Thumbs up to Santander!!

Malory

I think it is important that I clarify that every person that I spoke to at the branch was extremely friendly and polite. Santander staff have always been polite and friendly to me as long as I have been banking there.

So it depends on what you want in customer service.

If all you want is to be able to talk to someone who wil speak to you nicely and act like they are somewhat interested in your life, then Santander could be the bank for you.

However, if you want bank staff that are actually capable of handling your money and doing their job properly, then it isn't.

I get the impression that most of the problems do not lie with branch staff; they lies with the way management orders staff to deal with things. For example, I think the woman who told me that I couldn't cancel my credit card in branch was told to tell people that they had to use the phone for credit card transactions (a lie) in order to have fewer people in the queues waiting for cashiers.

ses6jwg

You do have to cancel a credit card over the phone as they are administered by Santander Cards UK branch staff can cancel and re-issue the actual CARD but not the account so the woman was right.

Each branch is scored individually based on mystery shops and calls to selection of transacting customers each month.

Branches vary wildly, in the region I was in of 16 former A&L branches scores one month ranged from 18 (!) to 98 (out of 100)

How on earth a branch scores 18 is beyond me.

[Deleted User]

adamc260 wrote: »

They were the ones that didn't pay attention in the 'unhelpful/rude 2 day training course'

good point

Jake'sGran

There was another tale of woe about Santander is yesterday's Times, "Question of Money". Diana Wright had to sort it out personally but it took some time. I would never have any of their products simply as a result of what I have read on here.

I wonder if the CEO got a nice bonus at the of the year?. These seem to be automatic no matter how badly the bank performs.

Malory

ses6jwg wrote: »

You do have to cancel a credit card over the phone as they are administered by Santander Cards UK .

So what was the guy who took my credit card details and put them into the computer doing? It seems obvious to me that when I handed him my card I was cancelling the account. Why would I just cancel the card without closing out the accont unless it had been stolen (which it obviously wasn't) or I had reported that it had been used fraudently - which I hadn't. And doesn't the fact that I was also closing out my savings account make it even more likely that I was closing out my other account.

I thought I was done with them. :mad:

ETA: I just called Santander Cards and when I put in my card number and date of birth, the recording said my balance was 0 and my account has been closed and that I should please tear up my card. So you CAN close the account in branch.

That was not the first time that one Santander employee has done something for me and another has said that the same thing couldn't be done. They seem to make up the rules as they go along.

Wasteofspace

Malory wrote: »

That was not the first time that one Santander employee has done something for me and another has said that the same thing couldn't be done. They seem to make up the rules as they go along.

Santander staff are permitted to assist outwith their current job role in areas they have been trained in, he may well have been able to cancel this for you but in this case he actually shouldn't have.

Malory

Wasteofspace wrote: »

Santander staff are permitted to assist outwith their current job role in areas they have been trained in, he may well have been able to cancel this for you but in this case he actually shouldn't have.

What kind of company does not allow its employees to do things that they are capable of doing?

At every job I have worked at, if I went above and beyond what I was supposed to be doing according to my job description, I was rewarded and praised.

I could see if he was providing financial advice without being a registered financial adviser, but all he was doing was cancelling an account at the customer's request.

Very bad management to say that an employee was wrong for going beyond his official job description in an effort to help a customer. I bet the good employees don't stay very long.

Wasteofspace

As I said, staff are permitted to assist where they can, but that doesn't mean they can bend company polices. If Santander want their cards canceled over the phone then that's how it's done.

AnonymousForObviousReason

Wasteofspace wrote: »

As I said, staff are permitted to assist where they can, but that doesn't mean they can bend company polices. If Santander want their cards canceled over the phone then that's how it's done.

I think this is the kind of stupid policy that Malory was getting at. Highlighting one of the many ways that it's a really poor bank as far as customer service is concerned.

BTW: Glad they pleased OP.

Wasteofspace

I think you misunderstand my point but anyway.