Cry Freedom! - Escape from Barclays Bank Plc

Yes so I have finally escaped the dreaded Barclays Bank Plc, after many years of being a loyal(I would loyal to the part of fucking poverty and not to mention stupidity) I have finally walked away from them.

**Barclays, a bank staffed by Mark Benton wannabe's but without the inteligence, the humour or even the looks of that comedian. Barclays are shit.

A routine call to one of their callcentres on Wednesday morning got me through to some woman who could only be described in two words which are condescending and demeaning. After a quick chat with her - when I could get a word in that is - I decided that this was the straw that broke this particular camels back. Well having had a fairly shit week and it only being Wednesday I had decided that enough was enough.

After hanging up on this woman I quickly called back to cancel all the assorted direct debits and such like. Then a quick call to a rival bank- not saying which one but the clue is that they make a big thing of having their call centres in the UK - and I was in business.

Later a quick visit to that bank and a chat to some rather helpful woman in that bank- Barclays could learn a few tips on customer service from her to be fair - then a quick chat and a flash of the passport and some other paperwork just so that they know who I am and its all done. I have to say that over the last few years I can not ever remember using the words "rather helpful" with regards to Barclays staff, maybe they need some more customer training?

Now having had a chat with my better half, she has also decided that a quick kick in the nuts shall be aimed at Barclays and shall be closing her account with that bank in the next few days. So miss condescending and demeaning was winning the argument so bloody clever now? Yes you have cost your company two customers now. One of which is going to make damn sure a few other people he knows also give Barclays bank a fiscal kick in the knackers by advising them to close their accounts as well. Here is an idea if you want to be a fucking smart ass bitch and prove a point to a customer in a condescending and demeaning way do it on your own time, win as many arguments as you can then but in company time I would advise you button it love. Oh an yeah I reported it today to the bank, so yeah when they audit your call from me on Wednesday at about 08.45am, I am sure they will be really impressed that you cost them two customers love.

Now some other reasons why I decided to jack Barclays bank.

• 1.Unhelpful agents - have been given poor advise/incorrect advise on many many occasions. Oh and of course getting cut off, passed to wrong departments, not advised on correct products and offered non needed goods and services.
  
• 2.Indian call centres - also a poor standard of the Queens English as spoken by them.
• 3. Hours and I do mean hours stuck on hold being transferred and the like .
• 4.Non return of calls.
• 5.Unable to action any complaint after 5pm on Friday until Monday morning and then they don't call you back.(see point 4 above)
• 6.No one person in charge of a complaint - See point 1 and also point 7.
  
• 7. No apparent interaction between departments - the phrase about the left hand not knowing what the right is up to was thought up for this bank.
• 8.Not enough branch staff. Seriously you pop in for a query and you have either the choice of joining the snake like line of unhappy people working its not so merry way to the counter or sitting for an hour or so to see someone who will either give you a number to call(point 3) or not resolve the query (point 1)
• 9. No use of the word sorry. Now this is a biggie as far as I am concerned, should you mess up a direct debit, add a charge incorrectly or otherwise not action any request that I as a customer have asked to be done a simple sorry go's a long way to correct the situation. Trust me I have worked in customer services and laying on the Uncle Tom shit works a treat. A few lordy I is a mightily sorry massa boss comments can calm down ever the most irate customer. It is not an admission of some corporate liability, nor does it mean that I am blaming you as a member of staff -if anything your working for Barclays Bank Plc you have some sympathy from me. Yet it is a rare word to be heard whilst talking to staff either face to face(point 1) or on the phone(points 2 and 3), indeed its use should be far more common.
• 10. Excessive charges. Now come on guys and gals you make a mess, then charge me thirty notes to add insult to injury, then I get a "we shall remove it as a goodwill measure" comment and not even a sorry about causing the mess in the first place(yes back to point 9) -
• 11. Pointless bullshit letters - Why oh why? No just don't send them seriously. A do nothing, no information letter telling me that something is being actioned/looked into without any dates or other details is pointless. All it does is to annoy said customer. Only send a letter if a/things are going to be delayed b/you have a resolution c/you need some information from the customer.
• 12. Free pens in branches. No they are not free pens, they belong to me and every other customer who has ever paid a thirty pound charge. In fact I make a point of helping my self to the free pens, after all I have paid for boxes of the fuckers.
  

Well thats it, I am sure that the top ruling bodies at Barclays care not a fig about I a mere poor(thanks to their corporate greed) customer, but if like me you are annoyed with them, remember there are far better banks/building societies out there. Go and change, tell them that you like your money in your wallet not their coffers.

Some links etc...Lastly I am not the only unhappy person with regards to the ever wonderfull Barclays Bank Plc, as you can see from the links below.

http://www.blagger.com/db4/company_id/130/companyname/Barclays.html

http://www.litsl.com/miscellaneous/poor_customer_service/barclays_bank_barc_the_woolwich.html

http://www.ciao.co.uk/Barclays_Bank__Review_5133047

http://www.teneric.co.uk/forums/finance-forum/business-banking-complaints-4719.html

http://www.grumbletext.co.uk/vt.php?t=108

http://www.barclaystory.com/

Tags: Barclays Bank
Banking
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