Halifax have the worst customer service of all banks.

moneymanager

I have to admit that at one point I would have raved about Halifax. I mean I did to my husband when we decided to open up a joint account. I think from that day I have seen the worse in Halifax. I haven't had much experience with other banks to really compare except with Ulster Bank and First Trust (Northern Ireland).

But the day we went into Halifax to open up a joint account. We did not have an appointment which I admit I didn't know we had to make one. But they would not see us at all but when I whispered to a girl that we had a £16,000 cheque she whisked us into an appointment just like that. Then of course we had brought along our small money that we save in a big jar and we were told it was kids money. How dare they? Money is money and they did talk down to us which annoyed me. I work with finance myself so I don't need to be spoken to like a child. Anyway, I have noticed over the years Halifax talking down to me and I don't like it. As for the bank charges - well that is another story.

Well, that is my whine over. So I vote yes!

kenshaz

I am going to give you your very first thanks for your story,money talks and your £16000 certainly did,I thought they offered a service and patronizing you about your small money in a jar,I am sure that head office would not be pleased with the treatment and references the staff made perhaps we are talking about a training need forget the targets let us concentrate on interpersonal skills and making people feel special.

Why should you need an appointment to deposit money ,they should welcome you with open arms ,and they have more back-room staff than Buckingham Palace in branches ,so that should not have been a problem,but perhaps some are not multi skilled ,only trained in one specific aspect of banking.

I believe that they all staff should be able to assist customers no matter what the problem ,get the staff out of the offices onto the shop floor engaging with the customer.

regularsaver1

LittleVoice wrote: »

I'm just wondering whether all Halifax staff have been put through intensive customer service training in the last couple of weeks. I've had occasion to visit my local branch twice this week (my instigation, no appointment) and been treated well!

It's a sad reflection that I've been surprised - and it could just be that the small number of people I've dealt with recently (not the same as those I've spoken with before) have been properly customer focused.

I would say - don't tailor every employee eith the same brush. Everyuone is different

regularsaver1

kenshaz wrote: »

I agree,but I still feel for those in society who do not have your skills,and are led into savings and investments by target seeking staff.

as i said before - savings are not a target

most of the time, customers know what savings product they want or at least know if they want to tie it up, have instant access, have a card, or have a pass book. These have no risk. (obviously investments are different, but if the customer books the appointment they want to know about that bank's products right?)

most know what they want - as they have taken away an interest rate leaflet - so they know the rates upfront, whether fixed or variable

its the customers choice if they want to open an account with halifax, as it is with ING or Barclays

whats wrong with that?

and are you expecting a bank employee to know all about every bank's products?

regularsaver1

Why should you need an appointment in a bank to open an account/apply for a loan/mortgage/credit card

a. you wouldn't walk into a hairdressers and expect to be seen like that
b. accounts can only be open by certain authorised people - those authorised to certify identification, and they take time to key. Also may need to pass to a specialist area - ie mortgage . Loans and credit cards can only be keyed by FSA authorised personnel, and bank office staff have enough to do (usually only 1), with the ATM's , float , phone ect

c. the interviewers may already have a customer in 15 minutes later - do you :

1. go in and quickly key an account in 10 minutes? (remember you wouldn't want to over-run for the next person who had booked an appointment especially) or ,
2. book an appointment when it has allowed the best possible time to discuss everything you want to ask and open the account?

Depending on the branch size, the staffing levels, and how busy thew branch is on the day - most branches allow for on-spec availability,l but often they can not - especially on a Saturday which is completely understandable


and wouls you want a cashier to key an account? - wouldn't this hold up the queue? - which is why they have specific people for this

sapamm

I have some suspicions about Halifax.

About a year ago I transferred to a Halifax One card after being tempted by their 0% offer. A couple of months later I got a letter saying that my balance had not been paid, and it hadn't. It seems they had failed to set up my direct debit. I went into a branch to try to sort it out and after a while I managed to get to the highest seniority in the place and yet he wouldn't undetake to sort it out. It took the exchange of several letters before they would fix it.

