Barclays Blue Rewards

t1redmonkey

Sensory said:

The chances of first-point-of-contact bank staff providing complete and accurate information when asked verbally in a real-time conversation (without an opportunity to verify references), is far less than 100%.

I can wholeheartedly agree with this!  As someone who's worked on the 'front lines' of a ftse 100 financial institution before, there is a lot of things that you get asked by customers that initially, you won't have a clue what the answer is (unless it's something you've been asked before).

Internal staff training is not great from my experience, a lot of the knowledge staff have is just built up from whatever customers have asked them over time, and if they haven't been asked about it then they're not going to know and will have to put you on hold and ask a more experienced colleague or do some rapid research themselves (both outcomes of which could turn out to be incorrect as they’re often under pressure to get through a call as quickly as possible).

The training when I started out was basically just how to use the software, some basic processes (e.g. how to log a phone call), and how to answer a few of the most common things you'd get asked by customers.  Then you get released to the front lines.

Staff are not reading through loads of the products terms and conditions when they're being trained, there isn't the time for that (and chances are they won't remember most of it anyway).  And they generally won’t have time to read up on these sorts of things once they’re released from training either as they’ll be too busy taking calls.  So as a customer you might get lucky and are answered by someone who’s been there years and built up loads of knowledge, or you may have someone who’s just come out of training and really has no idea!

I would say it’s often better to just refer to any product literature that exists as literature usually is looked over by many knowledgeable (and highly paid) people within a company before being signed off and published and it’s also what call centre staff will end up turning to anyway to try and answer a query.

Little bit off topic but may be interesting for some of you to know.  

Wheres_My_Cashback

I would say it’s often better to just refer to any product literature that exists as literature usually is looked over by many knowledgeable (and highly paid) people within a company before being signed off and published and it’s also what call centre staff will end up turning to anyway to try and answer a query.
  

The problem is in many cases even the literature is either poorly written (as in the Barclays case), very ambiguous or simply not granular enough for those who look for ways to enhance a products attractiveness, like the people who read financial forums like this.
However for the vast majority who dont need to know the intricacies they will be perfectly adequate and acceptable to publish.

ForumUser7

I upgraded to Blue Rewards on 1st May, and got my welcome email on the 5th. I put more than £800 into the CA, and then transferred out to the RDS between the 1st and 5th, but got an automated email today stating I didn't pay in £800. I will pay in a further £800 to be safe, but it seems to me their systems still haven't been fixed regarding this. The point has been added to my existing complaint, so hopefully it is fixed this time.

Bridlington1

ForumUser7 said:

I upgraded to Blue Rewards on 1st May, and got my welcome email on the 5th. I put more than £800 into the CA, and then transferred out to the RDS between the 1st and 5th, but got an automated email today stating I didn't pay in £800. I will pay in a further £800 to be safe, but it seems to me their systems still haven't been fixed regarding this. The point has been added to my existing complaint, so hopefully it is fixed this time.

I wouldn't hold your breath. I made a complaint with them in December regarding them putting a default on my credit reports and they still haven't sorted it yet. I rang them this morning to ask for an update since I previously called them (6/3/23) only to be told they've done absolutely nothing since then and to call back in a week.

ForumUser7

Bridlington1 said:

ForumUser7 said:

I upgraded to Blue Rewards on 1st May, and got my welcome email on the 5th. I put more than £800 into the CA, and then transferred out to the RDS between the 1st and 5th, but got an automated email today stating I didn't pay in £800. I will pay in a further £800 to be safe, but it seems to me their systems still haven't been fixed regarding this. The point has been added to my existing complaint, so hopefully it is fixed this time.

I wouldn't hold your breath. I made a complaint with them in December regarding them putting a default on my credit reports and they still haven't sorted it yet. I rang them this morning to ask for an update since I previously called them (6/3/23) only to be told they've done absolutely nothing since then and to call back in a week.

That's really disappointing that it still isn't resolved by them! If I was you, I'd get your case into the FOS ASAP (if you haven't done so already) to avoid any further delay.

Nick_C

@ForumUser7

Unless you enjoy complaining, simply fund your Barclays Current Account with a Standing Order instead of a Faster Payment, and get on with your life.