When did banks become so useless?

@Jla1983 mum's got lovely people like you in her local branch but I worry it will close. I hope Bank of Dave gets to be a consumer bank but I don't think it's going to happen!

I have changed my username for this as my previous posts would definitely out me. I have worked for a major high street bank for 15 years, the changes are astonishing.

Everything has gone digital and all of the local branches have closed, I really feel for our vulnerable customers and losing that local connection is so sad, their branch visit maybe the only person they speak to that day or week. I do however feel that the branch that I work in has real empathy for our customers and will never force anyone to apply online if it is not the right choice.
I have so many lovely regular customers that I am on first name basis with who would be happy to wait to see me if I'm busy or on break.

Our feedback just doesn't count but I won't leave because I'm doing the absolute best I can and I do love what I do ( have had to break the rules on numerous occasions because it is just the right thing). I do think people like me and my amazing colleagues are battling a losing game but we turn up, band together and do what we can.

Sorry this is long but I'm so passionate about people and if someone wants to gift me a shit load of money I'll open my own bank and really look after our customers

*contributing

The infuriating thing for me, dealing with unhelpful branch bank staff when you do actually get access to them in their very limited opening hours and they just try to half heartedly babysit you through the app is:

Can't you see that you are throwing yourself gladly into unemployment? You are contibuting to your own demise!

As an older person, I do have a clue. I use the Nationwide banking app, use the deposit machines and generally do most banking stuff online.

However, I tried to pay someone online recently and went through all the procedure. The account was correct, the name matched, but ‘computer said no’. I needed to use my card reader. The card reader I don’t have because I use a banking app. Such nonsense!

First direct do have an easy way to talk to a human and fix things

I can see why they are closing branches, as they are a money drain nowadays. But those branches that are open should provide a full range of services, not ask people to get their phone out. Ridiculous

To be fair, you say yourself you've not been into a bank in years and neither have loads of people. I went to a bank once in the past 12 years, for a cash deposit in a different currency.

The first port of call for issues is the phone line, not going into the branch. And personally I've had relatively good service on the phone when I needed it with the main banks I use.

I'm not with this bank anymore, but a few years ago I went into my local branch to change some money (I had a piggy bank and wanted to change the coins for notes).

I was told they couldn't help, as they were now cashless. A cashless bank. What?

They also seemed to do everything they could to avoid letting you actually speak to a cashier. Some staff member going up and down the queue saying "you can do that on the app - let me show you!" or directing you to the cash deposit machine instead.

I used a cheque deposit machine once, with a staff member standing over me and showing me what to do, and the cheque got lost. I had to chase for months before I actually got my money, so I'd always rather speak to the cashier.

Anyway, I'm with Monzo now 😂 at least you know what you're getting!!

How is this ok? Because humans do not matter. They can replace us from around the world. Our country has been destroyed by our elites, again. Only money matters.

But how is this ok? Lack of customer service, personal interaction, just wanting to get rid of people as quickly as possible? Use the website? Don't you think I've already tried, that's why I've come into branch? Are you talking to me like I'm dumb on purpose to irritate me?

Barclays are absolutely useless. I had some unexplained debits going from my account. Rang them up as the local branch is closed (surprise, surprise). They investigated it, waited a few weeks and apparently it was my fault for authorising the payment!!!! Which I never did!! They wouldn't refund me the money as they have found it was my fault!!! I closed my bank account down the next day. I did eventually get the money back but the lack of service really put me off. Apparently I should have been sent a letter explaining everything......😳😳 Now with nationwide who still have a physical branch in my town.

I had almost exactly the same experience just over a year ago.
I tried to open a savings account for my son with Halifax online. There was something that I couldn't do to finish the application - something their end not mine to do with that specific account so the website told me to go to a branch.

I had to make a special trip in and because I arrived 30 mins before they closed they couldn't help me and just pointed me back to the website and some advice that I must have been doing it incorrectly.

