Demonsterfying Bank Branch Staff- The Positive Side

[anon2]

Lol!

[Guest ian cognito]

Well said Natty, think we all need to be reminded sometimes that the policies of the banks are merely implemented by the branch staff, not written by them!

 

I don't very often deal with bank counter staff as I do most of my banking over then internet but I have to say when I go into the local HSBC to deposit cheques they are alwys not only helpful and polite but chatty too. (although I have to say, the 15 minute conversation about how Mr Jones' bad back is can sometimes be a little annoying in my lunch hour)

[MARTIN3030]

Quote

 

I think everyones time would be better spent helping those on the site that really need it rather than trying to be famous.

 

 

I agree completely Andrew.........but wasnt that you in the Warrington Guardian ?

[anon2]

Quote

 

I think everyones time would be better spent helping those on the site that really need it rather than trying to be famous.

 

 

I agree completely Andrew.........but wasnt that you in the Warrington Guardian ?

 

That was Martin! So you did a quick check of all posts by me!

 

If you have read the article Martin, please feel free to brief this thread on the articles main aim. Actually we will make it multiple choice.

 

Was it

 

a) an article all about memememememe?

b) an article in which I try to justify my existence in a job I feel worthless?

c) an article about reclaiming bank charges which are unlawful and directing interested parties to this site?

 

I try to use my time constructively, if we all went to our local papers when we got a result...

[Guest NATTIE]

Martin- just when I ask to move on and leave it alone we go back to this long silly argument which serves no purpose. Andrew I read the article today after Matin posted and saw the CAG in there which is a good thing for the site. Both of you if you want to go way off topic unrelated to the title of the thread, which I have done then feel free to but come on move on and get over it.

The only comment I would make andrew was that it was in a different section but was informative about you so thats a) and c).

Post 1 explains what the thread is about. Martin, Andrew and myself can continue to argue about things that are actually nothing to do with this thread. Let's move on positive experiences from your local branch. People say these things on threads about good experiences they get.

Just for the record, I love working at the bank, people on the whole are friendly and are happy to have a laugh with you and sometimes at you.

[pford]

I can’t say anything about the staff at my local bank RBS. They phoned me up the other day wanting me to clear my overdraft off.

Explained to them that it would be a waste of time trying to get me a loan to pay it off as HFC bank had put an illegal default on credit reference files.

Simon said he would try anyway guess what got turned down. Had another phone call off him this morning loan has been approved .

[Giveitback]

well. I find the counter staff of BoS to be OK, everyone else simply read scripts and don't listen.

 

lloyds have been absolutely great so far, HQ not great, telephone not bad and branch FAB.

[nikkiandmidgets]

I find the majority of bank staff i deal with great. While chasing up receipt of my SAR recently via online banking\secure messaging I got a quick, friendly response (True she asked what a SAR was but maybe she just didnt know it as a SAR.) Anyway, I replied explaining ans she got back to say she had forwarded onto relevant department. I then replied thanking her and saying what a pleasure she had been to deal with. I used to work at Shell and we were encouraged to keep all positive feedback, and in times such as they are for banks, I feel the staff could do with the lift to moral - they like everyone are just doing a job to support themselves instead of letting other tax payers do this for them, and they are human. Most big corporations receive criticism in some area of their business, but the majority of staff are employees, not policy setters.

[reidnet]

One of the staff in my Local branch looks like she sits and sucks a bag of lemons between speaking to customers.. Oh and the other one looks like a bullgog chewing a wasp

[Guest ian cognito]

I'd hate to know the negative side then.........

[Super_Bob]

Got to say, the staff at my local natwest are really top notch despite the huge queues they have to deal with (usually 5/6 tellers on the windows but its london bridge so what can you do!), they always have a smile and a will happily joke along with you.

 

*thumbs up*

[bathgatebuyer]

It's a two way thing though, isn't it? If my bank is polite and appreciative of my situation when I approach them, they should be the same with me. And vice versa. My job involves dealing with the public and public complaints, and so I know that it's very difficult when things move slowly and that when you phone someone and don't get the answer you want, it is frustrating and very easy to become snappy.

 

From the Banks point of view, individual staff must hear all sorts of stories from people as to why they can't pay, but they must remember that when someone is clearly struggling, things may be different a few months down the line. For example, with one of my credit cards, I was told they would serve a default notice if I didn't pay them £53 by Thursday, despite the outstanding insurance claim on that account, and the fact that I would receive my first wage after 5 months of unemployment the day after they would serve the default!!!! Now, the particular staff member I spoke to insisted that nothing could be done. Yet, when I spoke to the Customer Service Team, they said they could. So, I paid a day late and thanks to Custoemr Services, I have no default. But the aggressive attitude of that particular staff member was so disconcerting to me that I moved my mortgage from that organisation as a result of her manner too. For the sake of a pleasant demeanour, they could still have my mortgage with them.

