Would you buy shares in Santander?

bendix

Of course I'd buy Santander shares. Many of my funds have exposure to Santander.

I couldn't give a tinker's cuss about their reputation in the UK, a reputation largely fostered by the whiney Daily Mail class angry at furreners taking over their precious assets.

As far as I'm concerned, it is one of the world's largest and strongest banks, delivery excellent profits and good dividends. As an investment, what more should I care about?

NonGeographicalMan

bendix wrote: »

I couldn't give a tinker's cuss about their reputation in the UK, a reputation largely fostered by the whiney Daily Mail class angry at furreners taking over their precious assets.

Unfortunately it as attitudes such as yours that lead to management worrying only about increasing profits (eg via changing ordinary phone numbers for 084 and 087 numbers) and not about offering decent customer service.

purch

Unfortunately it as attitudes such as yours that lead to management worrying only about increasing profits (eg via changing ordinary phone numbers for 084 and 087 numbers) and not about offering decent customer service.

It's fine to have your own personal reasons for investing, or not investing in a particular company (even the ludicrous xenophobic 'I don't trust the Spanish' reason), thinking that Santander has become one of the largest Banking groups in the World by not offering decent customer service is patent nonsense.

NonGeographicalMan

purch wrote: »

thinking that Santander has become one of the largest Banking groups in the World by not offering decent customer service is patent nonsense.

Where on earth have you been for the last three years!

Banks have not become big or profitable by offering good customer service but by taking over as many other banks as possible and lending out as much money as possible to as many places as possible without worrying about the ability of those loaned the money to repay. Then when loans went bad government had to step in to rescue them all including Barclays who now act as though it never happened.

I honestly can't believe that you think the world's largest multinationals have got to where they are now by offering excellent customer service. They have got there through recklessness, financial muscle and huge spend on establishing their branding even though their products are in reality frequently little different from those from unbranded suppliers.

Did Microsoft get to where it is now by having the best product or offering excellent customer service. I don't think so!

marvin

They look to be wanting to float the UK business anyway

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/7183442/Santander-now-looking-at-float-of-UK-business.html

Jake'sGran

[QUOTE=NonGeographicalMan;__Hargreaves_Lansdown_is_another_company_with_a_shockingly_bad_attitude_towards_customer_complaints_by_the_way_as_I_have_documented_in_another_thread_in_this_forum_section_earlier_today.__So_sadly_bad_customer_service_often_does_not_always_equal_poor_share_price_performance.[/QUOTE]

I am a customer of their's too and have always found their staff to be courteous, except for the time when I complained about being addressed as MR all the time. Mr Hargreaves sent me the most sarcastic letter I have ever received thereby confirming he is a chauvinist of the worst kind.

I was going to say that Portugal will be next but Spain will be the "biggie", in need
of a massive injection of cash.

Innys

I have a substantial number of Santander shares. I have no Santander accounts other than their regular saver. As long as they keep making profits (not at my expense), I'm not complaining.

Those who feel that an investment in Santander is not justified because of their poor customer service may have different objectives to me from their investment portfolio. I want to maximise my return - others may have a more ethical bias. Who's to say which is the better?