First Direct - service not so great anymore

TheEffect

I switched all my accounts away from them a few months ago. They internet banking is ancient, mobile app is clunky, their products aren't great (excluding the regular saver), and they've been 'short staffed' for the past year+.

HSBC Advance offers pretty much the same as first direct, and other banks offer much better products overall.

OneLeggedPig

I joined recently. They've answered my calls generally in 3-5 minutes, which I think is decent. And they are very helpful and knowledgeable when I've rung.

DrSyn

I have been with FD a long time and in the past I recommended them but not any more.

In the past they only took 3 to 10 rings on the phone to answer. Now it's a minimum of 3 minutes. Sometimes it's so long I just hang up. It also seems to take a lot longer to get things done. Now it is frustrating phoning First Direct.

The service at the other banks is certainly improving, as I have been finding out for myself.

First Direct needs to stop the deterioration in service soon. If not they are going to lose customers and their long held 1st position in MSE bank polls.

They really need to remember it costs a lot less to keep an existing customer than to attract a new customer. Especially when you add on switching account bonuses!

fedupwithcaptchacrap

Hello, oh dear Martin, I trusted you so completely as you peddled rumours in favour of First Direct service.
I have never in my life come across such paltry customer service.
Having tried to sign up on line, I had to ring them for assistance, having spent most of Wednesday being bounced from one person to another and repeating security over and over again, my a/c was established and I was told to ring and confirm 'go ahead' once having received start pack.
I received start pack this morning, and after reading, have been trying to get it finalised by phone for the rest of the day. Again being bounced and passed around, each time doing the security bit and finally being told various wait times for the right person ranging from fourteen and a half minutes to half hour. I have given up.
I was over 42 years with my last bank and am sorry I have ever got into this switching lark.


TRUST ME- DO NOT BOTHER WITH FIRST DIRECT, THE HYPE ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS BLATANT LIES.
I am not shouting, just speaking louder than normal to be heard.
If anyone knows how to copy this to Martin's recommendation results, please do and oblige.

eskbanker

fedupwithcaptchacrap wrote: »

First direct- if this lot are best i am deaf dumb and blind

Do you play pinball by any chance?

To be fair to MSE, their position on FD is largely dictated by what they claim their users are saying when polled, rather than MSE recommending them as such: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/banking/2016/02/first-direct-tops-our-banking-poll-again-as-barclays-limps-into-last-place

I wouldn't necessarily disagree with what many on this thread are saying but equally some poor experiences can't be extrapolated to meaning that FD topping polls must signify "BLATANT LIES"! 3% of those polled said that FD was poor in their opinion, maybe that'll be higher next time....

colsten

eskbanker wrote: »

3% of those polled said that FD was poor in their opinion, maybe that'll be higher next time....

The FD call centre will make sure that won't happen

MDMD

As much as the FE service has deteriorated is any bank any better? Nationwide's service has also been awful for years so even they don't seem to care any more.

colsten

MDMD wrote: »

As much as the FE service has deteriorated is any bank any better? Nationwide's service has also been awful for years so even they don't seem to care any more.

An awful lot depends on what you call "service". I have never seen any definition for it, so it's anyone's guess what people are comparing. I for one couldn't care much about the call centres as I expect to be able to do 99% of my transactions online, without having to have any direct interaction with another human. On that front, all banks are much of a muchness, even if one or two have a dinosaur-ish user interface.

Much more important than "service" to me is what products are on offer. I am not interested in overdrafts, loans and mortgages so don't know much about the available offerings. That leaves savings, and on that front, Nationwide has certainly not been 'awful for years', and I easily get more interest from Nationwide as well as several others than from FD.

I also don't stick with just 1 bank.

Tragen

I opened an account about 7 weeks ago, intending to switch. I completed telephone banking setup, but when I try to set up internet banking I get a non-descriptive error. I've asked them to get in touch with me... 3 days ago. Still waiting.

bravotango

It would be disappointing to see FD fail, as I did think about opening up an account with them about two years ago.

Do you think it is just they are now over-subscribed, and hence caught out with not enough people manning the phones?