Handelsbanken

[joewilliams]

LooneyTunes said:

insurance_jon said:

TIf you need to pay cash in this is done via branches of Nat West or HSBC IIRC

NatWest - but you can't use the automated paying in machines and sometimes the non-NatWest paying in book confuses them.

Interesting; ours go through HSBC (40 sort code)

[Digga]

Manks said:

Perhaps we are just unlucky round here, but the local lot aren't so much as cautiously prudent, more a bunch of plodders.

Unfortunate. As you likely know, the branch network is expanding rapidly, so I guess a.) there's plenty of business for them and b.) plodders won't be on the management radar for a while.

O/T one sad fact our manager realtes is that although they are getting new clients, there are almost no new businesses or projects - it's all accounts being taken from other banks. The lack of new start-ups is a real worry and they do seem keen to have (viable) start ups too.

[Manks]

Digga said:

Unfortunate. As you likely know, the branch network is expanding rapidly, so I guess a.) there's plenty of business for them and b.) plodders won't be on the management radar for a while.

O/T one sad fact our manager realtes is that although they are getting new clients, there are almost no new businesses or projects - it's all accounts being taken from other banks. The lack of new start-ups is a real worry and they do seem keen to have (viable) start ups too.

Which smacks to me of them saying one thing and doing another. Something I have noticed about them before.

[Digga]

Manks said:

Digga said:

Unfortunate. As you likely know, the branch network is expanding rapidly, so I guess a.) there's plenty of business for them and b.) plodders won't be on the management radar for a while.

O/T one sad fact our manager realtes is that although they are getting new clients, there are almost no new businesses or projects - it's all accounts being taken from other banks. The lack of new start-ups is a real worry and they do seem keen to have (viable) start ups too.

Which smacks to me of them saying one thing and doing another. Something I have noticed about them before.

Or having a rogue territory?

[Manks]

Digga said:

Manks said:

Digga said:

Unfortunate. As you likely know, the branch network is expanding rapidly, so I guess a.) there's plenty of business for them and b.) plodders won't be on the management radar for a while.

O/T one sad fact our manager realtes is that although they are getting new clients, there are almost no new businesses or projects - it's all accounts being taken from other banks. The lack of new start-ups is a real worry and they do seem keen to have (viable) start ups too.

Which smacks to me of them saying one thing and doing another. Something I have noticed about them before.

Or having a rogue territory?

Not sure I understand you. The point I was making is that banks in general, and I think HB is probably worse than a lot, are often guilty of saying things lik, "Oh we'd love to have more start-ups on the books, but they just aren't coming through the door". When what they actually mean is that they are locking the door and turning off the lights when thet see them coming.

[marshalla]

Just had a little chat with my local branch. They don't seem very keen on taking on any business that has shown a loss at any time in the last 5 years. We've had a couple of bad years and, even though we've been profitable for the 9 years before that & are on target for a healthy profit this year and have never had a loans or overdraft (yeah, I know - that makes us lousy customers anyway) - they're not sure they can offer us an account.

[3Dee]

marshalla said:

Just had a little chat with my local branch. They don't seem very keen on taking on any business that has shown a loss at any time in the last 5 years. We've had a couple of bad years and, even though we've been profitable for the 9 years before that & are on target for a healthy profit this year and have never had a loans or overdraft (yeah, I know - that makes us lousy customers anyway) - they're not sure they can offer us an account.

That sucks for a small company, especially in these days!

I am not saying that they should still look at obviously failing concerns, but we all know that many will have had a negative blip due to the Banks and Govt screw up of the economy, or even not wishing to show a profit (if you get my drift). One or even 2 years of zero or small neg profit in this case should not be seen as a not-so-good bet, unless there are other indictators that collectively make up a less-than-stable picture. I would be very wary of any so-called financial expert making assessment on the validity of a business purely on one or two years profit alone, cos he obviously doesn't know anything about accounts or business!

[Ali2202]

Disappointing -

Just called the Glasgow contact. On corporate, minimum turnover is £2M p.a so my £1.75M is a 'no'....and neither were they interested in the £x hundred K sat in our deposit a/c.

Must be nice to be them!

Edited by Ali2202 on Wednesday 10th October 12:26

[Davel]

I've found the Liverpool Branch nothing other than helpful.

[Digga]

Davel said:

I've found the Liverpool Branch nothing other than helpful.

As I've tried to convey, given the way they are growing, in terms of branches and new (stolen) customers, I think it is not entirely impossible to see how different areas might have their own individual quirks and also how, almost out of neccessity, they're being ultra-picky.

You have a good relationship with your branch and we have good links to teh two branches our businesses deal with, but I can see there may be variations.