Customer service

In town Friday to open a bank account, had a couple of names in mind


The 1st, Ant and Dec's one because I had an account with them years ago. They only do them by appointment "because of Covid " and offered an appointment near the end of August 

Went 50m up the High St to a bank that opened a couple of years ago, tried this one because an acquaintance's son works there.

Told it would be about 15 minutes wait for a manager and a cup of tea ( not in paper cup)  provided while we waited.

All anti fraud checks done, paperwork signed AND full bank card made on site, 1st deposit done, just over an hour.

Perhaps the Ant and Dec ought to spend less on ads

We had an alarming experience with the Ant and Dec some years ago.  Went in to open an ISA each, after waiting 45 minutes (where we watched customers trying and failing to get the cashpoint to work and staff not being in the slightest bit interested) we were called into a semi-private area.  Hubby gave his details to the young man who entered them into his computer.  He hummed and ha’d for a bit then turned the screen round to hubby and said “is this you?”  It wasn’t - it was a female whose year of birth was about 30 years before hubby’s!  I was a data controller for my workplace at the time, and hubby a Police Officer, so we were horrified at the data/security issue and we left.  Down the road to a rival where we were given a cup of tea and all sorted very efficiently  within 20 minutes.  I wrote to Ant and Dec to complain, and suggest they look at their practices and staff training.  Eventually got a very peremptory letter back saying they were disappointed that we hadn’t chosen them on this occasion.  No apology, no suggestion that they had any problem with what had taken place.  Worst customer service experience ever.

I like “Ant&Dec” very much for very selfish reasons. 

We had as I said an account before, in fact two when it was the Abbey National as a building society. When we got married we had no further use of the accounts so went in to close them. The staff member persuaded us to keep a penny in one account I think primarily to keep the branch customer numbers up so it made no odds to me for a penny so that’s what we did. 

About a year later they wanted to convert from a society to a bank, obviously in preparation for the takeover. For that one penny as a shareholder we got £500

Excellent HairyFool 

We had a similar windfall from the ex building society now bank where they tell us it’s a people thing!

Am surprised at the above comments, as we have have found the branches quite different and most helpfull.

If you were discussing phone or internet service then I couldnt agree more they are absolute disaster and to be avoided like the plague

I'm very lucky, as I receive friendly and constructive help from the Barclays help line. I can get through immediately even time. It just happens to be the Welsh language service, he said, obnoxiously smugly!

I may have told you this before:

Cymro

My very 1st bank account was with Barclays when BA apprentices stopped being paid in cash and we had to have an account in 1973.

Joint account in 1983 and account in credit for 47 years in total. Only one dispute with them when they didn't understand what marriage actually meant and we had to change my wife's address separately from my address when WE moved.

Decided to move to Nationwide, Barclays reaction? Absolutely zero. No customer retention whatsoever, no why are you changing so we can do better.

Basically they didn't give a ****

Trying to deal with Lloyds/Halifax on a bereavement. "Oh no we won't write to you" after filling in form on Death Notification Service and chasing up for a response . You need to fill in the form online on our website. Fill in form online. Letters arrive which I presume are a result of the second form. No they are a result of the first form. They don't seem to have the second form and  digital copies of Death Cert, my ID etc that I attached. Docs now uploaded again!

Two other banks I have contacted have been perfect - one of them being Nationwide. Letters received with all the details I need to start getting probate. It should be fairly straight forward as there are only bank accounts involved but Lloyds are making things difficult.

I landed in a real mess a couple of years ago.  I was skipping through my on line bank account when I noticed an entry of £400 to an insurance company I had no dealing with.  I contacted them and they refused to speak to me as the policy was not in my name.  After a great deal of frustration, they eventually confirmed to me that it was building insurance.

Eleven years ago, my uncle died suddenly and as he had no immediate family, my dad (his brother) asked me to tidy things up.  The house he was living in had been purchased by my dad in the names of my two children but my uncle allowed free life rent in the property.  I arranged home insurance on the property to make sure it was insured in the meantime.

Turned out that the insurance company had put the policy on auto renewal without my knowledge and had been taking the premium every year for 11 years.  I asked how that was possible as I had changed banks, changed debit card several times and yet they were still able to help themselves but never got a sensible answer.  I spoke to my bank (Santander) but although they were helpful, confirmed all they could do was make sure no more payments could be drawn.

After several months of correspondence, certified copies of death certificate and mountains of email, I eventually got 3 years premium refunded which they confirmed was the most they could go back.

Because of the circumstances, I obviously did not get renewal paperwork throughout the years and I had never picked up the annual premium being paid.

A hard lesson learned.  I now always confirm when setting up any policy or other annual payments that is is not on auto repeat

Further to my message above. Another dep't at Lloyds have just rung. They have got the second online completed form with my attached file for death cert etc.

I was going to say "unbelievable" but all to believable I'm afraid.