To want to call my local Barclays branch but to only be allowed to talk to someone in the Far East?

[nigelslaterfan]

Someone who couldn't even get through to the branch themselves?

I mean how is that customer service?

Why can't I call my branch (1 mile away) and speak to a p e r s o n, in real time on the phone?

Why doesn't the customer matter at all to Barclays?

YANBU - this is a real bugbear of mine.

Who benefits from this approach? I mean it makes no sense to me at all.

Aren't some organisations repatriating their call centres - and making a big deal of it ?

Vote with your feet !

Nationwide let you call the branch, which is why I use them and why DP has just swapped his accounts

Why doesn't the customer matter at all to Barclays?

Because they have a pretty good idea of what shit you'll soak up. Why spend £X on customer service, when you can make just as much money spending £X/10 on customer service ? You want Barclays to treat you better ? Be a shareholder.

Hah! we moved to Nationwide after the Halifax messed us around. Apparently we couldn't just "close our account" with them. Apparently we did .

I hate Barclays with my whole heart and soul, they are a huge stinking pile of Arse.
Why on earth would you not let people phone your branch? I have to GO IN to speak to someone. Or I can talk to someone in OhLordGodKnowsWhere who has access to all my financial schiese? When I could just talk to a person, I can understand down the road? No I have to go in and PARK and walk and queue. It's like uninventing the wheel.

nigelslaterfan

I hate Barclays with my whole heart and soul

And you're still with them because ?

lurkinghusband that is good advice I think but quite an extreme move for someone who would just like to be able to speak to a person in the UK about their finances.

Actually it's my old current account and I have some stuff to sort out before I end all my relationship with them! Never ever again.

They used to be brilliant at personal banking.

First Direct are well worth swapping too. yes they are call centre only, but based in UK and never had any problems. They give you money for switching and more if youre still with them after a few months.

I went into Barclays to speak to someone only to find there was nobody to speak to unless I had an appointment. Huge City Centre branch. They have taken all the cashiers out too.

Just a poor woman with a clipboard looking a bit frazzled as people were coming in and wanting to speak to a person.It was a two minute query that's all.

Barclays managed to stagger me - aged 17 - with their incompetence in the 1980s. However the reason I was with Barclays was because my parents were. Having been the victim of astounding incompetence from Nat West (another bank who believed you couldn't close your account. Apparently the manager chased my Dad down the road as he went from Nat West to Barclays shouting **ing foreigners, not happy with anything).

I never actually closed my account, and have left it for 25 years now. It did have £1.00 in it, but they got wise to that, and threatened to make dormant accounts with less than £5.00. So I transferred £4.01. Oh, and always get monthly statements.

Somebody's beat me to it - switch to First Direct ! There 24 hours a day, brilliant. In the past I ve been with Barclays and all the previous banks that became Santander. First Direct are brilliant, phone their number, no pushing this button then next only to be put on hold, straight through to a nice jolly person. Why cant all banks be like this.

DS once left a document in a local Barclays branch. We couldn't contact them by phone direct and had to go through the Indian call centre which took ages as they didn't understand which branch it was (several in the city) or what the document was (something like a student loan form).

how odd, I have my Barclay's account manager's direct phone number.

how does that work then?! Thought everyone got that? (not rich or anything!)

Oh god, save yourself from the pit of hell that is Barclays. I gave up with them after several monumental fails (on their part) and have been far better off with Santander and First Direct ever since...

There is a Barclays Account Manager Baby?? You must be special or something.

Do you not have to spend hours on the automated telephone carousel of ultimate disappointment?

I had a rant at Santander who refused to allow me access to my money when I wanted it. I moved to Nationwide.

After my dad died Barclays gave me a cheque book, in my name, for my mum's current account, which was linked to one of their savings accounts. She hadn't given permission for this (and I hadn't asked for it) but she probably looked like a confused little old lady when we went in to sort some things out, so obviously decided to hand over her finances to someone they thought looked more competent. She complained. They apologised, cancelled it. Then sent another cheque book for me. I could have taken thousands of pounds off her when she was at her most vulnerable. All sorts of misbehaviour there. I sent a threatening letter. So they sent some flowers to say sorry. They are the worst kind of untrustworthy scum.

I once had a very nice chat with the first direct call handler over the Christmas holidays. He was lovely.
These days I do it all online with them.

Ltb

Bit off topic but I had a lovely online chat with a man at Severn Trent Water last week. I love an online chat. He was lovely and helpful and we even had a bit of a laugh. Imagine that.

I had to walk past Barclays to get to the shops last year, looked through the window and saw a guy dressed as a clown sat at a table discussing finances with a young couple.

Children in Need, I wasn't drunk.

I always wonder the wisdom of bank staff dressing up. Imagine someone coming in to deal with a deceased account to be met with a bloke wearing a grass skirt and deeley boppers.