Changing bank accounts

Surfer

At present we have a current account with the HSBC however we want to switch as tired of having hassles with their call centre and would prefer a bank with a UK based call centre.
For the same reason I am thinking for dumping my Barclaycard and looking for another card with a UK based call centre as tired of them getting things wrong.
We are always in credit and pay in more than enough to satisfy most requirements. I am not sure why this site does not indicate which banks have UK based call centres as that would be useful to many people in the same predicament.
Can any one please advise?

YorkshireBoy

You're probably banking with the two largest users of outsourced call centres, so your options are many! From my own portfolio, you might want to look at...


Halifax
Bank of Scotland
Santander
TSB
Nationwide
Lloyds
Yorkshire/Clydesdale Bank
Co-op
RBS
NatWest
M&S
Tesco
First Direct


All of the above also offer credit cards, as do MBNA who also have UK call centres.

Archi_Bald

Just to add from my own experience: UK based call centres do not protect you from clueless CS people who can only work from scripts. Nor do they guarantee that you can actually understand the person the other end as some of them have such broad regional accents that you might as well talk to a foreigner.

In other words: if you are dependent on call centres, you should be using a specialist phone bank, of which there is really only one: First Direct. If other things are important to you, any other bank will do.

Note I am not recommending First Direct per se, not least because I am not clear what your requirements are. Personally I just have an account with them because they have a good regular savings account. I am not using them for anything else.

Surfer

Thanks. We were with Allied which then became Santander but had to dump them as they constantly messed up with our bank statements and were we lived there was no branch. Not sure if they have improved since. We looked at FD and are interested, but isn't First Direct an off shoot of HSBC?

YorkshireBoy

Surfer wrote: »

isn't First Direct an off shoot of HSBC?

Yes, but call centres are in Leeds (and I think in Scotland too?).


But you're not going to choose based on call centre location alone are you? What are your other requirements?

Surfer

YorkshireBoy wrote: »

Yes, but call centres are in Leeds (and I think in Scotland too?).


But you're not going to choose based on call centre location alone are you? What are your other requirements?

Account similar to HSBC Advance or Nationwide Flexaccount. To be able to transfer money Online in one bank to another bank without hassles. To be able to set up Standing Order Online and to be able to nominate the period of payment i.e. every 4 weeks. Obviously DDs. To be able to transfer money online overseas as and when required. Not bothered with a cheque book.
When required to be able to talk to someone who does understand my requirements and does not keep asking the same question over and over and then still get the account number wrong! That happened recently and I had to repeat the number 3 times before they got it right. Getting interest on credit balances would be nice.
Just to be clear, turnover in the account is about £1300 per month with average credit balance about £200.

Archi_Bald

Nothing much special about HSBC Advance and Nationwide FlexAccount. HSBC Advance requires £1,500 a month to be paid in and gives you access to a 6% regular saver - you can get the same saver at M&S or FD with no minimum monthly deposit. Nationwide FlexAccount gives you free european travel insurance provided you pay in £750 a month. This is quite a good deal if you travel within Europe.

Online access, SOs, DDs, mobile access, FPs, contactless cards are all standard features of any current account these days. You wouldn't really use banks to transfer money abroad as the specialist currency transfer firm are way cheaper but obviously any bank allows you to make international transfers.

The quality of CS varies - you are dealing with humans, we all make mistakes from time to time, for various reasons. You may have to repeat things three or more times at any bank. Them understanding your requirements depends a lot on how you explain what your requirements are, too.

If you want an interest paying current account, you have a choice of TSB, Lloyds, Santander, Nationwide, BOS, Yorkshire / Clydesdale Bank. Some of us here, including myself, have current accounts with all of those banks. Each of them is slightly different and serves different purposes but bottom line they are all ok.

Dobbibill

Surfer wrote: »

Account similar to HSBC Advance or Nationwide Flexaccount.

Do you currently have both a HSBC & Nationwide Flexaccount?
Are you just looking to switch one of them? Maybe move the HSBC but keep the Flexaccount? Or use them for the purposes you enjoy and move everything else to another bank.

To be able to set up Standing Order Online and to be able to nominate the period of payment i.e. every 4 weeks. Obviously DDs. To be able to transfer money online overseas as and when required. Not bothered with a cheque book.
When required to be able to talk to someone who does understand my requirements and does not keep asking the same question over and over and then still get the account number wrong! That happened recently and I had to repeat the number 3 times before they got it right. Getting interest on credit balances would be nice.
Just to be clear, turnover in the account is about £1300 per month with average credit balance about £200.

Most banks will offer the ability to set up a SO online and DD's are pretty standard.

When you get a shortlist I would check out which method of verifying an online payment the shortlisted banks use - some account have card readers, other make an automated call to you and others text you a OTP etc also check on the cost of charges for transfers overseas, if this is something you do regularly then it's worth calculating the cost

A cheque book is normally optional

Other posters have said which call centres are UK based so that should give you a starting point for you to narrow down the list
before checking out other requirements you have.

Given your credit balance - TSB would probably suit you based on the interest as it gives 5% from £1 - £2000, make sure you meet the other criteria for earning though, such as paperless statements/correspondence.