'Which is the worst customer service bank' poll discussion

Former_MSE_Lawrence

Poll started 02 November 2010:

Which is the worst customer service bank?

In August we asked you for your customer services experiences with big banks; some famous ones did terribly and on the back promised improvements. Now we're asking again and want feedback based on how they've been recently.

Please vote based on CUSTOMER SERVICE not rate, on your MAIN CURRENT ACCOUNT over the LAST THREE MONTHS only.


Barclays Bank (872 votes)

I’m usually in-credit – GREAT service in last 3 months - 276 votes (32%)
I’m usually in-credit – OK service in last 3 months - 283 votes (32%)
I’m usually in-credit – POOR service in last 3 months - 91 votes (10%)
I’m usually overdrawn – GREAT service in last 3 months - 68 votes (8%)
I’m usually overdrawn – OK service in last 3 months - 83 votes (10%)
I’m usually overdrawn – POOR service in last 3 months - 71 votes (8%)

Co-Op Bank (458 votes)

I’m usually in-credit – GREAT service in last 3 months - 323 votes (71%)
I’m usually in-credit – OK service in last 3 months - 61 votes (13%)
I’m usually in-credit – POOR service in last 3 months - 17 votes (4%)
I’m usually overdrawn – GREAT service in last 3 months - 43 votes (9%)
I’m usually overdrawn – OK service in last 3 months - 10 votes (2%)
I’m usually overdrawn – POOR service in last 3 months - 4 votes (1%)

First Direct (728 votes)

I’m usually in-credit – GREAT service in last 3 months - 543 votes (75%)
I’m usually in-credit – OK service in last 3 months - 57 votes (8%)
I’m usually in-credit – POOR service in last 3 months - 13 votes (2%)
I’m usually overdrawn – GREAT service in last 3 months - 97 votes (13%)
I’m usually overdrawn – OK service in last 3 months - 11 votes (2%)
I’m usually overdrawn – POOR service in last 3 months - 7 votes (1%)

Halifax Bank of Scotland (988 votes)

I’m usually in-credit – GREAT service in last 3 months - 293 votes (30%)
I’m usually in-credit – OK service in last 3 months - 337 votes (34%)
I’m usually in-credit – POOR service in last 3 months - 162 votes (16%)
I’m usually overdrawn – GREAT service in last 3 months - 40 votes (4%)
I’m usually overdrawn – OK service in last 3 months - 62 votes (6%)
I’m usually overdrawn – POOR service in last 3 months - 94 votes (10%)

HSBC (887 votes)

I’m usually in-credit – GREAT service in last 3 months - 272 votes (31%)
I’m usually in-credit – OK service in last 3 months - 296 votes (33%)
I’m usually in-credit – POOR service in last 3 months - 94 votes (11%)
I’m usually overdrawn – GREAT service in last 3 months - 69 votes (8%)
I’m usually overdrawn – OK service in last 3 months - 55 votes (6%)
I’m usually overdrawn – POOR service in last 3 months - 101 votes (11%)

Lloyds (1151 votes)

I’m usually in-credit – GREAT service in last 3 months - 349 votes (30%)
I’m usually in-credit – OK service in last 3 months - 378 votes (33%)
I’m usually in-credit – POOR service in last 3 months - 132 votes (11%)
I’m usually overdrawn – GREAT service in last 3 months - 66 votes (6%)
I’m usually overdrawn – OK service in last 3 months - 112 votes (10%)
I’m usually overdrawn – POOR service in last 3 months - 114 votes (10%)

Nationwide (786 votes)

I’m usually in-credit – GREAT service in last 3 months - 309 votes (39%)
I’m usually in-credit – OK service in last 3 months - 258 votes (33%)
I’m usually in-credit – POOR service in last 3 months - 107 votes (14%)
I’m usually overdrawn – GREAT service in last 3 months - 63 votes (8%)
I’m usually overdrawn – OK service in last 3 months - 24 votes (3%)
I’m usually overdrawn – POOR service in last 3 months - 25 votes (3%)

Natwest & Royal Bank of Scotland (1354 votes)

I’m usually in-credit – GREAT service in last 3 months - 463 votes (34%)
I’m usually in-credit – OK service in last 3 months - 394 votes (29%)
I’m usually in-credit – POOR service in last 3 months - 160 votes (12%)
I’m usually overdrawn – GREAT service in last 3 months - 109 votes (8%)
I’m usually overdrawn – OK service in last 3 months - 122 votes (9%)
I’m usually overdrawn – POOR service in last 3 months - 106 votes (8%)

Santander and Alliance & Leicester (1983 votes)

I’m usually in-credit – GREAT service in last 3 months - 320 votes (16%)
I’m usually in-credit – OK service in last 3 months - 522 votes (26%)
I’m usually in-credit – POOR service in last 3 months - 728 votes (37%)
I’m usually overdrawn – GREAT service in last 3 months - 104 votes (5%)
I’m usually overdrawn – OK service in last 3 months - 125 votes (6%)
I’m usually overdrawn – POOR service in last 3 months - 184 votes (9%)

This vote has closed, but you can still click 'post reply' to discuss below. Thanks



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carlw

I have banks with:

Halifax, bank account to pay mortgage
Abbey, bank account for bills
Alliance, current account

Lloyds, i had an old overdraft which has just been cleared

and have just opened a first direct account to get the £100 switch when i move my current account there.

