How can I be assertive with pushy bank clerks/managers?

Bandido

Thanks for the responses. I feel less like a wuss now!!

I like a lot of the responses because they don't 'engage' her which is where I feel i'm going wrong. Any new bit of information is pounced on! I told her on the phone about a better rate elsewhere and she seemed angry then kept offering products to the point where my head was spinning! I can just see myself getting stuck in a room with her 'on lockdown'. talexuser - you take no prisoners. that's the attitude i need to have!

I think i'll say 'I would rather not discuss it'. I do want to say 'that is my business' but I feel it's rude? I don't know why I care because she's pushy and rude herself! I dont even know why i'm so nervous about this - i'm an adult!!!

Ok I will try this out. thankyou .

Ifts

If you are moving your money to a better paying account, no harm in telling them the rate, if enough customers did that then there might be a slim chance of them doing something with the feedback and possibly offering better rates in the future to retain their customers.

Thats what I do, usually find that they don't even try or give up once they realise they cant compete with what you have been offered elsewhere.

p00hsticks

newDude wrote: »

I doubt i could get "something decent" from the Halifax. After all, they will only be pushing their own products. My own research, and reading these boards, could easily beat anything they had to offer.

I'd also suggest that the chances are that you'll generally get a better rate by looking at online / telephone accounts rather than branch based ones, as they are cheaper for the banks to operate.

Pick an online one and you'll avoid havig to deal with human beings at all !

newDude

p00hsticks wrote: »

I'd also suggest that the chances are that you'll generally get a better rate by looking at online / telephone accounts rather than branch based ones, as they are cheaper for the banks to operate.

Pick an online one and you'll avoid havig to deal with human beings at all !

That's true. I have the Halifax online Web Saver (2.8%). They allow payments in branch, so i only go in branch if i have cash or a third party cheque to pay in, feel safer handing cheque over the counter than sending it through the post.
Not tested out Coventry BS, to see if i can pay into the Poppy Account at a branch.

alanq

If there is a much better rate elsewhere there is no harm in informing them. Not that it is likely to do much good. I had a Britannia bond about to mature and was offer 2.75% for a year fix. I told them that was an insult as I could get 3.5% for a year and over 3% for instant access. They admitted that a lot of money had been flowing out. They have just reduced the rate from 2.75% to 2.50%! Perhaps the Co-op can get money more cheaply on the wholesale market.

Usually I am non-specific. I tell them that I don't want to talk to anyone as I do my own research online and they have no suitable products. I have never experienced persistent questioning if I did I would give a less polite response.

ses6jwg

As a member of staff for a large UK bank there are a few reasons we ask these questions, in reverse order of reasoning:

1) Because most branches have a savings book that they are targeted to grow and defend. It's no use focusing on bringing new money in if you are losing it out the back door.

2) Because a lot of customers, believe it or not, are poorly educated financially and by asking the right questions we can identify problems that might have cropped up or help them make a bit more money. 3 examples from everyday life come to mind here:

- Customer comes in to withdraw £5340 from their instant access ISA paying 2.75%. This sets alarm bells ringing. The customer had just been into a Barclays branch and had been advised to withdraw £5340 from their existing ISA with us to pay into the Barclays Golden ISA at 2.81%. After sitting down the customer it had been identified that they had £5000 sat in a 0.1% online account and did not need access to their ISA for 2 years. So instead of getting 2.75% on the 40k and 2.8% on the 5k, they instead got 3.5% on the 40k and 3.3% easy access on the 5k that was earning 0.1%

- Mrs Customer comes in to close her ISA paying 0.5% as the bonus had ended. She wanted to close it and pay the money into her bank account because she didn't realise you could add new money to an ISA every year, she thought you had to close and reopen.

- Mr customer comes in to close his passbook savings with 8k earning 0.1% because he is worried about the economy and wants the cash in his house.; Quick run through the FSCS and his account is changed to one paying 2.3%

3) Anti money laundering. Branch staff are expected to be vigilant of large deposits and withdrawals.

steady__eddie

My current response is, "Would you mind directing your employers corporate greed elsewhere.....please ?"
What really annoys me is when I pay a cheque in and am told to hang on because they have to get it authorised ? A financial advisor is then wheeled out who goes through the motions, what are you going to do with the money etc. ? I am not keen on using the deposit envelopes because I have heard a tale or two on here about a cheque going astray and when I do, I get rung up at home. If this happens I refer to them as banksters and say that their organisation may be alright, "for the journey", but it's not terribly good when I reach my destination.

droopsnoot

Bandido wrote: »

I do want to say 'that is my business' but I feel it's rude?

I wouldn't worry about it - counter staff (and any customer-facing staff of any business) will have heard all sorts far, far worse than that and won't be taking anything personally.

opinions4u

There was a post on here a few weeks back from somebody who walked in to a bank and asked to close his account.

"They didn't bat an eyelid" he complained. "They just gave me my cheque and that was that, how bad is that?"

Sometimes the banks can't win.

I think it's right that they should try to do the best for you from the range of products that they've got. I think it's right that they try to retain your custom. Equally, you have the absolute right to use any of the polite phrases above to cut them off mid-flow.

Gromitt

Had something similar at the weekend.

"I see you have a X savings account with us that has reached the end of its bonus period, this account now only pays 0.1%, would you like to see a financial advisor to discuss your options?"

"Are the products that your financial advisor has access to available on your website?"

"Yes"

"then I'd rather do some research when I get home, thanks."