MSE News: Santander 'worst bank for customer service'

savingup80

Not surprised at all. I've currently got a case open with the ombudsman, I've never been so amazed by a bank's incompentence before.

Lukey2706

simplybest wrote: »

Taking to task any member of Santander is a complete waste of time anyway, most require a rigorous brain transplant which obviously would include common sense. Branch or otherwise stop making excuses and get on with the job.

I work for Santander. I'm afraid to say that 9 out of 10 calls I get when things have gone wrong is because the customer has messed things up. When you try to tell a customer something they don't want to hear then all hell breaks loose!

For example, atleast 10% of our calls are because a customer has filled a form out incorrectly. They get the form sent back with a letter explaining this but the customer still feels it acceptable to call up kicking off when it's their own stupidity that has caused the problem. The form isn't difficult either.

reflector1 wrote: »

So sorry to hear of everyone's hassles, but comforted that it's not just me. Their queues are totally inacceptable, their staff seem to have little idea and their promotions are counterproductive - don't they realise that when they put on their '£100 switch' offers they will totally alienate those who opened an account just days before or after these offers start or end.

So no company should do an incentive if they have existing customers then? Come on now, lets be rational shall we!

I'm well aware of the problems with Santander, trust me, but providing customer service isn't easy when you're faced with utter idiocy. I've always said you should need to prove certain qualifications (i.e. 5 GCSE passes) to be allowed a bank account/ insurance policy etc etc.

It's about time people realised that the customer is nearly always wrong.

JacksterD

Lukey2706 wrote: »

I work for Santander. I'm afraid to say that 9 out of 10 calls I get when things have gone wrong is because the customer has messed things up. When you try to tell a customer something they don't want to hear then all hell breaks loose!

For example, atleast 10% of our calls are because a customer has filled a form out incorrectly. They get the form sent back with a letter explaining this but the customer still feels it acceptable to call up kicking off when it's their own stupidity that has caused the problem. The form isn't difficult either.


So no company should do an incentive if they have existing customers then? Come on now, lets be rational shall we!

I'm well aware of the problems with Santander, trust me, but providing customer service isn't easy when you're faced with utter idiocy. I've always said you should need to prove certain qualifications (i.e. 5 GCSE passes) to be allowed a bank account/ insurance policy etc etc.

It's about time people realised that the customer is nearly always wrong.

I agree that the customer is nearly always wrong, but it's funny how Santander seems to incur its customers' wrath more than any other bank. You'd think if all the problems Santander has is due to stupid customers then this would be the same for all banks.

Clearly Santander is doing something wrong.

miller

ses6jwg wrote: »

The migration of A&L accounts has in many ways not gone smoothly. Internet banking has been a mess and the call centre situtation has been nothing short of a joke. As a branch employee there are certain things we cannot do in branch and MUST put you through to a call centre e.g. fraud.

Egg Money Manager indicates they have been up to something again today 17/08 with an Online Saver account as it was reporting "you have a new account". So potentially this could be a second bite at the migration cherry.

Online saver pending payments were cancelled at the first migration attempt which luckily I noticed.

MoneySavingNovice

Lukey2706 wrote: »

......It's about time people realised that the customer is nearly always wrong.

Hardly a confidence boosting statement - it may be factual however Customer Service is all about correcting all errors with charm and efficiency - NOT about point scoring.


.... I can just imaging the marketing line now.

Santander - More Ideas to prove the Customer is nearly always wrong!

salvyria

nzseries1 wrote: »

Since the disasterous migration of my accounts from A+L to Santander, I've decided to close my account there.

Today I tried to close my account for the fifth time - the first two I went into different branches, the next two I phoned and this time I've written a letter. Every time I've been told "yes sir, that will be actioned in the next five days".

An insider told me that Santander operates something called The Great Santander Void of Doom where all requests end up going, never to be seen by human eyes.

my A&L account migrated a few weeks ago and today I got a letter telling me my overdraft facilty has been cancelled with effect from 1st October. this was a shock!!!

