First Direct has been voted the best bank for customer service in a new survey by the Money Saving Expert website. But ironically, HSBC (its parent company) was ranked the worst.
More than 8,000 users of Martin Lewis’s Money Saving Expert website took part in the survey, which is conducted bi-annually. Once again, First Direct topped the poll with 91% of the customers who voted rating its service as “great”. Only 6% said it was “OK” and just 3% described the service as “poor”.
Nationwide came second with a 79% “great” score, with the Co-operative Bank and its Smile online brand in third place with 72%. Santander and TSB were just behind, each scoring 71%.
But in last place was HSBC, which took over ownership of First Direct in 1992. HSBC was ranked as the “worst” current account provider, coming 13th out of 13, with only 38% of those who voted rating its service as “great”. Of the remainder, 44% said the service was “OK”, while 18% called it “poor”.
First Direct also came joint top in the most recent survey of bank customer satisfaction carried out by consumer body Which?, achieving an 82% satisfaction rating.
Guy Anker, managing editor of Money Saving Expert, said: “Our index shows once again the strength of First Direct’s service. However, the bottom of the pile is dominated by many high-street banks. This should be seen as a stark warning that they risk losing customers if they don’t raise their game.”
“Anyone unhappy with the service they are getting from their bank needs to ditch it, especially as some of the best deals are from banks with good service."