Day in the Life of Bob - Calling HSBC to Change Address

bobwilson

I called HSBC the to quickly change the address on my account, I was in a rush, this is how the call went. Just thought I'd share

... I talk to the HSBC lady and change my address quickly. Great! All done. Time to hang up..

HSBC indian lady: "Thank you, we have now changed your address. Is there anything else you'd like?"

Me: "No thank you. I'm in a bit of a rush, so I have to go now. Thanks for your help."

HSBC lady: "Have I answered all your questions today?"

Me: "Yes thanks, bye."

HSBC lady: "Let me just have a quick look on your account again."

Me: "Thanks for your help, but I really have to go now."

HSBC Lady [gets excited]: "I see you have a lot of money in your savings accounts. I'd like to book an appointment for you to see our savings expert if that's ok with you, sir?"

Me: "Is it urgent?"

HSBC Lady: "We can do something much better for you than what you're getting from in those accounts."

Me: "I'm in a rush, are you sure?"

HSBC Lady: "Yes sir, shall I book an appointment for you?"

Me: "Are you absolutely sure you can get a better interest rate for me, in an instant access savings account?"

HSBC Lady: "Yes, a savings expert will be able to tell you more."

Me: "I can't afford to take time off work for an appointment unless you're certain you have a better interest instant access savings account."

HSBC Lady: "Yes sir, absolutely. I've booked an appointment for you at your local branch. They will give you a call to confirm."

Me: "Ok, thank you. I really have to go now. Thanks for your help, bye."

HSBC Lady: "Can I help you with anything else sir?

Me: "No thanks. Bye"

HSBC Lady: "Have I answered all your questions today, sir?"

Me: "Yes, thank you. I really have to go now, I'm sorry but I'm in a rush. Bye"

HSBC Lady: "Ok sir. Just one more question. Are you happy with my service today, sir?"

Me: "Yes. I really have to hang up, I'm in a rush, I'm sorry, Bye."

HSBC Lady [talking slower]: "Ok sir, thank you for calling HSBC today. I hope you have a good rest of the day and if you need anything else please don't hesitate to call back. There are members of staff here who are happy to help you. Please be aware that you can log on to the internet to access your accounts, and that you can view the status of your statements online."

Me: "Look, I'm really sorry, but I have to hang up now. Thanks for your help."

HSBC Lady [no urgency about her]: "Thank you kindly sir, and I wish you a pleasant day. I hope I have answered all of your questions satisfactorily today, if you need anything else please don't hesitate to... "

[I have no choice but to hang up..]

:rotfl:
...............................

30 minutes later, a lady from my local branch calls:

English HSBC lady: "Oh hello sir, I've been told you'd like to book an appointment with us... What is it regarding?"

Me: "I didn't ask for an appointment, I was offered one, I'm not sure who it's with. I was told there are better interest rate savings than what I have at the moment."

HSBC lady: "Oh right, sir. So I'll book you in to see the savings advisor."

Me: "Ok, but I've running very low on time. Are you absolutely certain that there is a better interest rate than what I have at the moment."

HSBC Lady [sympathetic tone]: "Oh yes, I'm sure there is, sir."

Me: "Are you sure? I can't afford to take time off work to come in for an appointment unless you're sure there's a better instant access savings account for me."

HSBC Lady: "Yes, I'm sure there is sir."

Me: "Can I take your name please?"

HSBC Lady: "Let me check, sir. Right, there are no better instant access accounts I'm afraid. What you've got is the only option there is. So there's no point in having an appointment I'm afraid."

Me: "But this is what I said from the start. I just called the change my address, and the lady on the phone persuaded me that there were better instant access interest rates and I should book an..."

HSBC Lady: [interrupts] "Awww.. I know. Hmm.. Ok. I know, sir."

Me: "Great. Well, I don't thin.."

HSBC Lady: "Alright sir, well there's no point in booking an appointment for you, unless you'd like life cover?"

Me: "No thank you. I have to go now, bye."

HSBC Lady: "Thank you, goodbye."

..........


At least I only wasted 35 mins on phone calls this time, instead of like last time being sucked into a Natwest appointment that wasted half my working day. I guess I only have myself to blame.. suckered again!

I vow to my life's blood I will not get sucked in again.. [accessing brain], setting default answer to offers from banks to: "no thank you"

Saints2011

bobwilson wrote: »

I called HSBC the to quickly change the address on my account, I was in a rush, this is how the call went. Just thought I'd share

... I talk to the HSBC lady and change my address quickly. Great! All done. Time to hang up..

HSBC indian lady: "Thank you, we have now changed your address. Is there anything else you'd like?"

Me: "No thank you. I'm in a bit of a rush, so I have to go now. Thanks for your help."

HSBC lady: "Have I answered all your questions today?"

Me: "Yes thanks, bye."

HSBC lady: "Let me just have a quick look on your account again."

Me: "Thanks for your help, but I really have to go now."

HSBC Lady [gets excited]: "I see you have a lot of money in your savings accounts. I'd like to book an appointment for you to see our savings expert if that's ok with you, sir?"

Me: "Is it urgent?"

HSBC Lady: "We can do something much better for you than what you're getting from in those accounts."

Me: "I'm in a rush, are you sure?"

HSBC Lady: "Yes sir, shall I book an appointment for you?"

Me: "Are you absolutely sure you can get a better interest rate for me, in an instant access savings account?"

HSBC Lady: "Yes, a savings expert will be able to tell you more."

Me: "I can't afford to take time off work for an appointment unless you're certain you have a better interest instant access savings account."

HSBC Lady: "Yes sir, absolutely. I've booked an appointment for you at your local branch. They will give you a call to confirm."

