A Wunch of Bankers

[jimbairn]

A couple of months ago I got a leter saying that my Business Manager at the local TSB had been replaced... a blow since I'd had the previous manager for many years and we'd built up a good, and tolerant, relationship. I wasn't looking forward to breaking in a new one. A few weeks later I get a call from him, introducing himself, asking if everything was OK, anything I needed... So I asked him if I could still call in to talk to him at my local branch.

"No..." he said. "I'm based in Birmingham."

So I now have to call the central 0845 number, go through several "pick this number" options, answer unpty odd "security" questions, get passed through several hands before speaking to a human, who passes me to another human who tells me that my business manager is in a meeting and he'll et him to phone me back. Twice I've done this now, and I'm still waiting for him to call me back.

Not a happy bunny

 

[Gouldie0]

Sorry to hear about that Jim, it seems to be the way HBOS and LTSB are going. Assuming they're classing you as a small business customer then you'll get a 'team' of relationship managers who'll manage your account.

Although you'll be designated a single contact, it could be Birmingham, Bristol or Glasgow..............................

I think i've spoken to my business manager about 3 times in around 6 months. Barclays foloow a similar approach........................:cursing:

Kind Regards

Neil

 

[Scottish Business Owner]

Pretty shoddy treatment but sadly very common.

I think it's pretty much the norm these days for businesses with less than £1million turnover to fall under a call centre type management. I work with several banks with the clients I work with and by far the worst at present is Lloyds/HBOS. There seems to still be alot of uncertainty in that business and lots of changes going on.

A bit of an irony that banks are bailed out by the taxpayer and then they start to shed thousand of jobs which will ultimately mean this becomes even more commonplace until it all beds in.

People seem to always have a certain amount of apathy about changing banks but it can be a relatively simple process. If more people did it then maybe people wouldn't be treated as bad.

Not a bank fan myself just now Can you guess?

 

[jimbairn]

Update:

Needless to say, I never got a call back yesterday. I hadn't heard anything by 2.30 this afternoon so I phoned again - going through the same "press 1...etc" rigmarole and eventually got put through to one of my "management team' - the third different person I've spokem to in three phone calls. I was told my business manager was on the phone but she'd get him to call me when he came off.

An hour later he DID phone, full of apologies, only to say that their computer system was down nationwide and he couldn't help with my query until it was sorted - maybe today, maybe tomorrow. Over ten days to get to this point when I used to be able to pop into my branch and get it sorted in an hour or so...

 

[jimbairn]

Update 2:

They didn't phone me back today either.

 

[jimbairn]

Update 3:

They eventually phoned me back today - a fortnight after i had originally contacted them - to turn me down for the request I phoned them about.

Has anyone got a new tether? I've just about reached the end of mine...

 

[Washroom Guy]

I believe Tether's are top of the entrepreneur's Christmas list this year! If you get two I'll have one from you....