Desperately seeking bank with good customer service

GrazzaD

I don't recommend First Direct mainly as their app is awful and severely lacking compared to other banks, several key features are missing in it.
Considering they're an app and web only service, it's not great.

ccdorset

ccdorset said:

I have had accounts with a lot of banks over the years, but I always seem to go back to first direct.

I have autism and anxiety, and the peace of mind banking with first direct gives me is worth a lot to me. I feel that if I did have an issue, I would be confident I could get through to someone quickly that would be able to help.

The area that lets them down in my eyes is the Mobile/Online banking. There are things that you have to call them for that you wouldn’t with a lot of other banks.

Granted their customer service agents don’t seem as clued up as they used to be when I first banked with them about 15 years ago, but they are polite and always seem to get the enquiry resolved quickly.

Having said this, I have just had quite a bizarre experience with First Direct.

I recently had a new debit card from them, however weirdly I can't seem to sign the signature strip. Sounds very strange I know, but they seem to have changed the material of the debit cards and for some reason, the ink would just not stay on there.

I phoned FD and was told to "scrape the glue off of it" where it was attached to the paper, leave it for 20 minutes and then try again. 

I then went onto Live chat and they said they couldn't help on there and I had to phone. I phoned the number they gave me, it wasn't the usual 03456 100 100 and was then told by the advisor that she had to transfer me to the "Mastercard team" and she wouldn't hold on the line with me. I was on hold for 6 minutes, then the same advisor came back to me and said that she would just replace the card. A minute later she says actually she can't replace the card and would need to transfer me to another advisor that could. Finally got through to someone in the Scotland call centre that could help and she replaced the card immediately.

Not quite the service I'm used to at First Direct!

Rich1976

GrazzaD said:

I don't recommend First Direct mainly as their app is awful and severely lacking compared to other banks, several key features are missing in it.
Considering they're an app and web only service, it's not great.

What features are they lacking?. It does everything I need it for

they are not an app and web only service. They were set up as a phone bank and a lot of their services remain so. 

GhibliFan

I've been with Nationwide over twenty years and always found their customer service very helpful and easy to deal with.  

Barkin

GhibliFan said:

I've been with Nationwide over twenty years and always found their customer service very helpful and easy to deal with.  

I've recently had to sort out the affaiirs, bank accounts etc of my late father. I found Nationwide to be an absolute PITA to deal with. Lloyds on the other hand were quite the opposite.

Just my recent experience...