I don’t really understand how bad the customer service can be, i pay the money in, i draw the money out. Its the same for all my accounts, i wouldn’t even go as far as to say the customer service is good at any of my banks, its virtually non existent, i do everything online myself, pay cheques in at cash points, i rarely go into a branch, and haven’t spoken to anyone on the phone for ages.

Ill be interested to read peoples issues, i wonder if bad customer service and bank charges are linked for quite a few people.

Carl

backinbusiness

It looks to me (and having experienced both highs and lows financially in the last 2 year) that struggling customers resulting in bank charges do rate their banks lower than customers normally in credit. They can be very unsympathetic exacerbating an already difficult situation.

MSE_Martin

It's very interesting to note that having split out whether people are overdrawn and in credit - the big change is the results of the halifax. I suspect even though we're stressing its service not rate - the £1 a day charge is bringing it down.

KimYeovil

What about - customer service is irrelevant - who cares?

Why does anyone need customer service from a bank? You set up your income, you set up your debits, you use ATMs. Why in any three-month period would the vast majority of customers have an opinion about service?

Gordon_the_Moron

I've got several current accounts...

Halifax Reward, simply pay in £1000 each month from Lloyds Vantage account then send it straight back, meeting the pay in requirement for both accounts. There service in paying me £5 a month is excellent. They offered me £50 when I signed up to transfer all my direct debits from another account, at the time I only had one so I did it to then change it back, it didn't work right.

Nationwide, used to use it for overseas spending but thats gone now however its still handy since the nearest cash machine to my house with a pay in facility is a Nationwide and it means I keep online access for my Nationwide credit card which still is good abroad. They took far too long introducing faster payments. On the very odd occassion I use a small amount of overdraft I use this as its cheaper than any that charge daily fees and a lower rate than Natwest (once in the last 18 months !)

Natwest, old and hadn't been used for years but its made opening and operating the 2.89% E-saver easier and more convenient. Very good for customer service (not including credit cards) but their rates are crap.

Lloyds TSB Vantage, £1000 per month in and out to get a high rate on a decent sized balance.

Alliance and Leicester - my main current account which is ALWAYS in credit, not been in a branch for about 2 years, the nearest one is about 30 miles away from here, if I do have to pay in cash or cheques they go to another bank then get transferred online, my direct debits are set up and work fine. What more service do I need?

MSE_Martin

KimYeovil wrote: »

What about - customer service is irrelevant - who cares?

Why does anyone need customer service from a bank? You set up your income, you set up your debits, you use ATMs. Why in any three-month period would the vast majority of customers have an opinion about service?

In a sense I agree - but this poll was originally prompted by the large number of people who were having problems with even such basic services. Ie direct debits not paying, ATMs not working, bank not sorting out their technical problems. So your point is vallid but the conclusion the opposite.

The fact so many still rate their bank as poor is a good indication of why this counts.

tkwinston4

To those that say who needs customer service, you dont until it goes wrong like it did with Alliance & Leicester when they moved over to Santander. My bank account has been a nightmare ever since and their customer service is appalling.:mad:

SavySave

Hello all

I stumbled across this poll when I was looking for another provider.
I was a customer of Alliance and Leicester (always happy with them), but they've gone right down hill since Santander took them over.

Brief story... I wanted to open a new savings account with Santander, as I have a current a/c, mortgage a/c and savings a/c with A&L and I asked for the existing customer rate (3.25% as opposed to the standard 2.75%) - they told me "I did not count as an existing customer of Santander". The mist was

I've complained using the online email service nearly two weeks ago and had two glib responses telling me they've passed my complaint to another department.

The mist the colour of their logo is still with me! :-/

In my experience If you want good customer service - STAY WELL CLEAR OF SANTANDER.

Thanks for a great site Mr Lewis :-)

baldbazza

KimYeovil wrote: »

What about - customer service is irrelevant - who cares?

Why does anyone need customer service from a bank? You set up your income, you set up your debits, you use ATMs. Why in any three-month period would the vast majority of customers have an opinion about service?

How about Santander cancelled the direct debit (without telling me) just before payment was due from my Alliance & Leicester current account to my Santander Zero credit card, then charged me interest because they didn't collect payment on the due date, then re-instated the direct debit. Pure Santander incompetence - the direct debit had been collected every month for a year and the money was sitting in the current account waiting to be collected.

And on 3 occasions they didn't transfer money when set up in advance online, causing me to go into my overdraft, and then charging an overdraft fee. Again, plenty of money available to transfer; they simply didn't do it. In fact one of the many customer service reps I spoke to insisted that the functionality didn't exist (I'd been using it for years).

It's not so much the fact that there are problems with the transfer - I've worked in IT for a long time and well can appreciate the headaches that the move is causing. The problem is what they're doing about it. It seems that the vast majority of Santander customer service people I have spoken to since the summer don't have the first idea how their own systems work and some of them struggle to understand basic concepts of banking.

Onyourcase

backinbusiness wrote: »

It looks to me (and having experienced both highs and lows financially in the last 2 year) that struggling customers resulting in bank charges do rate their banks lower than customers normally in credit. They can be very unsympathetic exacerbating an already difficult situation.

I feel a bit jaded. My Bank: Lloyds TSB seemed OK, selling me different products at every opportunity. Now my finances are currently a bit shakey, they seem keen on giving me a good kicking with bank charges