Customer Service and Banks

Forever

I have only just started banking with the Halifax. However, I have just had a nasty run-in with Halifax's customer service over problems trying to access online banking. To say, I'm not impressed with them would be an understatement! :mad:

I have also been with the Natwest for over 25 years now and have never had any problems with them whatsoever. However, their interest rates on savings accounts and ISAs are pretty atrocious. It is a shame as I have quite a bit in savings.

Is there a bank that has half decent interest rates (if that is possible these days!) AND a decent customer service?

Or am I hoping for too much?

dr_adidas01

Where as I have banked with them a longtime and found the customer service I've experienced to be very good.

You don't say what problem you have experienced with online banking.

Santander offer a good rate on there 123 accounts though others have found there customer service to be lacking.

lloyds TSB do vantage account with tiered interests rates though there part of Halifax banking group so there internet banking works the same.

Steve059

It can vary from bank to bank and even call to call.

Things usually go wrong when they're being set up for the first time. I regularly change savings accounts and accept this as a possiblity. If it all goes OK, as with my new Derbyshire BS account, it's a bonus.

As a straw poll, I had to ring The Co-op' Bank yesterday about not being able to access online banking. I was certain that I was using the right info' but the system locked me out. I keep a record of all my things like this (in a hidden Windows system folder, where even IT techies fear to tread) but there is always the possibility that I mis-typed it when I set it up. The handling of the call was little short of a masterclass in how to do it right.

I also find that using my digital voice recorder to record such calls is very useful. Firstly, if things do go "pear shaped", I have a record of what was said. Secondly, personally, I also find that it stops me escalating things: I just sound such a prat when I'm annoyed.

BTW, if one party to the call knows that the call is (is, not may be) being recorded, there is no legal requirement to inform the other party. Legally, it's the same as taking verbatim notes of the call.

Forever

Thanks for both of your replies.

I think you have made a good point Steve059 about person to person.

Perhaps I'm still feeling this way as I'm still just fuming with the really, really bad customer service that I received. She was 'off' from the get go and it really felt like she just wanted to play a power game with me where it didn't matter what I was going to say, she wasn't going to allow me to have online access (it's currently locked). And on top of this, I really do need to get onto online banking sooner rather than later!

I am planning to call their customer service dept again later today. So maybe I should keep an open mind and pray this time, I talk to someone who has some sort of customer relations ability so I can get things sorted out as well as restoring my faith with the Halifax...

Herbalus

Steve059 wrote: »

Secondly, personally, I also find that it stops me escalating things: I just sound such a prat when I'm annoyed.

That is fantastic.

Personally I find it helps to think that these people are human beings who can quite easily get fed up of the rude customer they've just spent 30 minutes trying to explain very simple things to, and you just happened to call next. This isn't an excuse for bad customer service, but it does happen.

I normally write calls like that off and then call again later. Companies like student finance (help us all) always tell you different things anyway, so I ring back and confirm, but with First Direct I don't!

InsideInsurance

Forever wrote: »

I have only just started banking with the Halifax. However, I have just had a nasty run-in with Halifax's customer service over problems trying to access online banking. To say, I'm not impressed with them would be an understatement! :mad:

I have also been with the Natwest for over 25 years now and have never had any problems with them whatsoever. However, their interest rates on savings accounts and ISAs are pretty atrocious. It is a shame as I have quite a bit in savings.

Is there a bank that has half decent interest rates (if that is possible these days!) AND a decent customer service?

Or am I hoping for too much?

Why do you need one bank for both current and savings and ISA? For a variety of reasons you are unlikely to find the best of breed for all these under a single company let alone to add good service on top.

Even the best Financial Services companies score relatively poorly compared to other companies when it comes to service (and insurers score even worse than banks). There may be some element of "its the nature of the beast" but whilst it may be slightly understandable (banking regs, people being declined for loans etc) the delta seems to big for me to write it all off as such.

My view, at least, is that 98% of the time banks operate fine and these days that means we have almost no direct contact with them. Things will however always occasionally go wrong and a much better test for them is how they respond when these inevitable problems occur.

There are people who say Santander are great despite consistently being ranked the worst bank for customer service. Many of these may never had any problems and so never really "tested" them. Some may have been lucky with who they spoke to etc.

Personally, go with whoever offers the best in breed for your need for each product and possibly develop a personal "dont touch" list based on your own experiences.