster who said thier rates are defintiely not the best.

My husband has an account with Abbey/Santander as the only people who would give him an account following his bankruptcy but we use it as little as possible because I can spend my entire lunch break in the branch waiting to pay something in - no staff doing basic cashier duties at the busiest time of day.:(

I banked first with Midland, then HSBC, now First Direct. I've never had a problem until recently when a dodgy satellite repair service company conned me into setting up a direct debit which I then cancelled but they took the moeny 2 months later anyway. One phone call to UK based First direct call centre, no automated menu or recorded messages, straight through to hhuman being who not only saidf would sort the problem but did, crediting my account back within 2 hours. Always excellent service on phone or internet.:)

Kernow_Kid

Halifax - customer service = absolute pants .

Our local branch is usless, everytime i go in there they seem to be training somone new.
They only have 3 counters, so having one taken up by a trainee being taught how to type slows things down.

But they only ever have 2 open - even during dinner or after 4pm when it's at it's busiest.
More annoying is that they have 1 staff member wandering around asking people in the queue if they want to use the 'fast pay-in' system, where you fill out your detals on an envelope and post your check or cash in a box.
I did ask the wanderer if she could go behind the counter and help out instead (after she asked more than 20 people in vain), and she said 'NO!' in a loud voice, as if i'd asked her for her eyes

If they do have 3 people at the tills, then one of them isn't open, it's just occupied by someone doing paperwork. Why can't they do that at the back of the bank, so people don't have to walk up to them only to be turned away.

I can't believe how many times I've had problems with the staff - the ultimate was when one member of staff said 'Congrats on your pregnancy' to my OH, when she was swollen up all over due to an allergic reaction!
She had never met her before (we had only just opened our account), so would have had no idea whether she was pregnant or not.
The loud dressing down she got from my OH was probably matched by the one from the manager - who we made sure was present when we complained.

If it wasn't for the good rates we get then we wouldn't go there again.

Sagapam

Been with A&L 10years, and apart from lack of branches, has been a success, firstly with telephone banking, then online - no probs. Then Santander came along. All previous postings apply - online service declined, telephone service useless at best. Excuses as said - system down, has not yet co-ordinated with existing. Recently tried to open a new savings account, (existing one had fallen to virtually zero interest). When eventually got through to a human voice, was told would have to fill in a 10min phone questionaire - despite banking with them 10years!! Decided to do it myself online - response was they could not trace the account I wanted to close and fund the new account with. After 3 weeks was given new Personal ID, passcode and registration no., (and another card), but still had to call telephone banking to transfer funds. Will be looking to change.

hasrey

I have followed Martin's tips from very early on and I now have accounts at 15 different banks - latest Baroda, Halifax and The AA. I leave a few p in and don't close the account when I open a new one. Barclays only providing1 month of statements on-line annoys me most.

I think the %ages should also show the percentage for each bank by good, OK and poor. Otherwise the smaller banks will not show up with the higher %ages as they willbe swamped by the biguns.

richve

no surprise that this is so. My on-line account has been out of action for 10 days. I was told 48 hours maximum
Their customer service will not answer written correspondence.They are so intent in getting new customers they dont care about existing customers.Well heres one who is leaving .So beware individuals who are thinking of joining -I even had a cheque lodged this week with the amount credied £60 less than amount on cheque.When i have a query I get different contradictory response depending who answers
I am told that because i have no on-line facilities I can phone up but I agree with previous writer on the 30 min delay and then if they have to put you through to another dept ,you wait again and sometimeds the call is disconnected

sarahc1964 wrote: »

Why have the Alliance changed such a good automated system?
Three time now i have called over 5 days and each time i am on hold for 30 mins!! is this to make money out of us??
I asked the guy in customer services and was told it was because of the change over and parts of the automated system being down:mad:

Bronniedog

It has taken me, via the Ombudsman (not much use either!!!) over 18 months to get A&L to accept that the address on their records is wrong and for them to issue a standard ATM which was urgently needed. Their main computer would not agree with the computer of their card issuing subsidiary and there did not appear to be any way to get the subsidiary to change thier details manually. Absolutely useless

amjan

I have been with Alliance and Leicester for 30 odd years, been doing online banking without any problems, but last two weeks I havent been able to access my accounts online, been going to several branches to get the problem sorted but no one actually seemed to know what to do, was not allowed to pass beyond receptionists, have been left hanging on the phone for half an hour without any response. At the end got so fustrated and angry that I went Halifax and requested to switch my account, just hope they have better customer service.