Me: "Ok, thank you. I really have to go now. Thanks for your help, bye."

HSBC Lady: "Can I help you with anything else sir?

Me: "No thanks. Bye"

HSBC Lady: "Have I answered all your questions today, sir?"

Me: "Yes, thank you. I really have to go now, I'm sorry but I'm in a rush. Bye"

HSBC Lady: "Ok sir. Just one more question. Are you happy with my service today, sir?"

Me: "Yes. I really have to hang up, I'm in a rush, I'm sorry, Bye."

HSBC Lady [talking slower]: "Ok sir, thank you for calling HSBC today. I hope you have a good rest of the day and if you need anything else please don't hesitate to call back. There are members of staff here who are happy to help you. Please be aware that you can log on to the internet to access your accounts, and that you can view the status of your statements online."

Me: "Look, I'm really sorry, but I have to hang up now. Thanks for your help."

HSBC Lady [no urgency about her]: "Thank you kindly sir, and I wish you a pleasant day. I hope I have answered all of your questions satisfactorily today, if you need anything else please don't hesitate to... "

[I have no choice but to hang up..]

:rotfl:
...............................

30 minutes later, a lady from my local branch calls:

English HSBC lady: "Oh hello sir, I've been told you'd like to book an appointment with us... What is it regarding?"

Me: "I didn't ask for an appointment, I was offered one, I'm not sure who it's with. I was told there are better interest rate savings than what I have at the moment."

HSBC lady: "Oh right, sir. So I'll book you in to see the savings advisor."

Me: "Ok, but I've running very low on time. Are you absolutely certain that there is a better interest rate than what I have at the moment."

HSBC Lady [sympathetic tone]: "Oh yes, I'm sure there is, sir."

Me: "Are you sure? I can't afford to take time off work to come in for an appointment unless you're sure there's a better instant access savings account for me."

HSBC Lady: "Yes, I'm sure there is sir."

Me: "Can I take your name please?"

HSBC Lady: "Let me check, sir. Right, there are no better instant access accounts I'm afraid. What you've got is the only option there is. So there's no point in having an appointment I'm afraid."

Me: "But this is what I said from the start. I just called the change my address, and the lady on the phone persuaded me that there were better instant access interest rates and I should book an..."

HSBC Lady: [interrupts] "Awww.. I know. Hmm.. Ok. I know, sir."

Me: "Great. Well, I don't thin.."

HSBC Lady: "Alright sir, well there's no point in booking an appointment for you, unless you'd like life cover?"

Me: "No thank you. I have to go now, bye."

HSBC Lady: "Thank you, goodbye."

..........


At least I only wasted 35 mins on phone calls this time, instead of like last time being sucked into a Natwest appointment that wasted half my working day. I guess I only have myself to blame.. suckered again!

I vow to my life's blood I will not get sucked in again.. [accessing brain], setting default answer to offers from banks to: "no thank you"

Haha made me laugh :rotfl:

chris_m

Hehe - if that were me the "Yes thanks, bye" would have shortly been followed by 'click'

dougz_2

None of which answers the glaring question: Why have you still got your instant access savings with HSBC despite the fact that they stopped giving any of their accounts significant interest several years ago?

Credit-Crunched

dougz wrote: »

None of which answers the glaring question: Why have you still got your instant access savings with HSBC despite the fact that they stopped giving any of their accounts significant interest several years ago?

Because he will never see a savings expert :rotfl:

elektra

1) the indian call centre lady had scripts to follow otherwise she would have pulled up for not doing her job properly. I would have terminated the call politely earlier if I really was in a hurry.

2) Is is really that easy to change address on account, I presume you had to go through security checks first.

Bigsmak

Credit-Crunched wrote: »

Because he will never see a savings expert :rotfl:

lol... And thank goodness he never saw the bank salesperson as he still wouldn't have seen one!
:beer:

oldagetraveller

elektra wrote: »

1) the indian call centre lady had scripts to follow otherwise she would have pulled up for not doing her job properly. I would have terminated the call politely earlier if I really was in a hurry.

2) Is is really that easy to change address on account, I presume you had to go through security checks first.

I wondered if it was possible to just 'phone and complete a change of address too.
There's a rather long thread about the ability to do this with LloydsTSB, apparently quite easy to do? https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3270360

bobwilson

Hi everyone, ya changing address was quite painless and sensible process. Hanging up however wasn't! lol

I do have another savings account, I don't keep much in this one at all, it's only there for an emergency e.g. in case I lose access to my other accounts. But apparently there was enough in there to excite the staff

dtsazza

elektra wrote: »

1) the indian call centre lady had scripts to follow otherwise she would have pulled up for not doing her job properly. I would have terminated the call politely earlier if I really was in a hurry.

While this is true, and excuses/explains her personal behaviour, it sounds like Bob was mildly annoyed at HSBC the organisation. Which is exactly who's making the policy to use scripts. So it's correct to blame them for this annoyance (though I agree it would be wrong to blame the lady herself for being rude).

hermante

bobwilson wrote: »

Hi everyone, ya changing address was quite painless and sensible process. Hanging up however wasn't! lol

I do have another savings account, I don't keep much in this one at all, it's only there for an emergency e.g. in case I lose access to my other accounts. But apparently there was enough in there to excite the staff

Not going to ask you how much there is but I didn't get any sales pitches with a £5000 balance. I did with £10000 though. That was only in a 0.1% account for a week because I needed to withdraw it from another slightly higher interest account on a certain day in order to spend it the next week, and 0.1% is better than 0%.

I usually know more about a bank's products interest rates than their staff (it seems) so I always just say I'm going to spend the money next week.