New First Direct Debit Mastercard arrived today :)

jbrassy

username said:

jbrassy said:

A lot of people on here moaning about not being able to pay in cash using the automatic machines at HSBC. As has already been stated, you can still pay in over the counter or at a Post Office. In any case, this is only a temporary measure which will be sorted eventually. 

Furthermore, the year is 2021, why are people still handling huge wads of cash? I pay cash or a cheque in a handful of times over a year because I pay for most stuff using card.

First Direct is still a decent bank for me and head and shoulders above the traditional high street banks when it comes to customer service. The only bank that comes close to them for me are Starling.

As one of the "moaners" (as you so choose to brand me and others) I would like to point out that the service is being degraded, whichever way you choose to dress it up as. You are not getting the level you got before (for what is essentially their own commercial decison to change to Mastercard).

How is waiting in a snaking queue in a post office behind a person posting what seems to be their entire mailbag to Outer Mongolia for the year an improvement on putting your card into the machine, putting in the cash/cheque in and then getting a receipt and instant deposit minutes later for cash?

No company worth their salt should cause their clients to have a degraded experience and have no time scale for a fix. It's unprofessional. I'm surprised First Direct (being so highly regarded for their service) have went down this route of half-arsedness.

To claim it is a "temporary" experience with no date set for resolution is of concern - just how "temporary" will it be? When is eventually? A year? Two years?

People choose to bank how they wish, if it's paying in wads of cash or loads of cheques then so be it. The bank is there to provide a service. I can't say I particularly agree with the sentiment that they're head and shoulders above the rest anymore.

Perhaps that was a good view when I became a client some 13 years ago but the picture is variable these days. I tried to call once and hung up after 10 mins of tinned music, whereas if you'd done that years back it would have been a few rings and straight to an operator.

Companies can blame covid only upto a certain extent - we are now at least 16-18 months into the pandemic and by now they should have adapted their working practices or procedures to ensure enough staff are able to work remotely and in the office.

I wouldn't describe waiting in a queue at a bank or Post Office as "degrading". Having to beg in the street because you're homeless is degrading. 

Like I said, the measure is temporary, you can still pay in at the counter or a PO (which isn't degrading), and the invention of the internet and debit cards makes most of the issues you highlight redundant. 

Like I said, FD's customer service is head and shoulders above the rest and you soon realise this when you trying ringing one of the rival banks or you step into one of their high street branches. 

IanManc

jbrassy said:

username said:

jbrassy said:

A lot of people on here moaning about not being able to pay in cash using the automatic machines at HSBC. As has already been stated, you can still pay in over the counter or at a Post Office. In any case, this is only a temporary measure which will be sorted eventually. 

Furthermore, the year is 2021, why are people still handling huge wads of cash? I pay cash or a cheque in a handful of times over a year because I pay for most stuff using card.

First Direct is still a decent bank for me and head and shoulders above the traditional high street banks when it comes to customer service. The only bank that comes close to them for me are Starling.

As one of the "moaners" (as you so choose to brand me and others) I would like to point out that the service is being degraded, whichever way you choose to dress it up as. You are not getting the level you got before (for what is essentially their own commercial decison to change to Mastercard).

How is waiting in a snaking queue in a post office behind a person posting what seems to be their entire mailbag to Outer Mongolia for the year an improvement on putting your card into the machine, putting in the cash/cheque in and then getting a receipt and instant deposit minutes later for cash?

No company worth their salt should cause their clients to have a degraded experience and have no time scale for a fix. It's unprofessional. I'm surprised First Direct (being so highly regarded for their service) have went down this route of half-arsedness.

To claim it is a "temporary" experience with no date set for resolution is of concern - just how "temporary" will it be? When is eventually? A year? Two years?

People choose to bank how they wish, if it's paying in wads of cash or loads of cheques then so be it. The bank is there to provide a service. I can't say I particularly agree with the sentiment that they're head and shoulders above the rest anymore.

Perhaps that was a good view when I became a client some 13 years ago but the picture is variable these days. I tried to call once and hung up after 10 mins of tinned music, whereas if you'd done that years back it would have been a few rings and straight to an operator.

Companies can blame covid only upto a certain extent - we are now at least 16-18 months into the pandemic and by now they should have adapted their working practices or procedures to ensure enough staff are able to work remotely and in the office.

I wouldn't describe waiting in a queue at a bank or Post Office as "degrading". 

No one has described queueing in the Post Office or bank as degrading.

Username said that the service from the bank was degraded, i.e. reduced in quality or inferior.

[Deleted User]

If you want HSBC branch access, open an account with the main HSBC brand & not their branchless division 

Given that First Direct is sold as branchless bank - it is not even rated on branch service by the regulator - I'm not sure what all the complaints are.

pbartlett

FD is, and always has been, a telephone bank.

