WARNING: First Direct now using overseas call centres

innovate

moggsy wrote: »

Yes they increased their rates in November (unless you have over £20,000 in there as they decreased that rate).

'From 1 November, the bank will increase the rate on balances up to £4,999 from 0.5% to 1.3%. The rate on balances from £5,000 to £9,999 will rise from 1.2% to 1.5%.'

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/first-direct-increase-isa-rates-111548033.html

Crikey.

I didn't think any MSE reader would ever have had a cash ISA with a 0.5% AER. Or get excited about even 1.5%, when we have had the luxury of Kazza's best cash ISA thread for the last umpteen years. Check post 1 of https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/401374

It's pretty shocking how people get exploited / let themselves exploit by marketing hype.

Archi_Bald

moggsy wrote: »

Yes they increased their rates in November (unless you have over £20,000 in there as they decreased that rate).

'From 1 November, the bank will increase the rate on balances up to £4,999 from 0.5% to 1.3%. The rate on balances from £5,000 to £9,999 will rise from 1.2% to 1.5%.'

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/first-direct-increase-isa-rates-111548033.html

Didn't know that, seems it went unnoticed on MSE. Even with the increases, though, those ISA rates look terrible compared with alternatives.

HaysieBoy

It is not just for Fraud. I asked for a call back from the Cash ISA team and recieved a call from a Call Centre in India. They presented a CLI of 020003 (breaching Ofcom code) then offered to tell me my mothers maiden name to prove who they were (breaching Data Protection). I have raised a complaint with First Direct and intend to close accounts with them unless they stop this - would strongly urge others to threaten the same to put pressure on to stop this.

As others have stated already First Direct have the best service of any bank I have known (account since 1991) and a large part of that has been the superb call centre staff. I don't have an issue with HSBC using their back office for things like fraud alerts but normal account servicing should stay as it was or they will fall to the same standard as others..

colsten

HaysieBoy wrote: »

It is not just for Fraud. I asked for a call back from the Cash ISA team and recieved a call from a Call Centre in India. They presented a CLI of 020003 (breaching Ofcom code) then offered to tell me my mothers maiden name to prove who they were (breaching Data Protection). I have raised a complaint with First Direct and intend to close accounts with them unless they stop this - would strongly urge others to threaten the same to put pressure on to stop this.

OFCOM have no jurisdiction over how numbers from abroad are being displayed. I doubt it breaches the DPA if they quote you information that you have given them, provided they have ascertained beforehand that you are you.

meer53

Offering your mothers maiden name is simply so they can reassure you that they are who they say they are, they will still need to ask you more security questions. These days, threatening to close your account doesn't have the same effect it used to have. They'll probably say we're sorry to hear that, but Goodbye.

On a separate note, i speak to people on the phone all day, some English people are very difficult to understand. Some UK accents are very hard to understand and some foreign people speak perfect English.

Eddi_the_Seahorse

meer53 wrote: »

These days, threatening to close your account doesn't have the same effect it used to have. They'll probably say we're sorry to hear that, but Goodbye.

It used to be the case that a branch manager was personally accountable to Head Office for every account that was lost - which is why they would bend over backwards to try to keep them. Sadly, that no longer happens.

meer53 wrote: »

some English people are very difficult to understand. Some UK accents are very hard to understand and some foreign people speak perfect English.

True enough. But why is it that companies whose call centres are UK-based make a point of stressing this in their sales blurb?

eskbanker

Eddi_the_Seahorse wrote: »

It used to be the case that a branch manager was personally accountable to Head Office for every account that was lost - which is why they would bend over backwards to try to keep them. Sadly, that no longer happens.

I can't say I'm sad about this, given that this style of operation also entailed doing everything in a branch, rather than the convenience of banking in the 21st century with full online facilities, including account opening, etc. Personally the term 'branch manager' makes me think of Mr Mainwaring types and all that represents - I can't remember the last time I had any need to deal with people in that sort of role and long may it continue!

System

I agree but FD was born as a direct operation - discussion about branch banking isn't too relevant.

As a side point, M&S bank also advertise UK only call centres but I've spoken to overseas call centres on at least part of each call to their 01244 number. It comes across like they have cloned FDs setup within HSBC (with M&S Bank).

eskbanker wrote: »

I can't say I'm sad about this, given that this style of operation also entailed doing everything in a branch, rather than the convenience of banking in the 21st century with full online facilities, including account opening, etc. Personally the term 'branch manager' makes me think of Mr Mainwaring types and all that represents - I can't remember the last time I had any need to deal with people in that sort of role and long may it continue!

Eddi_the_Seahorse

I recently had occasion to use a Tesco Bank ATM. It displayed the following message on the screen:

"Our call centres are in the UK because our customers are in the UK."

All UK-based companies who use overseas call centres, please note!

callum9999

Eddi_the_Seahorse wrote: »

But why is it that companies whose call centres are UK-based make a point of stressing this in their sales blurb?

Because "soft-racism" is rampant in this country, although people often dress it up by claiming that they can't understand people from abroad - clearly most people can understand most foreign call centre agents, otherwise they wouldn't be used at all... In fact, the most trouble I've had understanding people on the phone has been from call centres based in Northern Ireland.

It's a shame really because it's still a largely tolerant country, but it's very hard to criticise such minor xenophobia/racism as people don't like to view themselves as such so start ranting about how they're "just saying what everyone's thinking" and how a criticism of them is "PC gone mad!".