To ask you where I should bank?

[summerbreezer]

So sick of Natwest. Awful customer service. I am trying to set up a business bank account. Have to ring expensive phone line, only for them to keep me talking for 10 minutes before attempting to put me through to business banking. When that doesn't work, they tell me someone will call me back in four hours. Does that happen..of course not.

I don't care where I bank - I just want good customer service and internet banking. I don't even necessarily need a business bank account, just a reasonable (£1500) overdraft.

Anyone got any recommendations?

We love First Direct.

I ditched Natwest years ago, but mostly because First Direct had a better mortgage deal. Lloyds has been a nightmare for a charity I am involved with. Always changing the wrong signatory, locking people out of online banking, etc.

Sorry, meant to say I have no idea about FD for business. Do they do it?

Not with Lloyds, they are worse than useless.

Dunno about other banks but I ditched HSBC for the Co-op and haven't looked back. Good customer service (can get someone human and UK-based on the phone very quickly), no mysterious fees like I had before and straightforward internet banking (HSBC gave me one of those keypad things to login with and I was forever losing it).

Up yours, HSBC!

God yes, you have to have one of those things for Lloyds too, for business. It is a pain in the arse. Like I have to remember to pack it when we go on holiday in the UK in case an emergency comes up and I need to log on. Or it's at the charity office when I should have it at home.

DO NOT BANK WITH SANTANDER!

Barclays are pretty good

Barclays are best for business accounts. NEVER use Lloyds.

I use personal and business accounts with HSBC, always had good service with no problems.

I do love a bit of Barclays, although have heard good things about first direct too

loathe HSBC after banking with them for 20 years. Am now with RBS who are OK but will shortly morph into NatWest. TBH they are all much of a muchness I think

Cooperative. I've been with them for 20 years, DD and now DS are as well.
Fantastic customer service - friendly, sympathetic, down to earth and patient.

However the real reason we are with them is that they are the only bank to promise that they won't invest in or loan to companies involved in the fur trade, arms dealers who supply oppressive regimes, or multi-national companies with poor environmental records.

Another vote for Barclays, love their online system, virtual savings accounts etc. Never had any problems with them and have been with them years.

First direct no question. I've been with them for years, the staff are always so helpful and friendly. I was chatting to one member of staff about a maths A level problem I was having (night class) he rang me back 10 mins later with an answer and how he'd worked it out :-)

Another vote for First Direct.

I ditched Lloyds for Barclays and have never had a problem - customer service over the phone and in branch has always been really good.

Between me and DH we bank with NatWest, Santander, Lloyd's, Nationwide and the post office (some sort of Santander thing I think). Business, current and savings accounts.

Lloyd's account was closed due to uselessness, Santander aren't exactly on the ball either. The only one we've had no trouble with was Nationwide (and NatWest but you had a bad experience with them so kind of irrelevant.)

HSBC hands down for me. I've always had excellent customer service and they didn't get nasty when I missed a payment by mistake once. Their staff are always very helpful.

I found Barclays customer service appalling.

Natwest, RBS and Lloyds are all awful IMO.

First Direct - really really like them. What aspects of a business account do you need? No harm, giving them a ring to check if they can help with what you need.

My husband ran his own business for over 10 years - he always just used a personal current account (Ulster Bank), but I appreciate that doesn't work for everyone.

First Direct - great except I find tearing cheques out of my cheque book really hard.

Hated barclays, have so far had a very good experience with the co-op.

Do not attempt to run a business off your personal account. It can bring all sorts of problems for you re possible money laundering and can lead to suspension/closure of your account if there is a suspicion you are trying to evade business account charges, not to mention the Inland Revenue hate it - ex bank clerk here!

Have you written to your business manager and asked for their direct telephone number? Most are happy to provide and they normally are linked to an answering machine so they will call you back if they are busy with other customers.

First Direct for us too. Been with them for years.

We once had our pockets picked while in Paris and both lost our wallets and all our money. The lady we spoke to at First Direct couldn't have been more helpful and clearly made us "her problem". She cancelled all the cards she could cancel and looked up the numbers for all the other people we needed to contact and made sure we got some more funds transferred out to us that day.

We also had a really good offset mortgage with them.

Oh yes and the call centre staff are always very friendly and helpful.

Sorry, that should read 'have you written and asked for the direct number of your local business manager?' All branches have a business manager allocated to them. Are you trying to do this over the phone, or have you visited a branch?

Another recommendation for First Direct

First direct - been with them for years and they're just normal, helpful and competent - all te things I require. Made the mistake of taking the mortgage with Barclays - never ever again - they are so hard to deal with, slow, borderline rude and just not first direct!