Lack of customer privacy and security - Personal experience review (HSBC)

Member Name: alimacb

Product:	HSBC
Date:	05/08/09 (87 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Sometimes have good rates on the savings accounts

Disadvantages: Poor customer service in some branches

Please be aware that this is a review of my personal experience within this one branch and is not a reflection on HSBC as a whole.

I ventured in to this branch of HSBC on a Monday afternoon. I have been saving up for a motorbike for some time now and eventually had the funds to buy one. First of all this was quite a journey for me as I don't live in the centre of Glasgow and there is only one branch of HSBC in the whole of Glasgow city which is remarkable and quite inconvenient.

I needed the money that day and I was aware that a money transfer would take some time to come through to my normal bank account therefore withdrawing the cash was the only option but with a large bank, I was confident that they could handle my enquiry discreetly.

I have been banking with them for about 2 years and have always found my previous local branch in North Yorkshire, where I first opened the account, to be helpful and friendly so I expected the same level of customer service from this branch.

I went into the branch and was approached by an assistant asking if they could help me. I tried to explain as quiet as possible that I would like to speak to someone in private about withdrawing a large amount of cash from my account. I was told that the cashiers desk was the only place I could withdraw cash and pointed in the direction of the desk. Not the most helpful advice I'd been given.

I went over to the desk and had a look about for a withdrawal slip as the bank was quite busy and I didn't fancy shouting through the perspex screen how much I wanted to withdraw. I was abruptly told that they couldn't give me a slip without photographic ID?? So my bank card isn't enough just to get a withdrawal slip?

I again tried to explain that I needed to speak to someone privately about my account and was asked 'what do you need to ask someone about', the clue is in the question PRIVATE, which also means I don't want to have to discuss this in front of a queue of people.

I was getting quite annoyed at this point and asked again if I could speak to someone about my account in PRIVATE. I was re-directed to the 'helpful' assistant at the door and told that she would be able to get me an advisor.

I went over and asked about discussing my account in private and was told that I would have to wait half an hour to see someone....getting extremely frustrated at this point I then told her I wanted to close my account to which I was told 'well you'll still have to wait half an hour for that too'. Charming.

I was directed to take a seat in a row of chairs that were facing into the wall, not very comfortable at all and felt somewhat like you were being put in the 'naughty corner' for asking to see someone on a personal basis about your own bank account.

I did eventually get to see someone, not in a private booth but on a little table within the main hall of the bank, again not very secure for the customer giving personal details. I eventually gave in and told the advisor how much I wanted to withdraw. She then told me that if I needed a withdrawal slip then she would need to know what the money was for.......??? Why, what on earth does it have to do with HSBC what I am spending MY hard earned cash on???

She trundled over to the cash desk and got a withdrawal slip which I promptly filled in. She then went over to the cash desk and openly discussed my details with the cashier in from of the remaining customers in the bank!!!

She did come back over with the cash in a conspicuously marked red and white HSBC envelope and handed it to me over the desk. By this time I was feeling very self conscious and promptly legged it out of the bank.

I completely fail to see the point in trying to discuss anything private in this bank. I was less than impressed the way this was handled especially as I had already discussed with the advisor the problem of walking out of a bank alone with a significant amount of cash in your bag after making sure everyone in the bank could hear how much I would be carrying.

They did offer at one point to do an instant transfer to my main bank account that would arrive within about 2 hours. This would have still left me with the same problem of then going to another bank to withdraw the cash but maybe my other bank would have handled the situation a bit better.

Summary: Extremely disappointing.