[GraciesGran]

After much deliberation we have made the decision to change banks.  The last couple of years our satisfaction level with our current bank has dropped beyond belief. It will involve current and savings accounts, we're not eligible for Courts. 

Decision made, so I phone our victim bank and explain what we want to do.  Can we make an appointment to come in and get things moving?  No! We have to open the joint account on line (it's more convenient for me apparently) and then if we go in they can sort out savings.

What happened to service?


PS: local garage have just returned my car, which they collected yesterday, after sorting out a slow puncture. Cost?  Nothing, out a donation in the charity box next time you are passing.

[Growster...]

Not a pleasant experience is it!

When you think that over a lifetime, on a modest average income, you're using them to look after - say - about a million quid - give or take several thousand, and let them use it all to make their own investments, mistakes etc., it's a bit of an eye-opener when just a few clicks on a keyboard is now the expected way to do what normal business people used to do, which was discuss the issues formally, friendly and firmly!

I remember my bank manager in Rye actually writing a short letter to me when I first had an account in the mid sixties, and informing me that I was £3.10s.6d overdrawn, and that was unacceptable! (I grew to like and trust him immensely later on, and he was a great friend when I needed a few quid to get married! The other bank staff liked him and respected their clients too)!

These online accounts are actually seen as OK here, as I love mucking about with Excel, but that's because I can easily be a nerd on several occasions (!), but the methods of just clicking all your assets away to a new bunch in a flash, can be a nightmare and you're right to put up a huge moan about it all!

[Lardman]

You're not supposed to have any money any more and you're certainly not suppose to have any cash. My local bank now consists of 3 cash machines and 2 terminals, you're out of luck if you actually need help with something. It used to have very large personal and business banking sections, I have to be honest though I don't bother with the hassle of closing accounts down, I just open new ones and leave a pound in the old.

[GraciesGran]

As always Step Grandson to the rescue in exchange for cake!  He's going to come round on Sunday and eat cake and sort it out.  The cost - chocolate cake while he is here and coffee and walnut to take home.

[Daveswife]

4 years ago our local historical & conservation society needed to change banks. 3 of us attended an appointment at the bank's request to open the new account but their guy doing the paperwork for us opened the account as a conversation society, not conservation. No wonder he asked what we talked about. We gave up and went elsewhere, everything done online.

[Growster...]

Did he also make it a 'Hysterical Conversation' Club?

What a ridiculous mistake to make - well done you for sighing and leaving!

[jezza]

When my nearest bank closed I was advised that I could use the mobile bank in CUMBRIAonly 25 minutes away says the advisor I said more like half a day she assured me I wad 25 minutes away ,I asked if they would provide a helicopter to get me there in 25 minutes ,advisor then asked where exactly I was located I said 15 miles south of York ,oh says advisor that's out of the mobile banks region ,she advised me to use a bank in Selby the one that they had shut down the week before ,a lot of my loose change goes into Nr Jacob's or Mr Crawfords banks ,as much interest paid as the real bank but had the pleasure of eating the biscuits first  jezza

[Farrufamto]

Not a pleasant experience is it!

When you think that over a lifetime, on a modest average income, you're using them to look after - say - about a million quid - give or take several thousand, and let them use it all to make their own investments, mistakes etc., it's a bit of an eye-opener when just a few clicks on a keyboard is now the expected way to do what normal business people used to do, which was discuss the issues formally, friendly and firmly! I understand that digital transformation in banks is happening right now. I even read here that it is a necessity. But for people of my generation, it's hard to figure out. I remember my bank manager in Rye actually writing a short letter to me when I first had an account in the mid sixties, and informing me that I was £3.10s.6d overdrawn, and that was unacceptable! (I grew to like and trust him immensely later on, and he was a great friend when I needed a few quid to get married! The other bank staff liked him and respected their clients too)!

These online accounts are actually seen as OK here, as I love mucking about with Excel, but that's because I can easily be a nerd on several occasions (!), but the methods of just clicking all your assets away to a new bunch in a flash, can be a nightmare and you're right to put up a huge moan about it all!

Yes, I remember when you could talk to someone who knew your name and could sort things out on the spot. It's frustrating.
I'm not against technology, but it feels like we're losing the personal touch. Just the other day I was at my local bank branch,, and now it's mostly terminals and a couple of staff who look like they’d rather be anywhere else. I even had to get a ticket from a terminal first, although there was no queue whatsoever. To be honest, at this point I'm considering hiding my money under the mattress.

[Goosegirl]

I don't think I could cope with the stress of moving my bank account as it doesn't pay any interest anyway. My savings (such as they are) go into a stocks and shares ISA which usually does very well so I'm not that bothered.

[AlaninCarlisle]

I'm lucky. There's still a Natwest bank in Carlisle

[Growster...]

We still have a branch in Cranbrook, (I think), and the only time I went there in the last few years, was to get a few quid to pay a painter who'd done a fabulous job, and presumably needed the cash very soon.

They can all whistle as far as current accounts are concerned - the pensions go in, go out, and that's about it!

ps - we have a huge mattress to keep the 'other stuff' under - it's safer that way, especially as Labour wants it all to spend on their potty ideas...

[mumofstig]

especially as Labour wants it all to spend on their potty ideas...

Exactly! They've already taxed it before we get it, so why should they get to tax it again, now it's savings...Just NO!

[Subversive_plot]

I also count myself lucky with my most recent experience with a new bank.  We wanted to refinance a mortgage loan that had recently been sold to a disreputable mortgage servicing company (selling mortgages from one lender to another is common practice over here, the customer has no say-so in the matter; a horrible practice IMO).  We were advised to seek out a specific, very local, bank that operates in just a few counties in our state, known for holding onto their loans, and not selling them.

We quickly got on a first-name basis with the bank vice president and one of his assistants. When we have questions, we receive e-mails or personal phone calls from the VP or assistant in a timely manner. Chatting in person, we hear about the assistant's new baby, or the VPs recent vacation. We are far from being a wealthy "big fish" customer, this just seems to be how they conduct business. Since they are local, and we are local, they treat us like neighbors (you want to be on good terms with someone that you might run into at the local grocery or shop).  I hope this relationship continues to be this way.

We still have another bank ("big" bank) for most of our bill pay and other banking. That experience is less than ideal.