Kent Reliance - website rather economical with the truth!

Mystic_CT

After a frustrating experience this morning attempting to open an online account with Kent Reliance, I won't be bothering. Apart from aspects of the online application being somewhat inefficient and then realising that my query meant giving personal information to a call centre in India, I bowed out. 

The impression from the website is that Kent Reliance is still a good ole reliable UK based building society. Only it's now part of OneSavings Bank. A quick check of the UK tel nos given on the website are all routed to a call centre in India. Even 01634 848944 (given as the Chatham Head Office no) is routed to a call centre in India. Call me old-fashioned but If I'm calling the Head Office of a financial organisation allegedly based in the UK, I want to speak with a person in that Head Office. Not to someone several thousand miles away reading off a script...

eskbanker

Mystic_CT said:

Even 01634 848944 (given as the Chatham Head Office no) is routed to a call centre in India. Call me old-fashioned but If I'm calling the Head Office of a financial organisation allegedly based in the UK, I want to speak with a person in that Head Office. Not to someone several thousand miles away reading off a script...

Where on their site is that number given as the head office?

I suspect that if you were to try to contact people in the head offices of most financial institutions, you'd find the same issue, i.e. that you'd be routed to a call centre, where they're geared up to handling customer enquiries.

There are periodically threads on here where other posters object to non-UK call centres and try to identify institutions who don't use them though, so you might be able to find one from a search. 

poseidon1

Interesting complaint, although my experience quite different. 

Since 2014, I have had deposit savings with both Kent Reliance and Charter Savings Bank ( both subsidiaries of One Savings Bank plc but with separate 85k fca protection).

My only complaint about their online services is there is no mobile option, so they don't have the same slick interfaces as some of the digital and mainstream banking options.

That said, they have highly competitive savings rates, responsive internal messaging for online queries, and I have found my telephone queries consistently dealt with by helpful and knowledgeable English accented customer services reps.

I also have an aversion to dealing with foreign call centres by the way!

happybagger

My experience of KRBS has been foreign call centres

If they are not located abroad, then the people employed in them are in the wrong job, as I have found two-way communication very difficult.

xylophone

I have been a KR customer for years with no problems.

Osborneonenil

I have also been KR customer for years and held several accounts. They generally have competitive rates and I have not had any issues with them.