Yes they now have decent internet access and a decent app, and yes there have been problem with telephone response times because of covid, but by and large I would say they are a pretty good telephone bank.

enthusiasticsaver

I received my new card today too.  Seemed strange having nothing embossed on the front so essentially just black with the mastercard logo and the chip visible.  Everything else is on the back of the card. Mine says a £500 cash withdrawal limit but I mainly use contactless these days. 

I won't comment on the lack of cash access to HSBC as we don't have one of those in our town anyway.  Any cheques I want to pay in I can just take to the post office as I have to do with our Santander account as we do not have a local branch of that either.  Extremely unusual to get cheques these days. 

WillPS

As long as the cheque is under £500 you can also pay in using the app:

https://www1.firstdirect.com/help/banking-with-us/paying-in-a-cheque-using-the-app/

[Deleted User]

jbrassy said:

username said:

jbrassy said:

A lot of people on here moaning about not being able to pay in cash using the automatic machines at HSBC. As has already been stated, you can still pay in over the counter or at a Post Office. In any case, this is only a temporary measure which will be sorted eventually. 

Furthermore, the year is 2021, why are people still handling huge wads of cash? I pay cash or a cheque in a handful of times over a year because I pay for most stuff using card.

First Direct is still a decent bank for me and head and shoulders above the traditional high street banks when it comes to customer service. The only bank that comes close to them for me are Starling.

As one of the "moaners" (as you so choose to brand me and others) I would like to point out that the service is being degraded, whichever way you choose to dress it up as. You are not getting the level you got before (for what is essentially their own commercial decison to change to Mastercard).

How is waiting in a snaking queue in a post office behind a person posting what seems to be their entire mailbag to Outer Mongolia for the year an improvement on putting your card into the machine, putting in the cash/cheque in and then getting a receipt and instant deposit minutes later for cash?

No company worth their salt should cause their clients to have a degraded experience and have no time scale for a fix. It's unprofessional. I'm surprised First Direct (being so highly regarded for their service) have went down this route of half-arsedness.

To claim it is a "temporary" experience with no date set for resolution is of concern - just how "temporary" will it be? When is eventually? A year? Two years?

People choose to bank how they wish, if it's paying in wads of cash or loads of cheques then so be it. The bank is there to provide a service. I can't say I particularly agree with the sentiment that they're head and shoulders above the rest anymore.

Perhaps that was a good view when I became a client some 13 years ago but the picture is variable these days. I tried to call once and hung up after 10 mins of tinned music, whereas if you'd done that years back it would have been a few rings and straight to an operator.

Companies can blame covid only upto a certain extent - we are now at least 16-18 months into the pandemic and by now they should have adapted their working practices or procedures to ensure enough staff are able to work remotely and in the office.

I wouldn't describe waiting in a queue at a bank or Post Office as "degrading". Having to beg in the street because you're homeless is degrading. 

Like I said, the measure is temporary, you can still pay in at the counter or a PO (which isn't degrading), and the invention of the internet and debit cards makes most of the issues you highlight redundant. 

Like I said, FD's customer service is head and shoulders above the rest and you soon realise this when you trying ringing one of the rival banks or you step into one of their high street branches. 

As I said on other threads there is alot of snobbery on the MSE forum and judging by this I was obviously correct, anyone who describes having to wait in a queue at the post office as "degrading" is pompous as hell. 

IanManc

Deleted_User said:

jbrassy said:

username said:

jbrassy said:

A lot of people on here moaning about not being able to pay in cash using the automatic machines at HSBC. As has already been stated, you can still pay in over the counter or at a Post Office. In any case, this is only a temporary measure which will be sorted eventually. 

Furthermore, the year is 2021, why are people still handling huge wads of cash? I pay cash or a cheque in a handful of times over a year because I pay for most stuff using card.

First Direct is still a decent bank for me and head and shoulders above the traditional high street banks when it comes to customer service. The only bank that comes close to them for me are Starling.

As one of the "moaners" (as you so choose to brand me and others) I would like to point out that the service is being degraded, whichever way you choose to dress it up as. You are not getting the level you got before (for what is essentially their own commercial decison to change to Mastercard).

How is waiting in a snaking queue in a post office behind a person posting what seems to be their entire mailbag to Outer Mongolia for the year an improvement on putting your card into the machine, putting in the cash/cheque in and then getting a receipt and instant deposit minutes later for cash?

No company worth their salt should cause their clients to have a degraded experience and have no time scale for a fix. It's unprofessional. I'm surprised First Direct (being so highly regarded for their service) have went down this route of half-arsedness.

To claim it is a "temporary" experience with no date set for resolution is of concern - just how "temporary" will it be? When is eventually? A year? Two years?

People choose to bank how they wish, if it's paying in wads of cash or loads of cheques then so be it. The bank is there to provide a service. I can't say I particularly agree with the sentiment that they're head and shoulders above the rest anymore.

