I like the HSBC branches but !!!

Thrugelmir

EarthBoy wrote: »

1,000 branches? That would be nearly all of them. According to this report they only had 1,187 branches in 2013.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/money/city-news/number-bank-branches-lowest-level-2026807

Thanks. Had the wrong figure in my head.

vacheron

The only time I visited an HSBC branch since I switched to them in July last year was to pay in a cheque at 3.45 after work and I was faced with this and this:

So I walked round the corner to Santander who hold our joint account and deposited it there. If I recall correctly they had glass dividers between the customers and the staff but hey, I didn't really care. You know why?... because it was OPEN!

henm2

You will probably find that particular HSBC 'service' branch has now shut for good or if it has not now soon will. A lot of their smaller branches have closed in the last 6 months and a lot more similar ones will likely do so this year.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/11661356/HSBC-to-slash-costs-by-5bn-and-shrink-investment-bank.html

Baby_Angel

My OH worked in a KFC in London, where there is a glass screen over the counter. The space allows the height of their KFC Bucket. Still assaults on the service personnel continues.

I will be more worried about their service as opposed to the glass counter. The only few times I visited the branch, Barclays and Halifax fared much better than HSBC's.

No_6

I haven't been into a bank for many, many years, do it all online.
If some plonker gives me an old fashioned cheque, I send the wife.
She likes going shopping, even if it is to pay something in, as she can do the nearby shops

vacheron

No_6 wrote: »

I haven't been into a banks for many, many years, do it all online.
If some plonker gives me an old fashioned cheque, I send the wife.
She likes going shopping, even if it is to pay something in, as she can do the nearby shops

Yes, my only visit this year was to pay in a paper cheque from Scottish Power. I paid them for 2 years by direct debit but they somehow couldn't send my credit balance back that way? 😠

planteria

fwiw i don't mind glass screens at all.
we have them in my nearest HSBC and Lloyds branches
some of the branches have been ruined by the 'opening up' imo
and queuing at Barclays or NatWest while staff ask you if there is any way they can help.. & trying not to say "Yes, get behind the glass screen and open up one of the five empty counters, rather than wandering around aimlessly"

EarthBoy

When banks remove the glass screens they like to say that they're making their branches friendlier and more welcoming.

What they really mean is that it's easier to try and sell other products to customers with open counters, rather than from behind a glass screen.

pandora205

Lloyds bank in my town have recently removed screens and gone open plan again.... so maybe they'll all change back in time.

Abbafan1972

I have had to visit a branch of the Halifax twice in the last week. We have been fortunate to have been paid some PPI money back but the Halifax sent the monies via 3 separate cheques. Hubby paid one of them in.

I didn't mind going in as there was hardly anyone in there. But don't get me started on the amount of days we have had to wait for clearance of the funds!