HSBC losing the plot?

[So]

I've been a personal customer since 1994 and a business customer since 2000. I have a number of accounts with them and they make a lot of money from me.

They've never been great, but over the past year the wheels have really fallen off. Just general crapness. I was in a central London branch last week and it was like a ghost town. It seems to me that they are radically streamlining and not up-scaling their call centres apace.

After I complained about their most recent funk up I was surprised and delighted yesterday to receive a case of wine at my door. Shrewd move, I thought. But we've started on it this evening and it's as crap as the bank has become. If they had spent another £50 it might have been okay. What they've done is say, "you think we've become crap, let us prove you right with this inexpensive plonk".

So, one of my new year's resolutions is to open new business accounts with at least one other bank.

[Welshbeef]

Please choose a British bank / I guess you were midland all those years ago now your chance to move to a UK company.

[RammyMP]

I agree they have gone st over the past couple of years, their on-line banking is appalling. The last time I rang them to unlock my online account I was thanked for being their customer for 25 years!

Time for a change but I don’t know if their competitors are just as st.

[So]

Welshbeef said:

Please choose a British bank / I guess you were midland all those years ago now your chance to move to a UK company.

Yes, Midland.

Who is British and any good? I don't hear anything good about anyone except Handelsbanken and they aren't very keen on my line of work and they are expensive. And they aren't British.

Edited to add - is the Post Office any good? At least the buggers have still got a physical presence.

[bearman68]

RammyMP said:

I agree they have gone st over the past couple of years, their on-line banking is appalling. The last time I rang them to unlock my online account I was thanked for being their customer for 25 years!

Time for a change but I don’t know if their competitors are just as st.

I have business accounts with both HSBC and Co-op. HSBC is a sleek and swift machine compared to Co-op. (IMO).

My business previously was with Lloyds. They hardly inspired confidence either. Hard to know who to use TBH

[So]

bearman68 said:

RammyMP said:

I agree they have gone st over the past couple of years, their on-line banking is appalling. The last time I rang them to unlock my online account I was thanked for being their customer for 25 years!

Time for a change but I don’t know if their competitors are just as st.

I have business accounts with both HSBC and Co-op. HSBC is a sleek and swift machine compared to Co-op. (IMO).

My business previously was with Lloyds. They hardly inspired confidence either. Hard to know who to use TBH

I've got some CoOp accounts too. The online banking is WAY better than HSBC but I wouldn't trust them with more than chump change.

[Welshbeef]

So said:

Yes, Midland.

Who is British and any good? I don't hear anything good about anyone except Handelsbanken and they aren't very keen on my line of work and they are expensive. And they aren't British.

Edited to add - is the Post Office any good? At least the buggers have still got a physical presence.

How about Metro bank?

[So]

Welshbeef said:

So said:

Yes, Midland.

Who is British and any good? I don't hear anything good about anyone except Handelsbanken and they aren't very keen on my line of work and they are expensive. And they aren't British.

Edited to add - is the Post Office any good? At least the buggers have still got a physical presence.

How about Metro bank?

Southern based no?

[bearman68]

So said:

bearman68 said:

RammyMP said:

I agree they have gone st over the past couple of years, their on-line banking is appalling. The last time I rang them to unlock my online account I was thanked for being their customer for 25 years!

Time for a change but I don’t know if their competitors are just as st.

I have business accounts with both HSBC and Co-op. HSBC is a sleek and swift machine compared to Co-op. (IMO).

My business previously was with Lloyds. They hardly inspired confidence either. Hard to know who to use TBH

I've got some CoOp accounts too. The online banking is WAY better than HSBC but I wouldn't trust them with more than chump change.

You're going to have to keep it under the bed according to these recommendations.

[So]

bearman68 said:

So said:

bearman68 said:

RammyMP said:

I agree they have gone st over the past couple of years, their on-line banking is appalling. The last time I rang them to unlock my online account I was thanked for being their customer for 25 years!

Time for a change but I don’t know if their competitors are just as st.

I have business accounts with both HSBC and Co-op. HSBC is a sleek and swift machine compared to Co-op. (IMO).

My business previously was with Lloyds. They hardly inspired confidence either. Hard to know who to use TBH

I've got some CoOp accounts too. The online banking is WAY better than HSBC but I wouldn't trust them with more than chump change.

You're going to have to keep it under the bed according to these recommendations.

As per my earlier query, Post Office? Not started looking at their offering, but I believe they have one.

[King Herald]

bearman68 said:

I have business accounts with both HSBC and Co-op. HSBC is a sleek and swift machine compared to Co-op. (IMO).

My business previously was with Lloyds. They hardly inspired confidence either. Hard to know who to use TBH

I left Lloyd’s after 25 years, man and boy, due to stupid games over credit card rates, and their general incompetence as I transferred to HSBC made me all the more glad I was leaving.....


.....but HSBC managed to cock things up right from the start, effectively cancelling all my direct debits etc from the get go.

However, I am just a normal guy doing normal banking, so no great dramas.

[b0rk]

So said:

As per my earlier query, Post Office? Not started looking at their offering, but I believe they have one.

Post Office bank is a white label service from Bank of Ireland (UK)....

[Beanbob]

I've just moved my banking to Santander.

I was offered their Select account which comes with a more personal service in the way of a Relationship Manager. Maybe a gimmick, but she's actually been quite useful!

I was a bit concerned about moving to Santander as they have quite a bad reputation, however, it seems to be much better than I thought it would be!

[GingerMunky]

They are all as bad as each other. Moving from one to the other doesn't have any effect on the market place, which is dysfunctional, as there are so few alternatives they can all continue to be bad. More challenger banks are needed.