That is not the end of it. My wife recently transferred to a Halifax One and has been waiting for the first bill to arrive so she could pay it in full. However, the first information of any kind that she received apart from the card (no welcome letter or anything) was a default letter after about two months. She will now have to go through the same process of letter writing in order to get the 0% reinstated.

If I hadn't read the posts in this thread about Halifax having poor customer service I would suspect that these were not errors but deliberate systemic attempts to negate the fulfillment of the 0% offer.

Has anyone else had similar problems? I am keen to find out because if this is widespread then Halifax have a case to answer.

Paul_Herring

sapamm wrote: »

About a year ago I transferred to a Halifax One card after being tempted by their 0% offer. A couple of months later I got a letter saying that my balance had not been paid, and it hadn't.

And of course, you were paying off the monthly bill manually until it said on your statement that "the payment will be taken from your nominated bank account by direct debit on...." ?

It seems they had failed to set up my direct debit.

Ah - I see you didn't. And you're placing the sole blame on the bank??

If I hadn't read the posts in this thread about Halifax having poor customer service I would suspect that these were not errors but deliberate systemic attempts to negate the fulfillment of the 0% offer.

This situation happens with most of the CC issuers. The first bill is rarely taken by DD, and you must ensure (by looking at the bill) that they say they will take payment by DD before assuming that the DD is in place.

Has anyone else had similar problems? I am keen to find out because if this is widespread then Halifax have a case to answer.

Quite a few people don't read their CC bills and assume that the mere act of filling out a DD form ensures that the DD is set up, so yes, it is widespread.

bcl999

I get almost 100% perfect service from the Halifax. How? I am able to serve myself most of the time using their on-line facility! Unfortunately, for the times when I do need to involve their staff, the service is still as bad as it has always been.

kenshaz

regularsaver1 wrote: »

as i said before - savings are not a target

most of the time, customers know what savings product they want or at least know if they want to tie it up, have instant access, have a card, or have a pass book. These have no risk. (obviously investments are different, but if the customer books the appointment they want to know about that bank's products right?)

most know what they want - as they have taken away an interest rate leaflet - so they know the rates upfront, whether fixed or variable

its the customers choice if they want to open an account with halifax, as it is with ING or Barclays

whats wrong with that?

and are you expecting a bank employee to know all about every bank's products?

But your interest paying current account is--is that different? What products are targeted?

kenshaz

regularsaver1 wrote: »

Why should you need an appointment in a bank to open an account/apply for a loan/mortgage/credit card

a. you wouldn't walk into a hairdressers and expect to be seen like that
b. accounts can only be open by certain authorised people - those authorised to certify identification, and they take time to key. Also may need to pass to a specialist area - ie mortgage . Loans and credit cards can only be keyed by FSA authorised personnel, and bank office staff have enough to do (usually only 1), with the ATM's , float , phone ect

c. the interviewers may already have a customer in 15 minutes later - do you :

1. go in and quickly key an account in 10 minutes? (remember you wouldn't want to over-run for the next person who had booked an appointment especially) or ,
2. book an appointment when it has allowed the best possible time to discuss everything you want to ask and open the account?

Depending on the branch size, the staffing levels, and how busy thew branch is on the day - most branches allow for on-spec availability,l but often they can not - especially on a Saturday which is completely understandable


and wouls you want a cashier to key an account? - wouldn't this hold up the queue? - which is why they have specific people for this

1) I never make an appointment to have my haircut.
2)Authorise more people what is the big deal?
3) Just keep it simple ,no problem with a cashier opening an account ,they do it at other banks ,and a back-room boy/girl takes over on the cash desks ,even the manager if need be.
4)If you cannot see me to take my money ,I go some where else ,and you lost out,get the manager out if need be ,customers come first.
5) Yes and they might want to sell you other products or pass you on as you stated.
The appointment helps them process you.
It also helps for staff to go back to basics.

Six staff in front of shop and forty behind.