MSE News: Santander: Service has improved, but there's a long way to go

Paulgonnabedebtfree

Have Santander improved?
I really don't know because I got so sick of them, the only bit of business I now do with them is very minimal and simple stuff that even they can't **** up.
I moved my mortgage away. I moved two insurance policies away. I moved most of my business banking away (specifically, the incoming BACS transfers).
Even then they wrote to me saying that they needed a legally signed copy of a death certificate to prove that my (named) business partner had really died (I have never had a business partner and I had never heard of the named deceased). That was an appalling breach of confidentiality. They did credit me with a tenner to more than cover the cost of the calls that I made to ensure that my bank account hadn't been mixed up with another business - but that's not really the point.
They failed to supply a single BACS customer reference for incoming BACS payments for well over a year. Fortunately, as my business is a small one, I was usually able to trace where the payment came from by the amount and surname. However,some banks (notably IF), don't reveal the surname. So there were several occasions when I had to contact customers to find out if a payment was from them or someone else. After 18 months they finally resolved this - by which time I had opened a business account elsewhere specifically to receive BACS payments. I only keep the Santander account on to put the cheques and cash through so I'm probably costing them money - but it's their own fault.
I do wonder if Ms Hogg has stuck around to read these responses. It's all very well trying to give out a positive, spin-doctored corporate image like some quasi-politician, but it's substance that counts. They would do their image far more good by assigning someone to troubleshoot on these forums. Actually, they would probably need a whole team but it would more than pay for itselff in the longer term.
Will I start having my BACS payments sent to Santander again? No chance. The trust has gone. The BACS references disappeared due to an "upgrade". Who's to say that some future upgrade won't produce similar results?
I was with Abbey National (then Abbey) for nearly 30 years without a single hitch. Santander take over and in trying to fix things that aren't broken, they made one balls up after another.
I doubt that the trust will ever return.

Paulgonnabedebtfree

jeanmd wrote: »

Or maybe it, just that there's a lot more branches now.

Nice to know the call centres are back in this country now. I'd stopped using them, at least now If I have to make a call I won't have to ask to be transferred.

Yes that was awful. I remember a day when I disconnected the call three times. On the fourth I got someone whose accent I could understand.

Eco_Miser

tagq2 wrote: »

Tips for future public relations interviews:

(1) If you submit a photo of yourself, whether you're prime minister or head of some-bank-department, then it's a flashing red light that you're more interested in putting across some sort of corporate personality rather than facts. Don't do it. It doesn't matter what you look like;

That's unfair. Journalists like photos. If you don't provide one, they'll dig one up from the archive, or an internet search.

paulusmagnificus

Twenty years happy with Alliance & Leicester, along come Santander, then all web access and account control dissapears for my disabled sons account! No cheque books sent. HUNDREDS OF CALLS & LETTERS TO SANTANDER. No help at all infact often we couldn't pass security as my wife didn't know here own date of birth according to Santander!
Four complaint letters in the last 3 months they insist they are 'Resolution letters' none of the letters answer our queries or offer any resolutions to our issues. Even when writing to Senior complaints managers we still get no answers just patronising letters back.
We asked for £400 compensation for all the trips into York to enable us to get payments made and cash. We were offered an insulting £25.

It now rests with the Ombudsman. When asked 'Do you think its fair that my disabled son can't have trips pout with his carer because we struggle to access our money? Do you think its fair you throw money at new accounts but won't compensate existing customers for driving them to a nervous breakdown?

No reply received, I rest my case they are utterly useless!

Gordon_the_Moron

Their service isn't the best but to me it is far from the worst, from my experience I would put Halifax and LloydsTSB as the bottom two by a country mile over Santander.

EdAke

I had a Credit Card taken out on the 0% Balance Transfer offer. Never had so many issues with paying money in to a bank. Wouldn't accept online transfers, bank staff didn't have a clue how to take payment on the card. Each visit took at least 20 minutes. Online help non-existent, telephone customer service completely useless, the only answer was 'You can't do it.'
Never, never, never, never again will I darken the doors of Santandar

mattytun

Im glad they have moved there call centre back to uk.

samjef11_2

mattytun wrote: »

Im glad they have moved there call centre back to uk.

It still won't improve them as the call centre advisor's seem to me that they had no training you must feel a bit sorry for them as it not the staff at the bank that is wrong it's is the company and it's management

GlennTheBaker

My Wife went to pay a travellers cheque in to our savings account and was told to sign it in front of the assistant in the lobby who also dealt with her enquiry( had advised them 3 time of change of name sent new card with her old name on but the letter it was enclosed with had her correct name on). Went to pay it in and talk to manager, was then advised they dont take travellers cheques. when the manager came out advised her she had been talking to the manager who told her to sign the travellers cheque. Someone's lying. Also saw staff using personal mobile phone on the reception floor.

JHC

The future of Santander's Internet-only bank, Cahoot, still appears obscure. It's still not accepting any new current accounts and it only has one (poor) savings account open.

Does anyone know where this orphan subsidiary is going?