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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that HSBC bank do not want my custom?

54 replies

Mintyy · 19/01/2015 21:15

Very very long, sorry, but just want to offload:

Last week I went into my local branch of HSBC and (after a very long wait in the queue) said to the cashier "I'd like to see someone or make an appointment to open two bank accounts, one for my daughter and one for a group that I am treasurer for".

So he said ok I can set up an appointment, and consulted his screen, and then asked for this information and input it on the screen: first name, last name, dob, email, (at this point I said do I have to give all this info here and now just to get an appointment and he said "yes I have to create a form on the computer") landline no., mobile no, postcode, house number, confirm street name, date moved into current address, first name of dd, second name of dd, dob of dd etc etc. All while the queue stretched away behind me.

Then there was some kind of hiatus on the computer system and he more told me "Really sorry but computer says No. We are just a service branch here anyway so you'll have to go X branch (branch about 3 miles away) for the appointment, so can you phone them or go online?"

I said, yes I could do that (although why he didn't tell me my appointment would be at X branch at the start of the conversation, I'm not sure - because I might have wanted to choose another branch entirely) can you give me the direct line number of X branch so that I don't have to go through the central phone number for the whole group and all the annoying interminable options? So then he clearly googled for a few minutes and wrote the 0800 number for the whole of HSBC UK down anyway so I said thanks and left. 20 minutes of life I don't get back.

On Friday I phoned the number. I got through to a call centre in Wales. I said "I'd like to make an appointment at X branch to open 2 bank accounts ... etc". Righto, said the man in Wales, I just need to fill in a form ... he took all the same details as chap in branch, might not have got as far as my dd's details to be fair, and then said "Oh, I'm really really sorry but the computer seems to be down and I can't get your details accepted. Can I just put you on hold and I'll go through to our New Business department and they'll take over from me?"

So I said ok. Few minutes on hold.

New person on line "Hello Mrs Mintyy, I understand you want to make an appointment to open a new bank account?" Me: "Yes" Him: "Ok then" then we had to review all the info I'd given so far, then he tried to actually book an appointment with the X branch, then he came back and said "I'm sorry but I think we've got a computer problem, tell you what, give me your number and I'll get someone to call you back later."

So now I was slightly impatient and explained why I wasn't terribly impressed with my experience of trying to open a bank account with HSBC up to this point, pointed out that they already had both of my contact numbers (twice), provided my mobile number again and said I looked forward to hearing from a member of the team shortly so that they could book this appointment for me.

To date I haven't had a call.

That's really quite rubbish isn't it? (if you've managed to read this far Flowers )

OP posts:
AwfulBeryl · 19/01/2015 21:19

Yes it is rubbish, very complicated and time consuming. Can't you just pop in to the bank with your national insurance card anymore ?

flora717 · 19/01/2015 21:19

Still. They're better than Barclays Angry.
They do sound especially ineffective with all that though.

wfrances · 19/01/2015 21:29

my daughter 17 had terrible trouble opening an account in lloyds
had to go down 3 times.
i rang them first to be told take birth certificate down, no appointment needed
went down,(with her dad)told she needed an appointment
went back ,(with her dad)she had the wrong birth certificate, (you need the long one)
went back on her own as she was told at the branch twice she didnt need an adult,
they were now saying she needed an adult after being told,she didnt need one ,only sorted because i bank there.
terrible customer service

InfinitySeven · 19/01/2015 21:31

Tweet them - They are usually pretty good, in my experience, so I'd give them a second chance!

Original poster
Mintyy · 19/01/2015 21:34

Ha! love the casual assumption that everyone is on Twitter.

I don't want to Tweet them (although thank you for the suggestion) I want them to provide a reasonable service after 4 chances ...

OP posts:
trufflesnout · 19/01/2015 21:35

I once opened an account with Natwest. Fine. Details & card & pin to be sent out to me. They never came! Went back, no record of me on Natwest's system. Poof. No idea where all my info went, my account info never showed up - it was years ago now.

I was going to open a basic account for bills and stuff with HSBC this week - it's just pot bloody luck. I have a friend from Europe who is constantly surprised about how hard it is to open a bank account in the UK.

peutetre · 19/01/2015 21:39

I think the building societies give better service than the banks these days and seem to be slightly more flexible.

Floralnomad · 19/01/2015 21:46

HSBC also don't have counter service on a Saturday , it's rubbish - loads of staff standing about but can you pay a bill - no .

ICantDecideOnAUsername · 19/01/2015 21:49

I recommend first direct. All done over the phone no probs. it's actually the same company as hsbc but they are worlds away. First direct win all kinds of customer service awards and shit.

ajandjjmum · 19/01/2015 21:59

My 88 year old Mum is with HSBC - they are rubbish. She doesn't want to bank online - as they keep telling her she should, and they never replace her cheque book when it runs out (as they used to), she has to get to the branch, and queue to order another one.

She cannot speak directly to the branch to sort anything out - even when they cancel her card because of suspected fraud (which it wasn't, but 'we're just protecting your interests....')

