MSE News: First Direct tops our banking poll again, while Barclays takes the wooden s

Former_MSE_Helen

First Direct's current account customers have given its service glowing feedback in our latest banking poll...

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First Direct tops our banking poll again, while Barclays takes the wooden spoon






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Archi_Bald

If you look at the actual poll responses, you can draw slightly different conclusions (if indeed any conclusions can be drawn from the poll).

For example, the %ages of those who responded with "great" and "ok" were:

- 63% for CB
- 72% for Barclays
- 79% for Lloyds
- 86% for COOP
- 88% for Tesco
- 90% for FD
- 90% for M&S
- 90% for Metro Bank
- 90% for Nationwide
- 92% for Halifax Reward
- 92% for Virgin Money
- 95% for N&P
- 95% for Santa 123

Just goes to show that you can interpret statistics in all sorts of ways

Spengler

Doesn't surprise me in the slightest. I have just switched current accounts from Barclays to First Direct as the service from Barclays was shocking.

I actually raised a complaint about it because, disappointingly - I'm a staff member, working within the Barclays Group but could no longer continue to receive such shocking service and I felt they needed the feedback as if they can't get it right for staff members, then I really feel for other customers.

First Direct on the other hand, over the past 6 weeks that I've been a customer have been great - although, to be fair, I've not needed to personally talk to them a considerable amount.

In addition, my parents have banked with Barclays for over 30 years and they are also leaving for 2 reasons. 1. my feedback and 2. Their local branch has recently been turned into one of those that has minimal staff (no counters etc) and everything is done via ATM type machines to pay in, out or computer screens. My mother refuses to have a debit card and will always go into a bank to withdraw money or pay bills so this has branch has alienated her and she now has to travel a further 10 miles to bank as she wishes.

I thought I would pop into this particular branch whilst I was visiting my parents and still in the process of closing my account. The staff member at the front of the branch with an iPad was surrounded by people; had marshalled others who insisted on speaking to an advisor to a series of chairs in the corner and directed me to the back of the office to the business till. I stood in a queue for over 20 minutes without moving with only 2 other people in front of me before walking out.

Barclays has a very warped view of what constitutes good customer service and it will see them continue to come bottom in these sorts of polls and see them lose a significant numbers of customers.

Yorkshire_Pud

I wonder if the polling was all done online rather than in branch?

First Direct branch user results? There aren't any, therefore no problems.

The worst results are for banks that have more branches full of old duffers who 'don't trust that Internet thingy, I'd rather catch the one bus a week to the next village and get my money over the till'.

First direct has the most boring black Internet HSBC hybrid display page and unlike Santander you can't rearrange your accounts list to give priority to the one you use most. I haven't had any problem myself and their customer advisors are fine over the phone but not outstanding, no better than Yorkshire Bank who are also fine over the phone but their Internet banking needs upgrading, BUT they have branches too so that's another plus.

Santander is for me the best bank you rarely need to phone them their online banking is so good. Their App can be viewed on an iPad full screen and in portrait and landscape mode unlike Halifax and Narionwide who's App stays smartphone size and only in portrait view. They still have lots of branches.

So for me until mse take account of the fact that the worst performers in their poll actually work hard to maintain a branch network unlike first direct who are an online Internet bank, then this poll is flawed and promotes branch closures by presenting a distorted picture of how the population as a whole does its banking.

So there!:)

dlp6666

Pretty well every time after I come off the phone after calling First Direct (I've been with them since 1991) I can't help smiling 'fantastic' with satisfaction!

OK, call waiting times have increased a bit in recent years, but you can always try again at any time (24 hours) and the staff are always thoroughly courteous, knowledgeable and efficient.

The results of the poll don't surprise me in the slightest (though looks like Santander is catching up a bit, and they do temptingly offer MUCH better interest rates than FD ....)

Drav

I must be unlucky that I was never actually able to open my Santander 123 account due their absolutely awful customer service on the phone. For starters their emails had a number in them that when called, asked you to call another number as the old one was out of date. After multiple phones calls and multiple people telling me that computer says no I gave up.

My crime? Attempting to open a joint account with my girlfriend (with no overdraft facility I might add) and making the mistake of using her address and not my own (we intend to move in together very soon). Despite me trying to explain this and also just asking for them to change my address on the application to my current one so I can prove I live there it ended up being an unassailable problem for the Santander customer service team and we took our business elsewhere.

Now with Halifax, can't fault them. Last time I called up with a query I was given a direct number to call them back in case I needed to follow it up at a later date.

Consumerist

Drav wrote: »

I must be unlucky that I was never actually able to open my Santander 123 account due their absolutely awful customer service on the phone. . .

I have a Santander 123 account and I am happy to earn up to 3% on my balance and get cash-back on bills. From that perspective Santander is great but, in my experience, their customer service leaves much to be desired and I am often reminded of why have left them in the past.

The attractive rates on their 123 account is probably largely responsible for their high ranking in the MSE poll but I really do not yet trust them to get things right first time.

Macrencephal

I've been with FD since 1996 and am constantly curious - whenever one of these polls is conducted - as to what they do to cause so many people to rate them as "great". To me they're OK. My salary goes in, my DDs come out, I take out a bit of cash. It all just ticks over as I would expect but there's nothing I would rate as "great" about it.

I wasn't happy a few years ago when they removed in credit interest in their main current account, but do take advantage of the £250 interest free overdraft. The linked savings account has been a bonus the last few years, but otherwise the rates on their savings products are OK, not great.

To be fair, I deal with them online as far as possible - either using their website or the just-about-functional-but-not-brilliant (imho) android app - so generally don't speak to any of their staff. I wasn't impressed when they removed the ability to amend future payments online (meaning if you need to change something you have to delete the old one and set up a completely new one).

So I remain curious why such a huge proportion rate them as great, but maybe that's just me. (Or maybe I just don't appreciate how bad every other bank is!) Just my two penn'orth!

baby_frogmella

Macrencephal wrote: »

It all just ticks over as I would expect but there's nothing I would rate as "great" about it.

So I remain curious why such a huge proportion rate them as great, but maybe that's just me. (Or maybe I just don't appreciate how bad every other bank is!) Just my two penn'orth!

You've answered your own question. People don't rave about FD because of its brilliant internet banking, nor of its 0% interest on its current account. No, what people find refreshing about FD is that it does what a bank is supposed to do...they let you do your banking without hassle and in the event of any coock-ups, put things right very quickly. Having been with most other banks, i can assure you many will even get simple things wrong & then tell you blatant porkies...this is simply down to poor staff training. And God help you if you have to deal with Barclays & HSBC's overseas call centres...God really help you :eek:

No_6

Never banked with FD or hardly ever needed to phone call any of my bank accounts ??
for WHAT !
All done online with no problems for years.


100% for my banks are
Nat West... Halifax...Santander.... all get 100% for online banking / web pages, ease of use / etc


1% for Tesco...2% for Sainsbury's ...still waiting to evaluate MS bank, only 6 months in.


Why do peeps need to talk to their banks ?


6

baby_frogmella

No_6 wrote: »

Why do peeps need to talk to their banks ?

6

Report a lost card
Dispute unauthorised transaction
Change of address
Close Accounts

I highly doubt many banks would let you do all of the above through internet banking.