Santander customer considering move to First Direct

Tony_M_2

OK my patience has run out with Santander and after reading the many positive comments about FD on here I'm tempted to move.

One thing I wanted to know, when calling Santander you need to have a telephone banking number to 'speed things up'. I only found today that by holding and ignoring the plea to enter the number I don't have that I managed to speak to someone.

Can any First Direct customers out there let me know if there is a similar process when calling them. Security questions I have no problem with but entering bank account number, then telephone banking number only to still have to answer the security questions is hardly speeding things up!

Cheers

hudgebadger

I am also a Santander customer that is looking to move.

I have heard lots of positive stuff about FD on the forums here and I am in the process of getting ready to move my account over.

That said I had some questions to ask them and called the number on their website 0800 24 24 24.

I was amazed that the phone was answered in about 5 secs and all the call training speech that you normally get read out by an answer phone was read by the person live :eek: .
He then answered my questions and gave me his name and number and location and the time he would be finish his shift if I needed to speak to him again. I was very impressed.:T:T

So I would say pick up the phone and call then

Hope this helps

reehsetin

They pick up the phone straight away, no banking number just a couple of easy questions about address and name and a couple of security questions :j

Vortigern

Do it. Ditch Santander and use a proper bank. First Direct's telephone service uses human operators in the UK. There are no buttons to push, no call steering menus, no numbers to enter. The operators will ask you a few security questions, then deal with your request.

GFA

I echo all of the positive comments. I ran from Cahoot (after 6 years) to First Direct a year ago. Like everyone before has said when I've had to call them (on the odd occasion), they've been helpful, they answer the phone straightaway and if you use their switching service, they'll keep you informed every step of the way.

I wish I had joined them sooner!

Tony_M_2

Thanks for the replies! I'll be calling them soon then....

Wyndham

Just one word of caution - their internet banking isn't as sophisticated as some others I've seen. And personally I had issues with the switching process. But I do like the fact that when I ring them I get to talk to a real person really quickly!