What would you like to have from your bank?

opinions4u

post offices tend to be open much more flexibly than banks.

Having spent many years working in a bank branch that open 08.00 to 17.00 weekdays and 09.00 to 15.30 Saturday that isn't necessarily the case.

Having worked in another branch that opened every Sunday ... well, have you ever known a post office open on a Sunday?

rich_jtg

I'd like First Direct, but with better online banking.

jfh7gwa

opinions4u wrote: »

Having worked in another branch that opened every Sunday ... well, have you ever known a post office open on a Sunday?

Hand on heart, I have NEVER banked with a bank where a branch was open at 8am, and I've never heard of banks opening on Sunday :eek:Are you talking about London? If not, where in the country was this?

My local post office at the supermarket is open until 8pm though, although for all i know they don't operate banking services there (I'm going to assume they do, though - it's quite a large post office segment of the shop floor, with about 6 or 7 counter desks).

Edited to add: Having just looked at the Post Office website, that branch near me is also open Sundays 10am until 6pm. Pretty nice - I didn't know!

meer53

jfh7gwa wrote: »

Dcs - children, yes

Some days when I start at 12, they are in school Mon-Fri. So not really convenient to pop in with them on a weekday morning. Besides, that's normally when I do the housework and food shop if I can help it - easier to do it on my own without having to drag everyone along with me.

I think the suggestion of having an account where i can use the Post Office is one of the best ones - post offices tend to be open much more flexibly than banks. I wish I'd taken the time to look at the list of accounts you can operate out of them these days- it's huge!

You said before that you worked full time so didn't have time to get to the branch. If you don't start work some days until 12, why do you have to go on Saturdays ? Surely you don't take your children every time you go ?

The only reason i say this is that my local post office is a nightmare, sometimes i have to queue for 15 minutes to post a parcel. If i were you, i'd visit your local one first and see how busy it is. If i go to the main one in town, it can be worse, the queue is sometimes out of the door !

opinions4u

jfh7gwa wrote: »

Edited to add: Having just looked at the Post Office website, that branch near me is also open Sundays 10am until 6pm. Pretty nice - I didn't know!

Proved me wrong rather nicely!

pinkdalek

Interesting how the common theme is branches opening longer on this thread on asking what would you like to have from your bank.

Unless on the rare occassion I have to pay a cheque in I seldom have to use a branch for services, even then I can pay it via their ATMs, however the opening times they currently have are suitable. If I need to go into a branch I can do this in my lunch break, or if it is THAT URGENT then I take time to do it, just like you would if it was a medical appointment, solicitors appointment, appointment with the school etc. Banks and a lot of other organisations have made strides in making things a lot easier for us eg internet/telephone/cash machines/mobile phones.

Think of your own profession and ask yourself what hours do you work and do your clients find your hours flexible enough?

As for what would I like more from my bank; well personally I would like to be able to speak to a human being when I use telephone banking rather than wasting 2/3 minutes punching in account numbers, date of birth and so forth and then only having to give it to the operator when they speak to me. But this could be said of any organisation out there, I would much rather have my call answered by someone and then either dealt with there and then or put through to the relevant department.

Mandelbrot

Bit surprised no-one has mentioned this yet ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4_rYx_UNuQ

username

As for what would I like more from my bank; well personally I would like to be able to speak to a human being when I use telephone banking rather than wasting 2/3 minutes punching in account numbers, date of birth and so forth and then only having to give it to the operator when they speak to me. But this could be said of any organisation out there, I would much rather have my call answered by someone and then either dealt with there and then or put through to the relevant department.

You'll be after First Direct then. No stupid press 1, press 2 etc, no punch in your numbers and a human to speak to on the end of a telephone line.

I'm a relatively satisfied customer of thiers, and I wish more organisations would adopt that approach - or if they don't want to put people on the end of the phone, at least allow us to press the options we want before they've reeled off everything. Orgainsations obviously seem to think we are rather stupid and can't remember which options we pressed before we got cut off...

The AA is one of those organisations - it's frustrating when you DO know what to press and it won't let you until you've heard all the spiel. At least 2 minutes wasted listening to all that crap before being placed on hold yet again.

I would like banks to:

Have a faster system for taking card payments so that they at least show up within hours of them being made.

Later opening hours. I've never understood why we are so bound to the 9-5 mentality of opening in this country for banks and services (that are not supermarkets).

opinions4u

username wrote: »

Later opening hours. I've never understood why we are so bound to the 9-5 mentality of opening in this country for banks and services (that are not supermarkets).

Having worked in branches that open until 8pm there's a good reason. It's dead after 4pm.

Having worked in branches that open all day Saturday, it's dead before 10am and it's dead after 1pm.

Having worked in branches that are open Sunday, it's dead. Completely. From opening time to closing time.

There is also a cost to it - paying people to keeping any shop or service open for longer hours.

In the days of 24 hour online banking, 24 hour telephone banking, 24 hour ATM availability (including deposit facility), including those at the local supermarket, customers themselves having working patterns that are more flexible and rarely 9 to 5 ... are wider branch opening hours really needed?

pinkdalek

With regards to card payments showing faster.

The majority of debit card transactions show are pending/earmarked/authorised immediately on the bank's system. OK maybe there could be some facility so as customers we could see them online?

As for different opening hours, have to agree with opinions, sorry, 24hr telephone, internet, ATMs. Ask what exactly and why do you need to visit a branch.

If I am ill on a weekend I can't visit my GP yet I can phone for help, go to a chemist. I can't have a dental appointment outside my working pattern, I can't contact my local council offices at weekends. If I have children I can only take them on holidays during school holidays.