Ringing banks - how to keep the costs down?

meer53

It's not something i worry about. Last time i called my bank was November 2011.

Is it a huge problem for people ?

stclair

A geographic number for natwest actionline is 023 8022 6443

Vortigern

agrinnall wrote: »

The answer to this is to prefix the number with 141 so they can't tell where you are calling from.

innovate wrote: »

Nope, I had already tried that. Gives you the same message.

141 won't work if the bank's call steering can discriminate between WITHHELD and INTERNATIONAL calling line identities.

The reason banks use 0845 numbers is to enable 'intelligent' call steering in the telephone network to route calls different centres at different times of day, at different levels of demand, and to cover for staff meetings and call centre closures for fire, flood etc. They can't do this so easily with geographic numbers.

MoneySaverLog

Vortigern wrote: »

The reason banks use 0845 numbers is to enable 'intelligent' call steering in the telephone network to route calls different centres at different times of day, at different levels of demand, and to cover for staff meetings and call centre closures for fire, flood etc. They can't do this so easily with geographic numbers.

Rubbish, Lloyds TSB give the number that their 0845 number is ported across to. IVR still works on the 01 telephone number. It's just an excuses they give people not in the know about how these numbers actually work.

A 01 number can be forwarded to any number if the facility is put on the phone. http://btbusiness.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/7684/~/how-do-i-divert-calls-from-my-phone%3F

Every 0845, 0870, 0844 number is ported to a landline number. They don't publish this number and take a revenue from each call made to it.

samwsmith1

Vortigern wrote: »

First Direct do publish a geographic number 0113 276 6166 for those people who find that cheaper than 0845. The also have the far more memorable 01132345678 (Leeds 2345678) for people calling from abroad. Would they refuse to deal with a UK caller on that number?

I rarely call banks (or any call centre). I prefer online banking. I would use secure messaging for queries/enquiries, which leads to my complaint:- Why do some banks not have a secure messaging facility for queries? Halifax for example have no online messaging except for complaints.

I've never seen the first 0113 276 6166 number that you mentioned, I always call the 0113 2345678 number and I've never been refused, they just answer the phone asking for post code or international ID number instead of just post code.

Vortigern

samwsmith1 wrote: »

I've never seen the first 0113 276 6166 number that you mentioned, I always call the 0113 2345678 number and I've never been refused, they just answer the phone asking for post code or international ID number instead of just post code.

0113 276 6166 does not seem to be listed on their website but it still works. It was sent to customers in a statement insert a while ago. I still have the insert but there's no date on it.

Vortigern

Vortigern wrote: »

The reason banks use 0845 numbers is to enable 'intelligent' call steering in the telephone network to route calls to different centres at different times of day, at different levels of demand, and to cover for staff meetings and call centre closures for fire, flood etc. They can't do this so easily with geographic numbers.

MoneySaverLog wrote: »

Rubbish

You're entitled to your opinion, but the 'rubbish' I posted comes from a background in telecoms. I'm not here to defend the banks and I agree with your view that some businesses use 08xx numbers as money makers.

IVR still works on the 01 telephone number.

By the time you hear IVR, the call has already been routed to the bank's call centre. IVR will steer your call to the correct department within that centre. I was referring above to intelligent routing in the public telephone network which can, for example, route calls such that 70% go to the main call centre in Leeds and 30% go to a backup call centre in Belfast.

A 01 number can be forwarded to any number if the facility is put on the phone. http://btbusiness.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/7684/~/how-do-i-divert-calls-from-my-phone%3F

True, but that's very simple call diversion aimed at residential customers and small businesses. It's not what the banks use. Their systems are required to be far more robust.

Every 0845, 0870, 0844 number is ported to a landline number.

True but the intelligent network can change the target landline number, on a per call basis

They don't publish this number and take a revenue from each call made to it.

Some banks do publish geographic numbers, as you've said for Lloyds. There is revenue sharing on 0845 calls but the bank's share is relatively small.

oldvicar

I needed to call Santander to ask for a cheque book and tried an 0800 number I found relating to new accounts instead of the suggested number. After running through ID I was told that I had the wrong department but they nicely and immediately volunteered to me through, which they did and was answered straight away.

Full marks so far to Santander. Unfortunately when through to the right department the process or ordering a cheque book was torture ! I think they must have better systems/staff for dealing with new accounts rather than long-standing customers.

benjus

innovate wrote: »

Yes, most do - - though the other day I tried calling the Santander UK Helpdesk on 01908 238013, just to get a message saying something like "Thanks for calling. The number you called is for customers calling from outside the UK. Please re-dial blah blah blah".

Were you calling from a landline or mobile? I've had this issue before with Santander numbers and (IIRC) they worked when called from a UK mobile (presumably because UK mobiles can roam abroad, so customers could be calling from abroad using their UK mobile...)


If that doesn't work and you really, really, desperately want to fool their system you could always sign up for a foreign number via a SIP service (some of which are free) and make the call from that number.

iAMaLONDONER

innovate wrote: »

I see many posts here, and on the savings/ISA boards, where people mention calls to banks, for standard transactions, and/or to resolve issues.

Most of the numbers I have seen for banks are 0844, 0845 or even 0870 numbers, so cost a fair whack of money by the time you have gone from option 5 to option 3 to option 7 and back etc, listened to some lengthy announcements (like "have you thought of visiting us on doubleyou-doubleyou-doubleyou-we-are-bankers-dot-com", and "we are regulated by the Financial Services Authority and may monitor calls blah blah blah"), then listen to some usually dreadful muzzak, and then, may be, finally get to speak to someone who speaks your language and can actually help with your call.

What are people doing to keeping the costs for such calls down? Is there any single approach people are using? Is it worth trying to contain these costs, or is it not something you worry about? Please cast your vote on whether a guide for cheapest calls would be useful.

I couldn't find a single "fits all" approach for contacting banks about existing accounts, so I am doing any of the following, as appropriate:

1. try to use the internal messaging system - ok if no instant answer , or extensive discussion, is required
2. only ever call from mobile if life depends on the call (basically never!). [I appreciate not everyone has access to a landline, though]
3. find an 0800 number on the bank's website, and hope one of the options gets you to where you want to get to
4. use saynoto0870.com to find a freefone, or switchboard number
5. use a dial-prefix, or someone like 18185, found on the MSE callchecker

Am I missing something obvious?

(NB. please can the First Direct appreciation society spare us with talk of brilliant FD phone support, and instead tell us how we can reduce the cost of calling FD).

I just look for the 01/02/03 numbers which just mean I call as if I was abroad- I don't have a landline and as I'm a student!

But I never pay to call anyone lol