Perhaps that was a good view when I became a client some 13 years ago but the picture is variable these days. I tried to call once and hung up after 10 mins of tinned music, whereas if you'd done that years back it would have been a few rings and straight to an operator.

Companies can blame covid only upto a certain extent - we are now at least 16-18 months into the pandemic and by now they should have adapted their working practices or procedures to ensure enough staff are able to work remotely and in the office.

I wouldn't describe waiting in a queue at a bank or Post Office as "degrading". Having to beg in the street because you're homeless is degrading. 

Like I said, the measure is temporary, you can still pay in at the counter or a PO (which isn't degrading), and the invention of the internet and debit cards makes most of the issues you highlight redundant. 

Like I said, FD's customer service is head and shoulders above the rest and you soon realise this when you trying ringing one of the rival banks or you step into one of their high street branches. 

As I said on other threads there is alot of snobbery on the MSE forum and judging by this I was obviously correct, anyone who describes having to wait in a queue at the post office as "degrading" is pompous as hell. 

To repeat my comment earlier in the thread, no one has described queueing in the Post Office or bank as degrading.

Username said that the service from the bank was degraded, i.e. reduced in quality or inferior.

[Deleted User]

IanManc said:

Deleted_User said:

jbrassy said:

username said:

jbrassy said:

A lot of people on here moaning about not being able to pay in cash using the automatic machines at HSBC. As has already been stated, you can still pay in over the counter or at a Post Office. In any case, this is only a temporary measure which will be sorted eventually. 

Furthermore, the year is 2021, why are people still handling huge wads of cash? I pay cash or a cheque in a handful of times over a year because I pay for most stuff using card.

First Direct is still a decent bank for me and head and shoulders above the traditional high street banks when it comes to customer service. The only bank that comes close to them for me are Starling.

As one of the "moaners" (as you so choose to brand me and others) I would like to point out that the service is being degraded, whichever way you choose to dress it up as. You are not getting the level you got before (for what is essentially their own commercial decison to change to Mastercard).

How is waiting in a snaking queue in a post office behind a person posting what seems to be their entire mailbag to Outer Mongolia for the year an improvement on putting your card into the machine, putting in the cash/cheque in and then getting a receipt and instant deposit minutes later for cash?

No company worth their salt should cause their clients to have a degraded experience and have no time scale for a fix. It's unprofessional. I'm surprised First Direct (being so highly regarded for their service) have went down this route of half-arsedness.

To claim it is a "temporary" experience with no date set for resolution is of concern - just how "temporary" will it be? When is eventually? A year? Two years?

People choose to bank how they wish, if it's paying in wads of cash or loads of cheques then so be it. The bank is there to provide a service. I can't say I particularly agree with the sentiment that they're head and shoulders above the rest anymore.

Perhaps that was a good view when I became a client some 13 years ago but the picture is variable these days. I tried to call once and hung up after 10 mins of tinned music, whereas if you'd done that years back it would have been a few rings and straight to an operator.

Companies can blame covid only upto a certain extent - we are now at least 16-18 months into the pandemic and by now they should have adapted their working practices or procedures to ensure enough staff are able to work remotely and in the office.

I wouldn't describe waiting in a queue at a bank or Post Office as "degrading". Having to beg in the street because you're homeless is degrading. 

Like I said, the measure is temporary, you can still pay in at the counter or a PO (which isn't degrading), and the invention of the internet and debit cards makes most of the issues you highlight redundant. 

Like I said, FD's customer service is head and shoulders above the rest and you soon realise this when you trying ringing one of the rival banks or you step into one of their high street branches. 

As I said on other threads there is alot of snobbery on the MSE forum and judging by this I was obviously correct, anyone who describes having to wait in a queue at the post office as "degrading" is pompous as hell. 

To repeat my comment earlier in the thread, no one has described queueing in the Post Office or bank as degrading.

Username said that the service from the bank was degraded, i.e. reduced in quality or inferior.

Reduced in quality how exactly, people rarely make cash deposits these days especially since the banks are more suspicious of large cash deposits ect.

Zharko123

I can't comment on the paying in issue since I don't do it. But people who don't know the difference betwen degraded and degrading really shouldn't be allowed to use forums.

For me the problem is all about the new card style. Whenever I look at it I look around for the slot to put it in to turn the lights on, because it's obvioulsy a Travelodge room card. It's ugly, and cheap-looking. And it goes against all marketing best practice, which is that the customer should feel happy and satisfied using any product or service from the brand. When I look at this new card I want to cut it into bits and change banks, but my fear is that they will all start doing the same.

FD described the change as being required because the embossing on the old cards got rubbed away. So in that case print it, rather than emboss it. If you're worried about the information being rubbed, then have the information on both sides. Look at a recent NatWest card, it's perfect. Crisp white text printed on the front that will be readable for years. FD have basically taken a concept that has worked for years (information on the front of the card) and ruined it. And don't blame Mastercard. If FD had insisted on front side information then MC would have done it.