Disgusting Service From Yorkshire BS

HoneyAndLemon

opinions4u wrote: »

Back in my previous life as a bank branch manager Saturday mornings were an interesting affair.

Branch deserted first thing. Catch up a few admin tasks. Nip out and get a bacon buttie for anybody who wanted it. Check in with the mortgage adviser to check what she had on her plate. Make sure somebody cleaned the ATMs which usually showed the wear and tear of a Friday night.

10am check on the sales figures. Worry that we've done very little against target.

10.15am the first signs of a queue.

10.20am all my "advisers" are with customers now. Hope the first one's quick - there's a 10.30am appointment in the diary.

10.30am to noon - absolute bedlam. The whole town is now in my banking hall. Everybody's running around like a fly with a blue posteria. All hands to the pump.

Noon - lock the door. 20+ customers still in the banking hall. Explain to a good dozen outside that we close at noon. Always have done. No I can't let "just you" in.

12.15pm - check the business levels. 10 appointments seen. 8 customers seen without an appointment. 5 booked in for next Saturday. One awkward complaint about telephone banking to look in to on Monday. Support cashiers in balancing tills. Get them out of the door and home to their families as early as possible.

Get in early if you want to be seen without an appointment during the busiest time of the week.

And if you're retired avoid Saturdays and lunch periods.

This still sums it up. Only the rush we get in my branch is from 11.20 onwards. Without fail every week. One guy this week came in at 11.50 to open an isa. No appointment, but demanded an advisor 10 minutes before closing. Ended up going on the phone in the branch to open it and we waited until 12.45 until he was done and instead of thanking us for letting him stay after closing and keep us all, he still proceeded to be extremely rude. There is no pleasing people.

redbuzzard

I sympathise with the staff, on the whole, though I have no reason to doubt the OP's experience.

Front liners in banks are treated like cannon fodder now compared with my time in domestic banking 1974-79, the regulatory framework is insanely prescriptive, and the further I am these days from the general public, the better.

bigfreddiel

reachout1 wrote: »

This morning,Saturday,at 10.30 am i went to my local branch of the Yorkshire BS to reinvest 70k in a fixed rate bond.

i asked for a cheque to be sent to me which they did.

Dont they want savers money anymore ?

I told her to forget it and i will take my money elsewhere.

I have sent a complaint to the Yorkshire so lets see what they have to say.

its all been said already but here's my 2p worth

£70k = peanuts as far as the bs is concerned - may as well be £7.00

You got what you asked for - cheque - so surely no complaints there

They don't want our money -hmg has gieven them bucket loads

altho' its very satisfying saying you're going off with your money the bs doesn't give a toss

so whats your complaint and what do you want from them- if you're just banging on to ybs about their crap service then that will elicit zero response - they may say sorry, come back, but so what!

and another thing - all banks/bs/etc are equally good/bad depending who you get when you make contact

welcome to 2013

fj

Thrugelmir

bigfreddiel wrote: »

welcome to 2013

fj

Yep. A world where many are now rude, aggressive, impatient and abusive. Lacking manners, and at the very least the common sense to book an appointment.

I always wonder myself what they're like to work with and how well they perform their own jobs, and in what manner.

alanq

nilrem wrote: »

A few years ago I went into Santander for a fixed rate bond, I had filled in a form (as they requested) written out a cheque and took all my ID with me but they refused to take it and insisted I make an appointment for the following week, I pointed out that I could just leave it with them and they could post the stuff back but they weren't interested, ...

Naturally I have not considered dealing with Santander since.

Exactly my experience. At busy times one has to accept that no advisor is available to open an account on the spot. However, the receptionist would not even accept the paperwork to be processed at their convenience. Yet they would have accepted the application if I had posted it in! Madness.

Chargem

alanq wrote: »

However, the receptionist would not even accept the paperwork to be processed at their convenience. Yet they would have accepted the application if I had posted it in! Madness.

I wonder what would have happened if you simply pushed the forms through their letterbox on your way out?

Glen_Clark

alanq wrote: »

However, the receptionist would not even accept the paperwork to be processed at their convenience. Yet they would have accepted the application if I had posted it in! Madness.

If they take the paperwork from you over the counter they have to check it there and then and may not have the time.

pqrdef

ses6jwg wrote: »

only a certain number will hold the relevant authorizations to open accounts. Banks are required to internally authorize their staff by the FSA to ensure compliance with the huge level of regulation.

Computers open new savings accounts for existing customers. There's no pack drill involved. A YBS 3-year bond can be opened online in about 2 minutes, so why does it need an appointment?

I made a difficult trek to a Nottingham branch to open a savings account. I've got online accounts already. The website said, just call in for a friendly chat, nothing about appointments - though if they'd tried any chat, I wouldn't have been too friendly. I wanted a savings account, that was all, and if I'd wanted an investment or house insurance I'm quite certain they wouldn't have had a competitive product to offer.

There were 3 staff and I was the only customer. They didn't have appointments booked because it was nearly closing time (mid-afternoon). They wanted me to make an appointment to go back the next morning (Saturday!). I said if I had to go back again I wouldn't bother. They said "Sorry" in a way that said they weren't. I didn't go back.

Many years ago I went to Nationwide to open a cash ISA. Empty shop, but they insisted on an appointment. I had to take time off work for that. Some spotty kid in a suit emerged from the back and spent half an hour quizzing me about my life story. It was quite intrusive, and I only wanted a mini ISA. Since then I have never made a branch appointment to open an account of any kind, although I've got dozens.

Banks and building societies need to make their minds up whether they want people to go into branches or not. Nationwide amuse me - they return my cheque when I apply for a savings account by post, strictly branch only, but then they bribe me with 5% to convert my FlexAccount to their new online product, though I only used the old one online anyway.

webmasterpolo

I would say that the staff should be friendly, but firm that if the policy is appointments then that's it. As someone said you don't just turn at your doctors without an appointment and expect to be seen.

There has been a huge amount of bank bashing in the past few years since the 2008 credit crisis, this has resulted in insane levels of legislation which is strangling the industry. Part of this regulation means staff need to ask loads of questions to open an account because they are taking on a responsibility to defend any possible future complaint that the account wasn't suitable, even though it's not advised.

For example if you wanted a 5 year fixed rate bond, if they don't check you have sufficient instant access money and you complain in 3 years that you can't access this money, they are terrified they will lose the complaint. So now they ask you a million questions and document it all to try and defend themselves later. They would rather lose your business than take it on without making sure they are protected.

It is a world gone mad, but then the public have been demanding all the bank bashing that has created this regulatory storm. You've made your bed, now lie in it.

Personally I also deal online to avoid all this rubbish. (online is self directed so they feel safer that you can't complain later).

-Web

nilrem_2

alanq wrote: »

Exactly my experience. At busy times one has to accept that no advisor is available to open an account on the spot. However, the receptionist would not even accept the paperwork to be processed at their convenience. Yet they would have accepted the application if I had posted it in! Madness.

My thoughts exactly.