Santander appalling service

MeganLloyd

I switched to Santander late last year to take advantage of the cashback on utility bills. I subsequently paid a visit to the local branch to ask why I had not received cashback on my gas direct debit. Apparently they do not give cashback on Calor gas. I was very disappointed as my bill for bulk Calor (central heating and hot water) is in the region of £1K annually. 
Does this represent discrimination against rural customers? (Mains gas is approx 10 miles away.)

robatwork

It's not discrimination and sadly that term is bandied about way too easily.

It is in fact a term of their cashback that's not even in the small print:

Current account cashback calculator | Santander UK

OceanSound

Teapot55 said:

I can’t remember the last time I phoned them. Although nowadays I use the app on my phone for day-to-day banking, if I’ve had a query I’ve always logged into internet banking on my computer and sent them a message and they’ve generally replied within a few working days.

Possibly their customer service via call centres has, like so many organisations, been affected by the pandemic, by people getting fed up and quitting their jobs and by the long Christmas break. I know that doesn’t help but hopefully things will pick up once everybody gets back in the saddle 

The app chat feature is a bit flaky. Kept disconnecting when I used it just now. 

I checked connecting to various websites via my browser. They were fine. So, it must be the app. Only way to reestablish connection was to go back (from chat) then go back in.

Op is correct. Support staff are useless. Clueless really. Unable to comprehend the basic tenets of an issue. 

edit: before anyone says just 'switch' accounts. Let me explain. I already have. I'm contacting Santander about an issue with zero credit card.

RG2015

OceanSound said:

Teapot55 said:

I can’t remember the last time I phoned them. Although nowadays I use the app on my phone for day-to-day banking, if I’ve had a query I’ve always logged into internet banking on my computer and sent them a message and they’ve generally replied within a few working days.

Possibly their customer service via call centres has, like so many organisations, been affected by the pandemic, by people getting fed up and quitting their jobs and by the long Christmas break. I know that doesn’t help but hopefully things will pick up once everybody gets back in the saddle 

The app chat feature is a bit flaky. Kept disconnecting when I used it just now. 

I checked connecting to various websites via my browser. They were fine. So, it must be the app. Only way to reestablish connection was to go back (from chat) then go back in.

Op is correct. Support staff are useless. Clueless really. Unable to comprehend the basic tenets of an issue. 

edit: before anyone says just 'switch' accounts. Let me explain. I already have. I'm contacting Santander about an issue with zero credit card.

How to insult thousands of professional bank staff in three sentences.

You can't say this, and I am not sure the OP did.

OceanSound

We are all in agreement then. Santander has good customer service. Nothing to see here. 

Hang on. If you do experience bad customer service from Santander...simple... switch banks (because the issue you had with Santander will also be switched and handled by the new bank's customer service - not really!)

Jonty6262

The worst customer service I have ever come across. I have been through 3 stages of a complaint I made. They rang me but only wanted to talk about what they want. Every time I tried to ask about a point they answer by saying they dont want to talk about that point and brushed it aside. One person rang me and put the phone down on me because I didn't agree with them. Their own complaints department don't even know about simple banking rules and guideline and even have some policy in place that that breaks the law. Horrid horrid company and I'm out of it soon when it suits me. Don't get me wrong though, some of them in branch are helpful but others are "know it alls" and pig ignorant. Their actual supposed complaints department are awful in their attitude to customers(unless you agree with all they say) 

eskbanker

Jonty6262 said:

....even have some policy in place that that breaks the law.

Care to elaborate?

If you've been through multiple stages of a complaint with them, have you escalated it to the ombudsman yet?

GeoffTF

I have not had any serious problems with Santander, but I have a Select account, which may have better customer service.

I have never amended a payee, but I have just had a look at my account. I cannot see an option for amending a payee, but there are options for deleting a payee and setting up a payee. I would delete the payee and set it up as a new payee.

eskbanker

GeoffTF said:

I have never amended a payee, but I have just had a look at my account. I cannot see an option for amending a payee, but there are options for deleting a payee and setting up a payee. I would delete the payee and set it up as a new payee.

Are you answering a question from this thread's original incarnation at the start of 2022? I suspect that those contributing at that stage will long since have worked around any issues!

GeoffTF

eskbanker said:

GeoffTF said:

I have never amended a payee, but I have just had a look at my account. I cannot see an option for amending a payee, but there are options for deleting a payee and setting up a payee. I would delete the payee and set it up as a new payee.

Are you answering a question from this thread's original incarnation at the start of 2022? I suspect that those contributing at that stage will long since have worked around any issues!

Ah... Yes you are right. Perhaps that poster has moved on.