Is First Direct like the GiffGaff of banking?

[burble]

I just had a read through a leaflet that was enclosed with my statement that outlined a few changes to the terms and conditions.

As of May 8th you can pay in and withdraw at Post Office branches. Cheques will take an extra 24 hours to clear compared to paying in a cheque at an HSBC branch.

It won't make any difference to me but I thought others might be interested.

[pp05]

I rang them 4am once, someone picked up.

[Marcos]

Been with them since they started, about 20 years or so.

Customer service is as good as I've ever had from any company, ever, and they seem to have a knack of employing the right people for their call centres.

If you ever need a branch then just pop into your nearest HSBC.

And as burble said you can use the 0113 number.

Actually, that reminds me of what I like so much about them. While other companies will do everything they can to force you to use their 084x numbers, First Direct sent out leaflets to customers suggesting the 0113 number specifically so you could call them out of your minutes.

I admire that a lot :-o

[Parm]

I used to hate going into Lloyds TSB at the best of times. I'd lost count of the amount of time I'd wasted standing in queues, and I always found their customer service to be appalling. I put up with it for too long, but when they 'accidentally' closed my current account that was the last straw.

Switched to First Direct a couple of years ago and it has been excellent. I use my local HSBC when needed, but most of the time I just phone them up. Still takes me by surprise when they pick up straight away, and I always end up having a good chit chat with the rep. Service really is top-notch.

Only criticism would be that the First Direct website is a bit basic, which is quite surprising for an online bank. Would also like to see a Windows Phone app at some point.

[SQUIRREL42]

I like what I'm hearing about first direct. I wonder: would they have any trouble with our paying in international cheques? Any experiences would be appreciated, thanks: glad I found this discussion!

[TheAnimus]

Call them up and ask them. If they can't get an answer on the phone quickly for you, then you probably don't want to be with them.

However if you do a lot of international banking, I find HSBC to be utterly fantastic compared to anyone else I've used (Lloyds / Barclays). Their global premier thing is just great.

[suedenim]

First Direct customer and very happy. As to international cheques - phone them and ask. I had one from Canada and they sent it back as it would be quicker for me to post it to my bank in Canada and do a cash transfer back, or wait 6 wks for FD to do the same with their Canadian counterpart.

Ring them though as the source of the cheque might be important.