I sympathise with you totally Rich. In Frodsham, 3 miles from us, the HSBC closed last August. As it is a market town until a few years ago it was the busiest branch of the HSBC network in the North West of England apparently. Last October NatWest closed and in February Barclays is closing leaving just TSB. The Halifax closed 3 years ago. By then we will have gone from 6 cash machines in the town (Natwest had 2) down to 1 in the TSB. Only problem is this machine is located inside the bank due to it being listed and a conservation area so can’t be on the outside. There is a Mickey Mouse cash machine that you have to pay to take your own money out so that doesn’t count or get used.
Even going 8 miles to Chester and the large Barclays only has one cashier who can do limited things and an array of machines that nobody wants to use and if they’re forced need to be assisted as they’re not straight forward.
With regards to getting out cash the Post Office isn’t geared up to it and often have to limit people because they don’t hold enough of the stuff.
I use internet banking a lot but over the last couple of years have encountered a number of issues tha5 neither that nor telephone banking can resolve.
I might sound like a Luddite or just an archetype Morgan owner (albeit ex) but feel there is a larger gap in their service levels than ever before.
Crickey and I thought we had it bad Roger that is very dramatic changes in a short time span, my banking needs are uncomplicated as a retired person.
I can't begin to imagine how difficult it must be for you that has a fair sized business to run and everything that entails.
Friends of ours have a fairly large engineering works and it's worrying him, ordinarily it's not a word in his vocabulary so you have my sympathy.
Far from being a Luddite you seem to be doing everything in the "modern way" it's just that the Banking system has yet to realise it has many shortfalls in it's downsizing exercise.
Ironically Customer service which I'm sure will be foremost in your business ethic is seemingly the last as far as the Bankers are concerned. In my view they are leaving a golden opportunity for a new type of banking service with no frills but totally customer focussed to emerge.
Interestingly no one on here has sung the praises of their branch.