I did try again but same result- it wasn't me doing it wrong so I went back on a saturday with more time before they closed, and again they told me they couldn't do what I needed in branch. I had to firmly make my point and eventually they helped me and it all got set up.

It was way more difficult than it needed to be.
the irony was I would have been quite happy doing it all online if it was actually possible.

"Computer says no!"

Unfortunately the humans do too, its like they can't interact with us anymore!!

@NotWhoIThought don't forget you might have to book an appointment.....not allowed to just drop in 😩

@Temporarynameforthisone you are lucky your found a bank which is still open!! our village had two and the next village had one, now we have none between us! same with post offices!! now we have none and even the post office website contacted me to say that they couldnt help with an address of a post office in the area!!! absolute shite!

I'm a treasurer for a community group.

Any changes to the bank account need two signatures on the bank mandate form.
Went into the branch as I was passing - can I pick up a form? (it's about eight pages long).
No - we don't have forms - you'll have to print it off yourself.

Did that, took it to the branch so they could check it and pass to the processing centre.
It got lost, then found, and then only half the things got changed because some extra evidence was required. Even though three staff members looked at it in branch!

Yes, I had this with Halifax when trying to open an account for an elderly relative via a POA. She already banked with Halifax. I already had POA access.

They first told me to use the app, so I pointed out that the app doesn't allow representative access to any banking services. So I tried the website right there in front of them - not possible there either.

It then turned out that the branch I had gone into didn't have the ability to open new accounts. That had to be at another branch. They tried to set up a videocall with the other branch, but couldn't get the equipment to work.

I was then offered a face-to-face meeting two weeks later in a nearby branch in a town I have no reason to go to otherwise. The only alternative was a city centre branch more than a month later, but at least I could justify a trip to that city.

To cap it all off, they then wouldn't actually open the fucking account until I'd gone through a whole new fact-finding inquiry which resulted in them 'recommending' a whole range of other products I didn't want, for the relative and for myself.

Really, really off-putting.

No banks left in our town, hasn’t been for years. Most of the main bank branches are in two nearby cities (opposite directions) both a 90 min round trip, and paid parking, away.

Two banks left in a small neighbouring town and one worker from another bank has a morning in the local library, but can only deal with stuff you could mostly do online, and you need to book an appointment. I had to take a death certificate to the library hub, the lady was marvellous, even if she did have to call someone to double check something. Why the bank then sent a letter through saying I’d asked to close my account is a mystery though. 🙄

There is really no substitute for being able to pop into a local branch and speak to a friendly face. The two banks I used to use in our town had lovely staff. Such a shame they are no longer open.

Yes ...life is so much harder now! I miss proper banks

It's been like this for years. We haven't even had a bank in our local area since several years before COVID - the nearest is 40 minutes drive away! Luckily we have the Post Office so we can still withdraw/pay in cash okay.

The final nail in the coffin was COVID, the banks that are open have kept the ridiculous limited opening hours so no one can use them, so then they are under used and end up closing.

We (me and child) Tried to open a current account online for my 16 year old and they insisted she had to have a utility bill in her name. This was NatWest who she’d had a savings account with since birth. We went to a branch to try and sort it but could only do that by booking an appointment to open an account, which we had to do online but because we’d already started the process of opening an account online it wouldn’t let us book an appointment to open a new account. Went with Santander in the end.

A couple of years ago I sat in HSBC almost in tears while someone on a helpine with minimal english (UK based though, just a heavy accent) told me they had to close my Business Account. It would have left me right in the shit.
Several staff members and The Manager and Assistant Manager were all trying to help me and were horrified at what was going on but as there was a slight discrepancy between their info and what was held at Companies House they were closing it. The Manager spoke to the person on the helpline but had to give up as they were getting nowhere and had trouble understanding them.
I managed to move everything to another bank and close the account before they did, which could have meant I wouldn't have even been able to open a new one but The Branch were no use at all - even if they wanted to be

ive had years of horror with Barclays

great experience with nationwide