Nationwide rebranding

Middle_of_the_Road

horsewithnoname said:

gary1312 said:

I can't understand the negativity towards the only national Building Society to offer a full range of current accounts here. I have no problem at all with Nationwide. Popped into a branch last week to update my email/phone number and sort a new card out for my long-unused FlexBasic account. I was sorted out in less than ten minutes by an attentive and knowledgeable staff member. Picked up a current accounts leaflet while there and I quite like the new card designs - my new FlexBasic card is certainly a vast improvement on the previous raised numbers card. I popped onto MSE to see if there'd been any uproar re: the rebranding and haven't been disappointed 

My only real gripe is that it’s a pointless waste of money. 

My sentiments too. No doubt the consultants they paid handsomely convinced them it was necessary to remain "relevant" 🙄

Rob5342

It's probably not all that much money compared to how much businesses usually spend on advertising etc, and things do need refreshing sometimes.

I do find it odd that they are focusing on older customers, spending money on having branches rather than on improving their hopeless app. It might get customers now but it can't be sustainable as a long term strategy.

horsewithnoname

Rob5342 said:

It's probably not all that much money compared to how much businesses usually spend on advertising etc, and things do need refreshing sometimes.

I do find it odd that they are focusing on older customers, spending money on having branches rather than on improving their hopeless app. It might get customers now but it can't be sustainable as a long term strategy.

Having branches?! They’ve closed the two nearest to me fairly recently. It’s a bus ride to pay a cheque in, because they don’t do paying In cheques via the app. 

[Deleted User]

horsewithnoname said:

gary1312 said:

I can't understand the negativity towards the only national Building Society to offer a full range of current accounts here. I have no problem at all with Nationwide. Popped into a branch last week to update my email/phone number and sort a new card out for my long-unused FlexBasic account. I was sorted out in less than ten minutes by an attentive and knowledgeable staff member. Picked up a current accounts leaflet while there and I quite like the new card designs - my new FlexBasic card is certainly a vast improvement on the previous raised numbers card. I popped onto MSE to see if there'd been any uproar re: the rebranding and haven't been disappointed 

My only real gripe is that it’s a pointless waste of money. 

I'd rather they gave the money to struggling members or something like Shelter.
The quality of the rebrand is pretty poor and will need to be redone sooner rather than later.

Both of the above just attest to poor management of the the society and it's not like they're working for pocket money.

Middle_of_the_Road

horsewithnoname said:

Rob5342 said:

It's probably not all that much money compared to how much businesses usually spend on advertising etc, and things do need refreshing sometimes.

I do find it odd that they are focusing on older customers, spending money on having branches rather than on improving their hopeless app. It might get customers now but it can't be sustainable as a long term strategy.

Having branches?! They’ve closed the two nearest to me fairly recently. It’s a bus ride to pay a cheque in, because they don’t do paying In cheques via the app. 

Nationwide say branches will remain until 2026. The fact that they've closed 72 since January 2019 gets fewer mentions. They will have to admit that with continued reduction in footfall, many more of their branches are at risk of closure. The recent re-brand smacks of a desire to re-position the society in the market, and improve uptake of their current accounts, hoping if they can, their pledge to retain branches will be viable. A good building society should provide a good rate on savings, and a corresponding mortgage rate. Instead they created a "Fairer Share" payment and now waste even more on an unnecessary branding exercise. They'll never compete with all the newer App based banks, so all of those new signs will be thrown in the tip when their branches inevitably succumb.

Rob5342

horsewithnoname said:

Rob5342 said:

It's probably not all that much money compared to how much businesses usually spend on advertising etc, and things do need refreshing sometimes.

I do find it odd that they are focusing on older customers, spending money on having branches rather than on improving their hopeless app. It might get customers now but it can't be sustainable as a long term strategy.

Having branches?! They’ve closed the two nearest to me fairly recently. It’s a bus ride to pay a cheque in, because they don’t do paying In cheques via the app. 

How many cheques do you get, can't you get it via bank transfer instead? If not you can pay in cheques by post:

https://www.nationwide.co.uk/help/payments/cheques/#how-to-pay-in-a-cheque

Alternatively why not switch to a bank that lets you pay in cheques with the app, or just open a spare account with one of those for the purposes of paying cheques in.

Lions_89

It’s been two weeks since I applied for an account. No card or account number yet. 

jackjones01

Lions_89 said:

It’s been two weeks since I applied for an account. No card or account number yet. 

Did you get an instant decision to say you were successful. 

Lions_89

jackjones01 said:

Lions_89 said:

It’s been two weeks since I applied for an account. No card or account number yet. 

Did you get an instant decision to say you were successful. 

Yes but they requested documents. To come tI branch or email them. I went to branch, they were clueless so I emailed. That was nearly two weeks ago. I have received a customer number and card reader, but no accounts in the app or anything else.

hpas251

The name of Nationwide's page on Facebook has been changed from Nationwide Building Society to Nationwide UK. Does this perhaps herald conversion to a bank in the near future? If so, only people who have held an account since 1997 with no breaks will be eligible for a payout, as Nationwide have insisted that anyone who opened an account afterwards must agree to donate their payout to charity to prevent people opening an account and putting in the minimum deposit purely to secure a windfall payment in the event of conversion.