UK banking - 'free' current accounts but rather inefficient

[Mr $quandaŁot]

UK banks are one of the very few to offer 'free' every day banking. Unlike some of their European peers, many of them open on Saturdays.

However, when it comes to efficiency, most UK banks are at the bottom.

Let's say your debit card stops working. A new one will arrive in ten working days or so. You might then ask if you could have an ATM card. Again, it will take about ten working days.

Without being funny, I could get an ATM card straight away in Finland 30 years ago - yes, in 1985!

I was given the card and the pin in an envelope and I could activate it straight away. Can someone please explain why this isn't possible with most UK banks 30 years later?

[FlamingParrot]

Re: UK banking - 'free' current accounts but rather inefficient

I requested a new card from Citi over the phone, because I'd not used the account in years and my old one expired three years ago. The card arrived in three days! :clap2: That could well be because they are an American bank, in the US you could also get a temporary cashpoint (they also call them ATMs there) card in 85!

[leclerc]

Re: UK banking - 'free' current accounts but rather inefficient

UK banks are one of the very few to offer 'free' every day banking. Unlike some of their European peers, many of them open on Saturdays.

However, when it comes to efficiency, most UK banks are at the bottom.

Let's say your debit card stops working. A new one will arrive in ten working days or so. You might then ask if you could have an ATM card. Again, it will take about ten working days.

Without being funny, I could get an ATM card straight away in Finland 30 years ago - yes, in 1985!

I was given the card and the pin in an envelope and I could activate it straight away. Can someone please explain why this isn't possible with most UK banks 30 years later?

When banking was localised and I mean localised you had a lot of people working in your local branch who processed cheques and cheque books and plastic cards. Now, over time, with more of an emphasis on profit over customer service(yes I know that they say that they are customer orientated nowadays but they've conned us with Insurances that were worth nothing, and bank charges that are automated and reviews that are there so that the bank can sell you all their own products), it means that they centralised everything. Centralisation means that first of all someone has to electronically request something from a big large central location which is then going onto the privatised post office which in cost cutting will mean that they will cut out certain pick ups and/or deliveries. The request is processed and is then put into the envelope and then sent to the post office and then finally(after they send it second class post to reduce postal costs to the bank) it arrives at you. Remember, you're at work when the postie arrives cos they never arrive before work and then you might have to tell the bank you've got the card. If you've lost the card then the extra security is another pin and back we go to the merry go round of produce the pin, send it in the post and then receive it after work.

Ultimately, it takes longer with less people to simply produce it in branch

[Mr $quandaŁot]

Re: UK banking - 'free' current accounts but rather inefficient

I'm sure you can still get ATM cards straight away in most western countries.

Part of the problem could be that the Brits in general are not as demanding customers as, say, the Americans, hence put up with crappy service.

I think the younger generation complains more easily and tends to demand more. The older one - at least to some extent - still has this funny Victorian attitude that just it is and we can't do anything about it. As Obama said: "Yes, we can".