Visiting your local bank branch to pay in a cheque is almost a thing of the past. Thanks to phone and online banking, we can now do most of our transactions at the touch of a button. But this isn’t free from problems…
Only last week NatWest was hit by a cyber-attack, leaving many of its customers unable to access their online accounts. The attack was the bank’s fourth online glitch in 18 months. And one of those glitches, which affected all of RBS and NatWest’s systems for three hours, happened on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
Banks put you on hold
In many cases, technology can be more of a hindrance than a help.
Take phone banking as an example. The reliance on automated phone services and call centres on the other side of the world has often come at the cost of technical glitches and a poorer quality of service.
Do you get frustrated by not being able to speak with a person at the end of the line, being put on hold for hours, having to leave a message, or even worse, being cut off mid-call?
Or, if you do manage to get through, do you end up having a frustrating conversation with someone who struggles to understand your query, or do you simply get passed from one person to the next? And that’s even before you receive a huge phone bill due to your bank’s high rate phone number.
Technical bank glitches
Going online can be even worse, with the potential for system crashes, security breaches, or having to wait indefinitely for a response to your email.
Even for those who prefer to do their banking in person, there’s still the lengthy process of form filling, queuing in branch or having to travel to the next town because your local bank has closed down.
So, how do you do your banking? Do you find it easy to contact your bank and get the info you need? Which services leave a lot to be desired?
How do you like to do your banking? (multiple choice)
The bank's website (not live chat) (41%, 668 Votes)
In branch (31%, 509 Votes)
Phone (11%, 185 Votes)
Email (6%, 95 Votes)
Mobile App (5%, 75 Votes)
Letter (4%, 60 Votes)
Live online chat (2%, 29 Votes)
Other - tell us in the comments (1%, 16 Votes)
Social media (0%, 2 Votes)
Total Voters: 1,001
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