I need an anti-bank rant. Not an anti-bankers rant - there's been plenty of them, but a rant at customer service. I've just tried phoning Barclays to fix up some internet banking details as I currently only have 2 of the 3 things I need. I've waited to speak to someone for 20 mins until I got bored and hung up. Phoning from Switzerland isn't cheap and I have neither the time nor money to waste. So tell me, when I phone Swisscom for help with my TV, phone, internet or whatever, I normally have to wait only seconds before someone kind, polite and knowledgeable comes on the phone. How come when I phone a British bank no one is available to take the call? Could it possibly be because they are all too busy in their gambling finance casino to give a shit about a private or normal business customer? Because that is exactly what it feels like. Never did like Barclays - but I didn't chose them. Rant over. But I'll still have to have a second shot later or tomorrow.
Call in the mornings, they usually seem less busy/more arsed then. Anytime after 12:00 and you are in the lap of the gods as to how long you'll wait. 2/10 for the rant too...actually, 3/10. Saw a shit in there somewhere
I always get to talk to an op. Plus they're usually Glaswegian. So, more like Dublin than Dehli really. I'm with the Co-op.
This is not true. I am with First Direct in Leeds, 100% internet banking with someone on the end of the phone 24 hours a day. They are based in Leeds and all the people I have even spoken to there know what you are talking about and treat you as human. 100% recommend them.
Have you tried using the Web Chat? I've used this with other companies when I couldn't get through on the phone.
Cripes. That's a bit 21st century. My letters from them never even mentioned the possibility. I may see if that's an option. I can appreciate that none of the other major banks are any better. In Switzerland I bank with the cantonal bank, the Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. The canton has many shares in it - maybe most of them. The Swiss had 4 big banks but they consolidated into just 2, UBS and Crédit Suisse. But the cantonal banks from the bigger cantons - Basel, Geneva, Vaud, Zurich, Luzern are pretty good. They support local enterprise and don't do much or anything on the international finance front. Astonishingly, when I need to talk to someone, I ring up my bank manager on her direct line. I go to see her too when I need to. How amazingly anachronistic.
Customers ? It probably would be a good place to work if it wasn't for the bloody customers. Any large organisation, and many small ones, exist for the benefit of their senior executives. I though you knew that ? Unfortunately discretion and common sense have been replaced by slavish obedience to policies and procedures. There is also the presumption that you are either stupid or dishonest. I am having my own little skirmish with officialdom at the moment and it isn't funny. I might mention it when it is, hopefully, resolved.
Barclays had an internet banking outage today apparently, so it may explain the extra wait on the phone line.
Webchat is ace. Used that several times, mostly for mobile phone rubbish, but certainly easier and there is no problem understanding/hearing what the person on the end of the phone is saying
First Direct all day long for me. Everything available on-line or mobile and pretty much always OK for the phone. They are part of HSBC so a decent overall parent bank and are set up for people who may travel or bank at odd time(zones). The call centre is definitely UK and no issues for me, I often end up doing some calls to them in the car and I can make transfers and sort stuff even to my Spanish account on the go, never been waiting on hold for any length.
I've recently moved my business bank accounts from the lying,unhelpful,thieving,cheats at Barclays...*spit.....fume*...to the extremely nice people at Handelsbanken. Read about them years ago but it took yet another Barclays laughably-mislabelled,"business manager""(Barclay-speak for someone who's sole mission is to get you to put your house up as collateral for a pitiful business loan...),to make me jump. Cannot speak highly enough of Handelsbanken....not cheap,but you get what you pay for,a bank with a keen interest in helping you succeed,advice when you need it,and their asset finance rates are superb in comparison with the High Street. If you're in business,I strongly recommend them