Anyhow, that was a rant and a grumble and not really relevant!

 

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that while I try and be polite, considerate and accept the person on the phone line as being a human being, sometimes I feel that I'm just a number to them and that they care not about my custom over the next 70 (I hope) or so years of my life, but just to get a payment that week. It's a two way thing, but unfortunately most of the time dealing with Banks, it is not an equal relationship, particularly when you have fell on hard times.

[adamseymour]

Hi, To everyone....this is my first post so I thought i'd make it a psitive one.

 

I have successfully claimed against Abbey and had no trouble with them whatsoever I recieved all my charges back after my first letter... Having said that, I always find their branch staff friendly and polite.

 

I also use Natwest for business banking and always have a laugh with the counter staff, they are really friendly.

 

I think they bear the brunt of complaints purley because they are the 'front line'

[ellielou]

I recently moved my account to the Co-operative bank and they've been great and I feel that they are the most reasonable and ethical bank around (obviously only my opinion).

 

I moved accounts as the Halifax and Nationwide staff are only allowed to do as the 'computer' tells them and I'm sorry I don't like it.

 

I used to work for a bank and left as I could no longer be a part of such an institution who will happily watch people get deeper and deeper into debt just so they can make massive profits for their shareholders. I'm sorry but I have too much of a social conscious for that.

 

I find most bank staff are ok but their hands always seem to be tied when it comes to doing anything but sell a customer a product, so their job is a hard one. And yes they are only trying to earn a living like the rest of us but they don't have to do a job if they don't believe in it. I'm sure people will disagree but I couldn't sleep at night knowing I was helping people to ruin their lives.

[nickparlow]

the halifax staff at my local branch are great, and are continually baffled at the misinformation i get over the phone from the call centre...

[yourbank]

I remember the younger days when this thread originally began. Time to revisit it again. I will get the other negative one up as well shortly.

Have things changed in two years??

[Mrs_Ryan]

I just wanted to say something about the staff in a branch of A&L in the next town to me, I used to use it fairly regularly when I was in my other job but now I have changed jobs, I unfortunately dont get to go in anymore.

 

What a shame - the staff in there were outstanding. I used to look forward to going into the bank! There was a girl who worked on the counter who always had a smile and a quick gossip, and the other lady who worked on there was lovely too. One of the guys who worked in there was fantastic, he would always say hello as he lived near my partner's parents, and if I needed to ask anything he would not only help me, but have me in stitches with his funny stories!!!

 

The branch manager was a lovely lady who used to work on the front desk and she even gave me 50p out of her own pocket one day when some money I was expecting was late and I was short on bus fare, and she sorted a complaint out for me once as well, bless her.

 

In fact, they were so lovely that on my last day in my job I nipped in to say thanks and took them a box of chocs to share to say thank you - and it just so happened the area manager was sat there when I went in!!!!!!!!!

I have to say I have never had service like that from any bank I have been with and it was a pleasure to deal with them! So they arent all bad....

[fleeced_by_rbos]

My experience is that the front office staff at RBS, Barclays, Co-operative, and the customer services staff at the end of the phone at Smile are very nice and genuinely helpful people.

 

This seems to be the norm from what I can gather from friends and colleagues too.

 

The big shame is that they are the nice front to the greed and contempt of some of the slimiest people in existence - I am talking about the powers that be that run the banks, set the policy, and dare I say kill economies! ;-)

 

Sorry Nattie, I know you wanted a nice thread, but it is banks we are talking about here!

[HSBCrusher]

I think the point is that while the banks are behaving incredibly badly (for want of better non-sweary type words) the staff are very often polite and helpful. A member of staff in a local Barclays to me always tries to delete the charges if she can, and apologises for them.

 

When I had my account with HSBC (before they closed it) there was a lovely lady who got herself into trouble because she was deleting charges.

 

They are only doing their job, trying to make a crust of bread as most of us are trying to do, and not for shouting at.

[fleeced_by_rbos]

My sentiments exactly HSBCrusher. Those people are regular folk, it's the people in the lending departments who can be quite obnoxious, but less so that the debt chasing departments, which are themselves less obnoxious than the those who are at the top of the food chain - the pin striped idiots characterised on some of those adverts (yeh Will!)

[lemon_martini2]

Been with Chelsea 6 years. Never failed to get a smiling chatty cashier who was ready to help-and even though I've been a good boy and my account always sits nicely in the black with them,I've never any reason to complain. They don't try and flog me things I don't want,sent me other people's statements,charge me for random goings-on(all of which I encountered with other banks).They even got a laugh when they had to cope with my New Zealand passport-since it wasn't on their approved list,it had to verified. Which meant them ringing up and describing it---a 'funny looking bird on the back with some squiggly leaves next to it'.That'll be the kiwi and fern.