Time_for_some_Truth

Hi All - apologies if this may sound ranty but I've had a really frustrating bad day.

Thought I'd share the perspective of an A&L Employee with you all. Having spoken to many many frustrated customers, me and a load of the guys I work wiv are gettin really !!!!ed off too. Basicaly, we are asked to lie to you. no one really knows why things have gone pear shaped or they wont admit to why to guard their own !!!!.

A&L had a system. It was great and worked a treat. A&L was bought by Santander and recently have been migrating accounts to a system called Partenon. The old system let us do loads for the callers. Now, we are forced to tell you to go to the branch or pass you on.

Today we were told that the lines were too busy to pass callers onto to staff who can work the new system. So guess what we were told to do. Thinking that you've been on hold for 30 mins to an hour to speak to me, how about I ask you to call back in an hour! Yeah !!!! isnt it.

This is all because some bright spark decided to hurry up the migration of accounts to the new system. It started gradually and worked very well, none of you were holding for more than 10 mins max right/ So what did this bright spark decide? Lets move over 10 times that at a time! An look wot happened!!! And why do you think they wanted to hurry it up? So they could qualify for the bonus they were promised if it was done by 1 Aug. By the way, me and me mates in work are just the plebs (thank you all those who havnt bollocked us when you got thru) and we dont get any bonus unless we jump thru hoops all year, even then its a fraction of wot the !!!!wits get who balls it all up.

Sorry, I'm digressing.

Yeah so thats why you're waiting so long to get through.

As for moving your money, the migration has knackered up doing that online too. Nobaody knows when this will be resolved, I'm reelly sorry I can t help you there either.

I hope its sorted soon meself for my own sanity, and to you all, I say, thanks for not shouting at me and please be patient cos it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

Time_for_some_Truth

Bronniedog wrote: »

It has taken me, via the Ombudsman (not much use either!!!) over 18 months to get A&L to accept that the address on their records is wrong and for them to issue a standard ATM which was urgently needed. Their main computer would not agree with the computer of their card issuing subsidiary and there did not appear to be any way to get the subsidiary to change thier details manually. Absolutely useless

Seriously, for someone who has worked the job for more than 6 months should have sorted within 5 minutes, over the phone. Typical of the poor poor "training" dished out in the place

A_nice_fellow

Time_for_some_Truth wrote: »

Hi All - apologies if this may sound ranty but I've had a really frustrating bad day.

Thought I'd share the perspective of an A&L Employee with you all. Having spoken to many many frustrated customers, me and a load of the guys I work wiv are gettin really !!!!ed off too. Basicaly, we are asked to lie to you. no one really knows why things have gone pear shaped or they wont admit to why to guard their own !!!!.

A&L had a system. It was great and worked a treat. A&L was bought by Santander and recently have been migrating accounts to a system called Partenon. The old system let us do loads for the callers. Now, we are forced to tell you to go to the branch or pass you on.

Today we were told that the lines were too busy to pass callers onto to staff who can work the new system. So guess what we were told to do. Thinking that you've been on hold for 30 mins to an hour to speak to me, how about I ask you to call back in an hour! Yeah !!!! isnt it.

This is all because some bright spark decided to hurry up the migration of accounts to the new system. It started gradually and worked very well, none of you were holding for more than 10 mins max right/ So what did this bright spark decide? Lets move over 10 times that at a time! An look wot happened!!! And why do you think they wanted to hurry it up? So they could qualify for the bonus they were promised if it was done by 1 Aug. By the way, me and me mates in work are just the plebs (thank you all those who havnt bollocked us when you got thru) and we dont get any bonus unless we jump thru hoops all year, even then its a fraction of wot the !!!!wits get who balls it all up.

Sorry, I'm digressing.

Yeah so thats why you're waiting so long to get through.

As for moving your money, the migration has knackered up doing that online too. Nobaody knows when this will be resolved, I'm reelly sorry I can t help you there either.

I hope its sorted soon meself for my own sanity, and to you all, I say, thanks for not shouting at me and please be patient cos it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

Would you like us to shout at your supervisor for you to get a bit of revenge