We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Contacting HL by phone - Not Good

Options
charlie12525
charlie12525 Posts: 84 Forumite
Fifth Anniversary 10 Posts Name Dropper
edited 20 February 2023 at 1:57PM in Savings & investments
What a deterioration in service from HL!

A year or so ago I could phone them and it would be answered within seconds by a knowledgeable person.

I tried to phone them a few times on Friday afternoon and again today but I have had to give up on each occasion after being put on hold for very long periods.

It doesn't seem to matter which of their numbers I use. I can't get through to them at all!

Just a warning for any prospective customers out there.
«1

Comments

  • DannyCarey
    DannyCarey Posts: 193 Forumite
    100 Posts Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    edited 20 February 2023 at 3:08PM
    Glad I left them and their expensive platform. They were really annoying to do a transfer out of also. 

    It's also a great shame that since covid that most businesses can't be bothered to provide a good telephone service now at all. Blaming "unprecedented demand" and all sorts of nonsense. Made worse by poorly designed chat bots which just don't work for the most part. 
    "Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants."
  • Bravepants
    Bravepants Posts: 1,639 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Jeremy Hunt says it's because there are too many early retirees and not enough available workers.
    If you want to be rich, live like you're poor; if you want to be poor, live like you're rich.
  • Albermarle
    Albermarle Posts: 27,662 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Seventh Anniversary Name Dropper
    Glad I left them and their expensive platform. They were really annoying to do a transfer out of also. 

    It's also a great shame that since covid that most businesses can't be bothered to provide a good telephone service now at all. Blaming "unprecedented demand" and all sorts of nonsense. Made worse by poorly designed chat bots which just don't work for the most part. 
    Pretty much any call centre I have called in the last couple of years, have started with the automated voice saying ' we currently have a high volume of calls/are very busy' 
  • Ectophile
    Ectophile Posts: 7,951 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 20 February 2023 at 8:21PM
    Maybe it's people phoning about their new hike in charges, starting in March.  They aren't giving much notice.
    If it sticks, force it.
    If it breaks, well it wasn't working right anyway.
  • eskbanker
    eskbanker Posts: 36,937 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Ectophile said:
    Maybe it's people phoning about their new hike in charges, starting in March.  They aren't giving much notice.
    Do you have a link?
  • Beddie
    Beddie Posts: 1,010 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    They have been getting away with high charges and a very average service for a long time. The website is very slow and in need of an overhaul. As the market leader by a long way, they can rely upon the inertia of most people, who will never transfer away from them.
  • dealyboy
    dealyboy Posts: 1,926 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 20 February 2023 at 9:32PM
    I hate bad customer service and especially poor telephone response ...

    ... this is the point where I promote a rival, not that their website is any better I'm sure, but they always answer the phone (option 2) within 2 seconds ... and I always rib the person about it ... and I do phone them a lot. They are brilliant, friendly, northern and as you might expect down-to-earth and helpful, and as you might expect I'm a southerner. If they can't deal with your question they will generally put you through to the appropriate person in the benefits team and I've had long chats with their team leader, who says any problems just ask for him.

    AJ Bell
  • Beddie said:
    They have been getting away with high charges and a very average service for a long time. The website is very slow and in need of an overhaul. As the market leader by a long way, they can rely upon the inertia of most people, who will never transfer away from them.
    I am actually thinking of transferring my Sipp to HL as the £1500 cashback  offer is very tempting. I could leave it with them for a year and then transfer it out again.
  • dealyboy
    dealyboy Posts: 1,926 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Beddie said:
    They have been getting away with high charges and a very average service for a long time. The website is very slow and in need of an overhaul. As the market leader by a long way, they can rely upon the inertia of most people, who will never transfer away from them.
    I am actually thinking of transferring my Sipp to HL as the £1500 cashback  offer is very tempting. I could leave it with them for a year and then transfer it out again.
    Link for cashback offer details:
    https://www.hl.co.uk/features/cashback#:~:text=Pension transfers,16 March 2023 to qualify.
  • Beddie said:
    They have been getting away with high charges and a very average service for a long time. The website is very slow and in need of an overhaul. As the market leader by a long way, they can rely upon the inertia of most people, who will never transfer away from them.
    I am actually thinking of transferring my Sipp to HL as the £1500 cashback  offer is very tempting. I could leave it with them for a year and then transfer it out again.
    That is how I got lured in. With around 30 individual share holdings in my HL SIPP it is now too expensive for me to sell them all and move on!
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 350.7K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 243.7K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 598.5K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 176.8K Life & Family
  • 256.9K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.