We are lucky enough to have a personal manager with Barclays and he is brilliant - sorts everything out with the minimum of fuss. Suspect that's him rather than the bank though!

Original poster
Mintyy · 19/01/2015 22:07

I've been banking with First Direct since they began in the 80s. They have our joint bank account and savings account and we're not moving anywhere.

But I'm not sure they do Community accounts or accounts for young children with hardly any money and no bank card?

OP posts:
ihatethecold · 19/01/2015 22:20

Nationwide are good for children's accounts.

Hassled · 19/01/2015 22:27

DS3 and I strolled into NatWest one afternoon after school recently with some ID and a cheque, the chap said he had time to see us now,saw us straight away and we set up a current account for DS3 there and then. Try NatWest?

Eminybob · 19/01/2015 22:29

It sounds as if they had technology problems, which annoying as it is, especially since it happened a few different times, isn't really an issue with the service from the staff.
Believe me, I'm sure the staff members were just as frustrated as you were.

Original poster
Mintyy · 19/01/2015 22:31

So why didn't they call me back Eminybob? I haven't said I had any issues with the staff - did I?

OP posts:
Tinks42 · 19/01/2015 22:32

Barclays is fine. Had to make an appointment to do this (bit err) but no problems at all.

Tinks42 · 19/01/2015 22:34

First direct is very hoity toity and not for the minions of course, you may as well ask coutts Grin

Eminybob · 19/01/2015 22:36

Yeah that's annoying I understand. I just know what it's like to be the staff member in that situation.

I've had customers take a day off work to see me for an appointment, and I've had to turn them away because the computers have fucked up and I can't complete their mortgage application for them.

Then they complain and its me that they are annoyed with.

Do I suppose I'm projecting a bit!

RandallFloyd · 19/01/2015 22:39

When I opened an account for DS I just took all my ID and his birth certificate and did it then and there. Didn't need to make a specific appointment or anything.

It's all a bit shit but my guess is either that your address isn't formatting on the system properly (that can be a pita) or you're right, for whatever reason they don't want your custom on this occasion.

HSBC are very, very specific about what they're in the market for at the moment and community type accounts can be a royal nightmare to administer.

Shitty way to deal with it, and I may be totally wrong, but that would be my guess.

eurochick · 19/01/2015 22:40

They don't seem to want my business and I have banked with them for more than ten years!

I have had a mortgage with them all that time, plus significant savings and a current account. I recently tried to move. I didn't need to borrow any more but was moving to a slightly more valuable house. They said ok, but because I was changing jobs after mat leave (for a promotion and significant pay hike), they couldn't approve it until I had a payslip from the new job. It was mad because if we didn't move, they still had me as a customer, on mat leave, going on to a new job, but with less valuable security to back their loan. It was a completely uncommercial decision. They put themselves in a worse position by refusing to let me move the mortgage. We were only looking to borrow 1.5 times salary on a 30%ltv. It should have been a no brainer.

Another bank accepted us in no time at all.

Once the dust has settled from the move I'm going to pull my savings from hsbc. If they are that uncommercial on a micro level, what kind of stupid decisions are they making with the bank's money on a macro level?

LoisDrankMyTableDecoration · 19/01/2015 22:46

I get your frustration. Its pretty hard to open a bank account these days due to anti and money laundering regulations so if you do get an appointment take loads of id and prepare for a long appointment!

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 20/01/2015 00:00

YANBU at all. HSBC are a shower of shite. I honestly wouldn't bank with them ever again.

If I were you I'd open an account elsewhere. Anywhere else.

PolkadotsAndMoonbeams · 20/01/2015 00:11

Just make sure to ask if you can actually transfer money out of the society account, especially if you have more than one signatory RBS I'm looking at you - I'm visiting four banks tomorrow (not one of which is my own, or the society's!) to pay in to other people's accounts, because you can't do Bacs transfers and I refuse to pay £25 a time for CHAPS.

Sorry, had to get that off my chest!

I think after four attempts you should just go somewhere else.

irishe · 20/01/2015 00:18

I recently opened a savings account for DC with bank of Scotland. I had to phone a call centre who then made an appt at the branch I specified. The call centre advised what I needed to bring in way of documents etc. once in the branch I was taken on time, but the appt itself took some time, about an hour and a half I think. The customer service rep I was dealing with was pleasant but there was a lot of stuff to get through.

The process itself was fairly smooth, none of the difficulties OP experienced at natwest. Also as a child's account, this all had to be done in a branch, and I have to go to branch to make withdrawals.

I find it hard to believe the banks make any money on these low value transactions, considering the staff time it takes to set up and administer them.

MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 20/01/2015 00:20

Opening an account any where in person is bloody hideous at the moment. Online is sooooo much easier.

I tried to open an account for my baby daughter. It took 7 weeks to get an appointment to be seen at any bank or building society in my town.

A highlight was the bit where the man in The Britannia/Co-op came out to get the leaflet off the rack (that I'd just looked at myself while waiting for him to not help someone else) and I had to help him find the right one and then explain what the terms and conditions meant to him.

Bank branches will be dead in less than 20 years. We'll all be sending contactless payments via our smart devices and doing everything else online.