Is your bank any good? Or are they all as bad as each other? What to swap from Barclays

[MrsWicket]

Having a mare with Barclays - have been with them for twenty odd years but they over the last couple have become more and more useless. Want to change but to who too? Does GOOD customer service from banks exist anymore? Thanks

Smile. Spectacularly good customer service - really really impressed. I suspect it goes hand in hand with them winning "best place to work" awards. I really have nothing but praise for them.

And no, I don't work for them!

Thanks FrightfulNib - can you use anyones cashpoint then to get money out?

Yes, they're part of link. You can pay in money at post offices and co-operative banks.

Wouldn't personally recommend any bank but as Frightful said Smile are supposed to be really good.

There was a poll on Watchdog last year and I think they came out on top of the other banks, or near the top anyway. You can probably check their website if you want the actual results.

i had an awful time with barlcays too

they were awful... would literally pay money into and out of my account as and when they felt like, tell me i had been 100s of miles away paying in this money in a town ive never been to in mhy life during a uni exam, and then had a bank error over draw my account by alot and not me close it cause their bank error made me over drawn...
(and as a good will gesture they didnt make me pay the overdraft fine for THEIR BANK ERROR )

anyway i have been with halifax

they have been great and even when it was my fault that i had not filled in a form for 8 months they back dated my interest as if i had!

I like the royal bank of scotland, if I have a query, I phone the number on the statement and it is a real person in my local branch, I am still amazed at this.

I recently applyed for a loan and the bank person was so nice, realsitic and down to earth, no faffing or selling me what I can't afford.

Excelent customer service.

Nationwide good in person but not that good if you have to send anything away! Online banking quite basic with them.

Lloyds was good online, not bad in person just liked to get me to change my account regularly!!!

I would NOT recommend Halifax. One of the employees I pay through the payroll had HUGE problems with them. So have work colleagues.

Yes, Smile are excellent, and are also ethically run, so I can't recommend them too highly.

We have our joint account with them, but I've also had a First Direct account for 15+ years, and have never ever had a problem, and they have always been a delight to speak to as well.

we're with first direct and have never had a problem with them (and they will pay you to try them out) fab customer service too

I switched from HSBC to LLoyds cos of needing joint account with now ex partner who was with LLoyds...big mistake...they are shockingly bad at customer service and even basis things they manage to balls up. For the first time in 10 years I got charged 3 times with Lloyds because of their cock up (fault admitted by them and refunded evenually!) I have now moved back with HSBC .....but there are better banks out there

I tried pretty much all of them at some point but the only one I would recommend are first direct - they are fantastic.

We have recently changed after a myriad of problems from Nationwide to First Direct

FD came highly recommended on MN and we are pleased so far

Oh yes online banking with RBS is good too, I can keep track of my accounts very easily and move money around easily