First Direct Vs NatWest - best overall and for customer service?

Hominu

chambta wrote: »

Absolutely. Some may laugh at this, or think I'm making it up, but at the bank I work in customers bring us gifts on a weekly basis - whether it be biscuits, cake, sweets as a token of their appreciation for what we do for them.

I hope you don't accept them. The place I worked last, it was strictly forbidden to accept anything like that from a customer. Plus you have the other problem that if a customer has received poor service, they might bring in something that looks nice, but would make you sick, or worse.

innovate

chambta wrote: »

Absolutely. Some may laugh at this, or think I'm making it up, but at the bank I work in customers bring us gifts on a weekly basis - whether it be biscuits, cake, sweets as a token of their appreciation for what we do for them.

What a sad lot your customers must be

alanq

opinions4u wrote: »

The worst performers in FOS statistics typically have 4 or 5 complaints per thousand accounts.

That means 995 out of 1000 accounts are not creating complaints.

Go to a restaurant, and I bet you moan about the speed of service more often than that.

How many people make written complaints about restaurant service compared to how many moan? The 5/1000 figure relates to formal complaints about bank service not moaning. In most cases bank customers will suffer all but major foul-ups without making a formal complaint. Either they will get problems fixed informally, suffer in silence or just take their business elsewhere

A bad experience in a restaurant causes only the briefest unhappiness. Restaurants tend not to take your meal away half way through eating it and get you banned from that and all other restaurants in the country because of your meal choices and frequency of dining.

opinions4u

alanq wrote: »

How many people make written complaints about restaurant service compared to how many moan? The 5/1000 figure relates to formal complaints about bank service not moaning.

Expressions of dissatisfaction. The vast majority of which are verbal. Banks and building societies record these as complaints.

In most cases bank customers will suffer all but major foul-ups without making a formal complaint. Either they will get problems fixed informally, suffer in silence or just take their business elsewhere

As for suffering in silence, the same applies to all walks of life.

"Fixed informally", if a complaint as opposed to an enquiry, will be recorded as a complaint. Even if it doesn't involve a written apology and ex-gratia / compensation payment.

rolstherat

If you mainly bank online then go FD! £100 and better service!

rolstherat

One point: Main disadvantage of FD is they don't pay any interest in a credit balance. But this generally does not equate to much

innovate

rolstherat wrote: »

One point: Main disadvantage of FD is they don't pay any interest in a credit balance.

Neither does Natwest

rolstherat wrote: »

But this generally does not equate to much

If you have a big balance, and if the interest rate is decent, it can be quite a lot of money.

dalesrider

Just take a straw pole of threads on each bank here and see which crops up the most in a negative light.

Other than that. Take your pick.

Each has its plus and minus points.

As to the restaurant argument.

How many people get poor service and NEVER go back.

innovate

dalesrider wrote: »

Just take a straw pole of threads on each bank here and see which crops up the most in a negative light.

I would discard all the "rip-off!" threads outright, as well as the "bank closed my account", "bank wants my overdraft back" etc ones. These are generally from people who would have the same experience at any bank because they aren't managing their accounts properly.

chambta

Hominu wrote: »

I hope you don't accept them. The place I worked last, it was strictly forbidden to accept anything like that from a customer. Plus you have the other problem that if a customer has received poor service, they might bring in something that looks nice, but would make you sick, or worse.

It's not forbidden. Why would it be?

innovate wrote: »

What a sad lot your customers must be

What a miserable way to view it.