Nationwide BS has systematic problems

thrifty_pete

I've been a Nationwide customer for about 16 years. I’ve had a mortgage, savings, ISAs, credit cards etc. Over the past couple of years the quality of their call centre staff has started to decline to a level which means that almost every time I have need to contact them, it results in a complaint being made! Last year I tried to move my ISA to them, and it took about 5 weeks. During this I made a complaint which resulted in some poorly trained guy threatening “take the £50 compensation as a full and final settlement or you will be making trouble for yourself” I didn’t take this as the interest which would have been owed if it took any longer would have been greater. In the end they did backdate the interest, so if their call centre had conveyed that this was likely to happen, it could have saved them hassle, and potentially £50.
More recently with an issue with my credit card, they denied I even had a product with them in a previous year. I explained it might have had a different account number (as they had discontinued the Cash Reward card). They then sent a “final response” saying that as I wasn’t a customer during the period concerned, the matter was settled. They then phoned up (which puzzled me as I though a final response was just that!). I then explained they needed to have better record keeping in a financial services organisation. He then miraculously found my records, sent me an entire year’s worth of statements to prove this (although to be accurate 9 months as he sent three copies of June for some reason). He then begged me to take £50 if I didn’t go to the ombudsman. The original issue is still not resolved, but the £50 is reasonable.
I’ve just called up about a minor pre-existing medical condition which happily won’t cost me any extra on the free FlexAccount travel insurance. I then asked should I take my EHIC, to which she replied “no that is a Government scheme, completely separate from travel insurance. Your don’t need to take your EHIC as you have medical cover.” Funny then how on page 5 of the policy it says “To obtain medical treatment [in the EEA] you must produce a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) formerly known as the E111 form.”
They have a £105 million “customer redress” on their balance sheet, which I guess is partly PPI claims, but I guess my £50 here and there is just a drop in the ocean.
How the Chief Executive Graham Beale can justify his £976,000 “performance pay”, on top of his £825,000 salary I don’t know! If you’re going to behave like a plc then at least give your members shares!
Pete

pmduk

I agree, last time I dealt with them, they lost my paperwork twice, told the FOS I'd not made a complaint, despite the FOS having a copy of the complaint acknowledgement letter.