Looking for recommendations for high street bank account please.

MrHappySad

Hey all, 
So I'm currently with Monzo and although on the whole they've been great, there are a few things a high street bank does in a way I prefer.

So alongside Monzo , I thought about setting up a high street bank account again soon. I know Martin & his team post about bank accounts regularly but I wanted to get some personal opinions/recommendations on who would be good to go with.

I'm looking for a standard bank account with the ability to open and operate it online (preferably same day), have a debit card and be able to contact the bank through various means. 

Which bank has the best customer service in your opinion?

Thank you.

IvanOpinion

I am with Santander and have been for 25+ years.  During that time I could count on one hand the number of times I have ever needed to contact customer service (which should already tell you something) and, on those occasions, they quickly and completely resolved my issue.  So no complaints from me. 

I do 99% of what I need online either through my desktop or using their mobile app.  The only reason I have ever needed to call into the branch was to lodge chunks of cash.

blue.peter

MrHappySad said:
Which bank has the best customer service in your opinion?

There are probably as many opinions as there are people here. For what it's worth, though, my preference is for Nationwide. The staff in my local branch* are very pleasant and helpful. I was able to operate it online the day I opened my account (in branch) - indeed, the lady who set my account up made sure that I had the app running on my phone before I walked out. Obviously, it took a few days for the debit card, PIN and cheque book to arrive. The web-based online banking is good, and includes messaging in both directions.

* Salisbury

colsten

Your choice will presumably be limited by the banks which still have Branches, and no apparent plans to close them, where you live. You'll further be limited by what service you expect to get (e.g. in many Branches, you now get directed to a machine where before you got the service of a person). "Service" means different things to different people.

For overall opinions on various banks, you can refer to the polls MSE run regularly. 
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/poll/2021/how-do-you-rate-your-bank-account-s-service-/

Also, many facilities previously only available through banks are now available at Post Offices. This facilitates further closures of bank branches. https://www.postoffice.co.uk/everydaybanking

jimjames

Nationwide or Bank of Scotland

[Deleted User]

Look at the ratings on here but Metro Bank, Nationwide and the Lloyds stable (BOS, Halifax or Lloyds) usually are amongst the better ones - just remember that Metro and Nationwide don't offer full Post Office access. 

eskbanker

There are bi-annual service quality surveys conducted on behalf of the regulator, questioning about a thousand people per institution, which should help minimise subjectivity when asking open questions about customer service:

https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/personal-banking-service-quality-great-britain-february-2021 

Stuart_W

As you already bank with Monzo but are looking for a high street based account that "does things in a way you prefer" it might be worth pin- pointing exactly what that is that Monzo isn't able to offer you, and then see if anyone locally to you actually offers that in branch. In some branches you may get pointed to a machine to do what you've walked in to do. Some branches might close down over the next year, and opening hours seem generally dire with some. The difficulty with customer service ratings is these often reflect experiences online or over the phone and not just in branch.

Mrs_Ryan

I’m happy with my Metro Bank account. Customer service is good, app is nice and simple. On every occasion I have had to contact them they’ve been friendly, helpful and very efficient. I opened the account online and operate it exclusively online. 

 However I don’t live near a store so I keep another account which has a branch near me to pay in cheques and cash. 

Dandytf

RBS digital banking is excellent, very modern mobile app and site.
Also trying Starling, though not sure what advantages are of use to me.
thanks

blue.peter

Dandytf said:

RBS digital banking is excellent, very modern mobile app and site.

That's arguably true, but I still wouldn't touch RBS with a bargepole. I had one of their Reward accounts a year or two ago, and found it a horrible experience. It was so unpleasant that I didn't even keep the account for the year needed to qualify for the second stage of the signing-up incentive (£125 to open the account + £50 if you keep it for a year). There wasn't any single problem justifying a complaint, but a string of minor niggles that I described as a Chinese water torture, and all without breaching their Ts & Cs.

RBS is, in my opinion, the worst bank I've ever dealt with.

Do you see what I meant about "as many opinions as there are people here" yet?