Is Santander customer service improving ?

slush

The OH and I have closed 12 accounts, 9 personal and 3 business, all in the last month. They are a nightmare.
Customer care, customer security, data protection (I could go on) are all alien concepts to Santander.

Mrs_Ryan

I rang them on Saturday to complain about being charged £50 for being 14p overdrawn :eek: they refunded without question! And the lad on the phone was nice, cheerful and helpful.
Still wouldnt go back to them though... that charge is ridiculous!

IrishGypsy

Toe-Jam wrote: »

Santander are trying to improve their image and customer services. But are they suceeding.

This month they have improved their internet banking, and got faster payments up and running (in some shape or form)

My experience after giving them another shot, has been Yes they are improving.

Yesterday I made a comment to Santander about the Internet banking reporting the wrong date on faster payments executed after 6pm (it puts tomorrows date on)

Someone called me as soon as they got the message, to apologise and that they would pass my suggestion on to the engineers to fix it. And also for the inconvience I was offered a free box of choloclates or a bottle of wine in the post.

I opted for the chocolates, I have not received them yet obviously but I thought it was a nice gesture.

I think their problems come from having too many departments in too many different places, so you have to speak to a handful of people before anything gets actioned.

They should have fewer departments and better skilled workers so the paper trail is shorter and things get done more accurately.

watch this space I will report back about my chocolates !

Sounds like they've got the improved customer query/feedback system up and running then (wasn't when I looked earlier in the week).

For all the crap people have endured, I can at least say they're genuinely taking steps in the right direction. They're faaaaaar from perfect, but at least they're trying (and in before other jokes about trying their patience ).

facing_up_to_it

Categorically no. I'm moving all my accounts away from them and wouldn't recommend to anyone. RIP National & Provincial.

mizzbiz

It's funny how different people have different experiences with the same company. I've banked with Abbey/Santander for over 20 years and found them nothing but excellent. I have had one cause to complain and that was this year. A technical/admin error occurred on my account and I complained to Santander in the branch. The branch lady said she would put the eroor right. When this did not happen, i emailed a complaint. I received a letter of apology, the mistake reversed and a note that it was unacceptable service. No chocs and wine, unfortunately, but I was pleased they responded and with the 'right answer' too. I would stay with them without a doubt.

In addition, also this year my card was cloned and a withdrawal attempt of £300 made and reversed instantly. I have no idea how they sussed it was fraud, but they did, and rang me next morning and again were fantastic. Actually, it is this that makes me think I wouldn't change. Spot on - I could have lost a fortune.

slush

Santander phoned me today at 11:30 am and repeatedly appologised for all the mess they had made.They offered me £100 compensation, which I flatly refused as an insult considering all the grief they had caused the OH and I.

Not to worry... all the mix up which allows me to access someone elses accounts has now been fixed... and despite my refusal of the compensation, they will write to me today expressing their regret and how they have fixed everything. Their call may have something to do with the notification they will have recieved today that the FSA are now looking at my complaint.

12 hours later I have gone onlone to look at the results of their clear up of all the mess.... only to find they had done diddly squat... and can still access this poor guys accounts. But I didn't really believe the call today anyway.

I've taken some more screen shots tonight to add to the complaint file.

Be warned fellow MSEs... avoid all dealings with Santander.

Is their service improving? No!

Toe-Jam

Well just an update on the free gift I was promised from Santander. I opted for a box of chocolates, I received a bottle of wine.

The irony of it. They can't even send the gensture of goodwill in leau of their mistake without making a mistake.

spenderdave

I have a one year bond which matures next month. I was pleasantly surprised when I had a phone call from the local branch suggesting I made an appointment to discuss what to do with it then. A personal touch I wasn't expecting, I thought I would have to take the initiative. But maybe this is a one off...

Toe-Jam

spenderdave wrote: »

I have a one year bond which matures next month. I was pleasantly surprised when I had a phone call from the local branch suggesting I made an appointment to discuss what to do with it then. A personal touch I wasn't expecting, I thought I would have to take the initiative. But maybe this is a one off...

Well if a personal touch is , getting you in to try and flog you as many santander products as they can think of then they sure do excel.

Even a simple thing like closing an account requires this "personal touch".

scott_lithgows

facing_up_to_it wrote: »

Categorically no. I'm moving all my accounts away from them and wouldn't recommend to anyone. RIP National & Provincial.

Have you managed to stay with the evil abbey/santander since they ruined the little known but much loved N&P bs ? I was gone within a year.