Halifax Reward

neil9313

Wasnt the £100 required to get the cheque card? I seem to remember that.

opinions4u

Mikeyorks wrote: »

Just how difficult is it to communicate fundamental product change within an organisation.

It's very easy to communicate it.

It's much harder for every individual, customer facing or back office to take it in when it's combined with:

- every part of the computer software that they use day to day being removed and replaced with a "new" system that's less intuitive (and can't, for example, tell the user the current rate of interest being paid).

- every on-sale saving product being removed from sale and replaced with a new range.

- every product, including those off-sale, having changes to the way they work.

- every procedure being scrapped and replaced with "the way Lloyds TSB do it".

Not to say the way Lloyds do things is wrong. But it is different. A technologically advanced HBOS has apparently turned in to a form filling bureacracy.

A mate of mine who is still unfortunate enough to do what I used to do got something like 12 thick hard backed binders of information to learn in his own time. While staff were paid overtime to do some of the reading at home, the short course they were sent on focused on how to sell (which they already knew) rather than how to use this completely new set of systems.

In branches, a "Lloyds" person turned up for a week in most locations to support. But after that, they were on their own.

Having managed a branch where everybody was doing a new job on the day I took over, I undersatand how difficult it can be. But at least I knew my stuff at that time and could share my experience. In this case, the management have all been de-skilled as well. They're as stuffed as the rest of them!

For Halifax branches (and call centres) who went through a seismic change in September I can easily understand why things haven't bedded in several months on.

Crediting £100 to start up a current account? Just one of thousands of product and procedural changes they've faced. I can easily understand why a percentage of staff don't get it yet.

Mandelbrot

And when do you think they are going to "get it"?
Before or after their customers leave for pastures new?

opinions4u

Mandelbrot wrote: »

And when do you think they are going to "get it"?
Before or after their customers leave for pastures new?

Not my problem .

But most staff will get most of it. Eventually. In recent years I've started brand new jobs on 3 occasions. Each time it's taken me about a year to feel comfortable with it (by which time I'm bored, but that's a different story). Human beings take time to adjust to change. I can't think of any bigger unsupported change for employees than this.

Some customers will leave before they do.

I can see LBG now spending lots of money turning these systems back in to the better HBOS ones over the next few years!

vickssinex

I opened a new account online a week past Friday - checked the account last Friday and the £100 was in. No mention of having to put money in.

I'm waiting for the list of direct debits from my old account to come through, but it's all been plain sailing so far.

Mikeyorks

opinions4u wrote: »

Crediting £100 to start up a current account? Just one of thousands of product and procedural changes they've faced. I can easily understand why a percentage of staff don't get it yet.

Too defensive, I'm afraid.

No one doubts the transfer to the Lloyds platform was not without significance. But I've been with Halifax for 30 years - and my comment was based on the fact that it has always been thus, with Branch staff in dissaray over the most basic details of their own products. And no excuse of fundamental change - which others cope with regularly - to hide behind for most of that time. I've stayed with them solely because their online has been first class and has met 99.9% of my needs. And I've been inured from Branch staff for most of that time via an excellent local Agency.

But twice in 4 years we've had to go into Branches to close accounts that could not be achieved online. On both occasions the performance of a basic bread and butter activity has been dismal. I signed the papers to close a Probate account - saw the funds transferred to my current account. Came home and transferred that to beneficiaries. A week later they closed my current account - complete with 14 active Direct Debits!

Fast forward 2 years - and my wife went in to close a Guaranteed Reserve account. Obtained a receipt with the correct capital + interest credited to a newish Websaver. A few days later, puzzled the original Reserve account was still open, I had a better look and found the closure figure had been transferred from her current account. Totally inept. And no Lloyds platform to blame for either of those - and created via two separate Branches.

My mother went into a Branch to 'register' the death of my Father on his ISAs. And was given a letter - addressed to her husband and inviting him to an appointment - two weeks later. And inviting him to 'phone if he couldn't make it! When challenged the 'expert' in the Branch defended this as Halifax policy 'to make sure they discussed the correct accounts'! That one did go to a formal complaint - which took 6 months to respond to. But I did notice Halifax centralised bereavement cases in the intervening period. I wonder why.

Asked a question about the 'new Reward current account' whilst paying in a cheque. The cashier called over an 'adviser', before I could stop her, as it was relatively innocuous ..... neither knew of the product. This was on the Friday before the live launch on the Monday! Simply left me shaking my head in bemusement. Don't these people read their own website / Press Releases?

I could go on - but won't. I'm sure Halifax are no worse in this respect than any other Banks with customer facing staff. But it's depressing to be faced with it virtually every time I'm unable to avoid going into a Branch.

I was once questioning one of my senior managers regarding a junior manager. Where my perception of capability was clearly less than constantly mentioned / reported. And was told, quite bluntly, 'it's your fault. She falls over her own feet in front of you - but is excellent otherwise'!

Perhaps I unknowingly have the same effect on Halifax Branch staff?

Tight_as_a_Drum

Just a quick question about this account - is there any penalty if on the odd occasion it isn't credited with £1000/month?

Looked for the answer to this pretty much everywhere...

jen245

No there isn't any penalty, you just won't get the £5 reward

Tight_as_a_Drum

Ok, thanks just out of interest how did you find that out?
It wasnt in the 39! pages of the T&C's - just stated it must be funded with £1000/month

jen245

http://www.halifax.co.uk/bankaccounts/rates-rewards-fees/