RBS/NatWest complaints line

ThirdCat

Hello All,

Just wondering whether anyone has had a similar experience of calling this complaints line on 0845 6000 709.

I want to complain about my University campus branch closure and have just spent an hour (1h:3min before I gave up) on hold (and this is an 0845 number ...).

If this is the way RBS try to reduce the number of complaints it is not working, as the complaint numbers go into large fractions of a million (!) according to their own FoI Act inspired page for NatWest alone.

Best wishes,
(frustrated) T.C.

InsideInsurance

You register the complaint with the normal telephone banking and then someone in the customer relations team will pick it up and respond. Given you are just voicing disappointment that a branch is closing you will get a generic letter about commercial considerations by return.

PS. an 0845 number is included in most modern call plans as per geographic numbers

pmduk

You could email your complaint, they're dealt with fairly rapidly. Doubt it will make any difference though.

Agricolae

I'm sorry to hear the topic creator has had to wait for over an hour - Natwest's wait times on the complaints line can be long, but they're not normally that long. That said, over the last few weeks they have been taking an unusually large number of calls plus more recently I'm told they have had some occasional issues with call routing, where the odd customer call has just gone into the ether.

Also, there's a reason why companies make their complaints lines 0845 and it isn't to make money out of people calling - it's to deter people from calling the number when they don't have complaints, just because it's a free number to their bank. As a bank's complaints department is usually "in demand", they can't afford to have non-complaint calls clogging up their lines and increasing wait times even further. Bank sales departments (normally 0800) have this kind of problem with people ringing up to do their normal banking and ending up speaking to a salesperson who isn't going to be able to help with more complex banking questions.

I notice the creator called around 12pm. I'd say 11am-3pm are probably the busiest hours for complaints departments because working people tend to call their bank during their lunch break.

If the creator can stomach it, calling between 8am and 9am would pretty much guarantee him or her being spoken to within a couple of minutes (this is the earliest time Natwest's complaints department opens). However I think they would find the bank's response disappointing, as undoubtedly closing the local branch has been a commercial decision and not one the bank will look to review.

stclair

Agricolae wrote: »

I'm sorry to hear the topic creator has had to wait for over an hour - Natwest's wait times on the complaints line can be long, but they're not normally that long. That said, over the last few weeks they have been taking an unusually large number of calls plus more recently I'm told they have had some occasional issues with call routing, where the odd customer call has just gone into the ether.

Also, there's a reason why companies make their complaints lines 0845 and it isn't to make money out of people calling - it's to deter people from calling the number when they don't have complaints, just because it's a free number to their bank. As a bank's complaints department is usually "in demand", they can't afford to have non-complaint calls clogging up their lines and increasing wait times even further. Bank sales departments (normally 0800) have this kind of problem with people ringing up to do their normal banking and ending up speaking to a salesperson who isn't going to be able to help with more complex banking questions.

I notice the creator called around 12pm. I'd say 11am-3pm are probably the busiest hours for complaints departments because working people tend to call their bank during their lunch break.

If the creator can stomach it, calling between 8am and 9am would pretty much guarantee him or her being spoken to within a couple of minutes (this is the earliest time Natwest's complaints department opens). However I think they would find the bank's response disappointing, as undoubtedly closing the local branch has been a commercial decision and not one the bank will look to review.

Saying all that I can't see the group doing anything regarding overturning the decision of a branch closure.

pmduk

If complaints about bank closures worked there'd be hundreds (thousands?) more branches open today.