I called up and the lady said "we can see from your account you arent using your account properly...you have since beginning of July only taken money OUT"

My response "cant you see my salary credits and partner's credits to the account?"

Advisor "no".

about 10mins later after a lot of discussion between us, she tells me I should take it up with a branch manager and lodge a complaint.

Yeah! i'm now forced to take a morning off work and find a Santander branch...and then sort all this out.

Luckily I have a little nat west account for my spending money (rather than bills), i'll ask them to transfere the account me thinks!!

salvyria

ses6jwg wrote: »

It is my own personal view that Chip and PIN at the counter should be introduced this would reduce the ID requirements you need with signatures etc.

P.S. I would not feel sorry for me thankfully my branch is one of the good ones which has scored 95+ in every service assessment since the beginning of the year so a nice bonus for us.

Nat west use this...which shocked me at first but made things much easier.

Paulgonnabedebtfree

Lukey2706 wrote: »

I work for Santander. I'm afraid to say that 9 out of 10 calls I get when things have gone wrong is because the customer has messed things up. When you try to tell a customer something they don't want to hear then all hell breaks loose!

For example, atleast 10% of our calls are because a customer has filled a form out incorrectly. They get the form sent back with a letter explaining this but the customer still feels it acceptable to call up kicking off when it's their own stupidity that has caused the problem. The form isn't difficult either.



So no company should do an incentive if they have existing customers then? Come on now, lets be rational shall we!

I'm well aware of the problems with Santander, trust me, but providing customer service isn't easy when you're faced with utter idiocy. I've always said you should need to prove certain qualifications (i.e. 5 GCSE passes) to be allowed a bank account/ insurance policy etc etc.

It's about time people realised that the customer is nearly always wrong.

Not at all. It's only my customers who are nearly always wrong .
So would you like to express a viewpoint about your employers suddenly hiding all BACS references from business customers therefore making it very difficult to tell which customer has paid by bank transfer? I work mainly for private householders who often have surnames and amounts paid that are identical to other customers'.
It seemed like a new game of "guess which customer has paid" until I opened a Co-op account and received all BACS payments into that account. Unfortunately, Santander are still more convenient than Co-op for receiving the business cash and cheques (I live near a branch with ATM) so I guess I'm stuck with them fior the moment. I don't take a big decision like changing banker lightly. I've been with Abbey N. / Abbey / Santander for over 30 years and if it was more convenient for me to deposit cash and cheques with the Co-op I would be off like a shot.

muskoka

I phoned Sandtander this evening to move a substantial amount of funds, to be told it will take up to two weeks for me to get my money. Bear in mind, this is an instant access account. And they told me they'd pay me by cheque. I said - you'll pay into my linked account and I want that money by next Monday latest OR I will be contacting the Ombudsman. They really are the pits!

simplybest

Lukey2706 wrote: »

I work for Santander. I'm afraid to say that 9 out of 10 calls I get when things have gone wrong is because the customer has messed things up. When you try to tell a customer something they don't want to hear then all hell breaks loose!

For example, atleast 10% of our calls are because a customer has filled a form out incorrectly. They get the form sent back with a letter explaining this but the customer still feels it acceptable to call up kicking off when it's their own stupidity that has caused the problem. The form isn't difficult either.



So no company should do an incentive if they have existing customers then? Come on now, lets be rational shall we!

I'm well aware of the problems with Santander, trust me, but providing customer service isn't easy when you're faced with utter idiocy. I've always said you should need to prove certain qualifications (i.e. 5 GCSE passes) to be allowed a bank account/ insurance policy etc etc.

It's about time people realised that the customer is nearly always wrong.

I can only assume that your roll in Santander is some sort of cleaning job, but if not then my case rest you obviously went on the wrong training course, never fear with your appalling attitude I am sure you will not go very far , by the way who pays your wages{I know you can't answer that} call customer services.