poor Nationwide customer service

Milarky

Following my own advice, above, to raise issues of concern with Nationwide, I've been informed that the following improvements are in the pipeline:

FlexAccount

1) Setting up 2 or more future dated payment requests[1] – in December we are releasing improvements to payments and transfers which will enable you to set up 2 or more future dated transactions. This is due to go ‘live’ on December 13th.

2) Extending the period for future dated requests from one month[2] to a year – again this has been looked at, and as of December 13th you will be able to make single payments up to 1 year ahead, and regular payments up to 2 months ahead

[1] That's more than one 'per payee' of course
[2] At present you can't pay a bill in five weeks time, say, very annoying

however...

e-Savings

1) Ability to make external payments like the bill payments function on the FlexAccount – the e-Savings account is able to offer such a good rate because it is not a transactional account. Also, as this functionality is available on the linked FlexAccount, we will not be introducing this in the foreseeable future

2) Make future dated internal transfers – again, for the same reasons as above we are not looking to implement this level of functionality on the e-Savings account in the foreseeable future.

Having said this, if these suggestions were to become a theme of customer feedback then we would certainly look at the feasibility of changing the functionality of the e-Savings account.

I would say that '2)' above [the ability to set transfers to your current account from e savings with a future date] is a 'must-have' feature. I've pointed out to NW that other organisations have this [like ING Direct] which are also 'non-tranactional' accounts in this sense do have future-dated requests [and indeed would be pretty dire and unattractive if they could not allow this] so I am challenging NW to go this extra mile and make the e savings account work like that.

If any other e savings account holder feel similarly, please post your remarks here and I will email the guy and ask him to review them [it would not be fair to him to post his email here etc]

Joe_Bloggs

It would be nice if the esaver could top up the level of funds in the flexaccount, to a minimum value, when the balance fell below this minimum. In this way you could stagger payments in time without having to manually transfer funds into the flex from esaver prior to any payment.
There is no need to automatically transfer money back to the esaver if the existing flex balance is in excess of the threshold. In this way there are no external transactions but only automated internal ones to maintain a working minimum flex account balance.
J_B.

Newbird

I was told by them that the reason NW can offer a good interest rate for the eSavings account - is that it is a manual account and you do the legwork yourself to get the good rate.

I suppose it would cost NW in IT costs to change their system to automate between accounts rather than having customers doing it themselves.

I would rather have the higher interest rate myself, and put up with managing my accounts.

Joe_Bloggs

Two Nationwide executives are going to answer question to members. To quote from here.
Live event - Monday 12 December 2005 - 6-7pm
Deputy Chief Executive & Chief Operating Officer, Bernard Simpson and Commercial & Communications Director, Stuart Bernau, will be online answering your questions about issues affecting you as a Nationwide member.

This is an ongoing part of the online member talkback feature as mentioned by Milarky in this thread.
J_B.

Milarky

Joe_Bloggs wrote:

Two Nationwide executives are going to answer question to members. To quote from here.
Live event - Monday 12 December 2005 - 6-7pm
Deputy Chief Executive & Chief Operating Officer, Bernard Simpson and Commercial & Communications Director, Stuart Bernau, will be online answering your questions about issues affecting you as a Nationwide member.

This is an ongoing part of the online member talkback feature as mentioned by Milarky in this thread.
J_B.

You can now read the transcipt of that particular forum.

That's a convenience of timing [sorry, I didn't read your posting until this evening, JB] because on the 13th -the following day- the improvements on the website went live. This evening I could make no progress setting up a new bill payment whatsoever. Either my PC has a bug in it which only comes out only when using the Nationwide banking site or the site's improvements are crashing [well, locking would be a better description]!

They ought to realise by now that they haven't actually improved the site for many of their customers and will take urgent steps to rectify the problem [or just reinstate the previous working version]. I do hope so!

Update: Some good and some 'maybe' good news....

Nicholas Nutt: We have a Flexaccount. Why can we not use Girobank (i.e. the post office) for getting out money? The post Office is a subsidiary of Alliance & Leicester, whose Link machines we can use. I gather there is a Nationwide account that can use the post office, so why is there this discrimination?

Bernard replies: I am very pleased to advise you that we have just introduced access to cash machine withdrawals at the Post Office for all of our card based current accounts, and you are therefore able to make use of the facilities you ask.

Chris Edwards: I make monthly transfers from an e-Savings account to a Flex Account and would like to be able to select in advance the date of my transfer.However you only let transfers to be effected in real time. Other banks allow this facility why can't you?

Bernard replies: Thank you for your idea. I am very pleased to say that we are aware that there is a need to be able to make future-dated transfers and are planning to improve the bank to do this shortly. You can see a demo of this new service at http://www.nationwide.co.uk/Demos2/InternetBankingDemo/

This is correct in respect of the first questioner, I am pleased to report. Nationwide customers with the 'full' flexaccount can now use the post office counter service according to the PCL website.

However, the reply to the question from Chris Edwards above [does he live in Surrey?] is not correct in that future dated transfers to e savings can be created - but then we think that they always could be! However payments from e savings cannot be set up in advance. [6 out 10 Bernard!] Anyone else, please keep pushing Nationwide at every opportunity now that they appear to have accepted the principle - albeit by 'misapprehension'.

hatsepsovet

grownup1 wrote:

Actually - I'm also a staunch defender of Nationwide, but they did something similar to me when my account was frozen because a letter addressed to me had been returned undelivered (some kind of postal error). They didn't try again or phone so I had no warning. They do have great mortgage and interest rates though.

Exactly the same thing happened to me but otherwise I am quite happy with them

black-saturn

Well after 32 years with the same branch of Nationwide they feel they can finally trust me with a debit card!!

Milarky

Next up coming 'Online Talkback' - your chance to raise with the suits at Nationwide your quibbles (or worse) with their service:

http://nationwide.twofourtv.com/talkback/

Milarky

Here is the transcript of that session of the 23rd:

http://www.nationwide.co.uk/about_nationwide/listeningtoyou/talkback/Online_Member_TalkBack.asp

..and here's a classic 'howler' from one Q&A:


Nilesh Bhatt: Are there any new services planned such as offering a high rate childrens savings account similar to the halifax that are currently offering 10% interest

Bernard replies: We want the savings industry to ensure rates quoted are clear - accounts like this can be misleading. For a customer with £1,200 to invest you might expect to receive £120 interest after a year but these accounts limit the amount that can be saved each month. So making 12 regular payments of £100 the account would earn £65 interest. This is the same as receiving 5.4% on a lump sum rather than the 10% quoted. We believe in giving long term good value, not short term gimmicks.

[So don't expect Nationwide to offer a one year regular saver offering mouthwatering rates like the 'banks' are doing..]

Joe_Bloggs

How about a Nationwide Cashbuilder account ? 1.2% gross for £1 to £9999 or even 1.4% for over 10K upto 25K. Who are they diddling with these rates ?
J_B.