Natwest, having been with HSBC... well *I* liked it. (Natwest Bank)

Member Name: imagin8or

Product:	Natwest Bank
Date:	05/07/01 (123 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great customer service, onsite at uni, Switch card good for online stores

Disadvantages: They're not perfect

I originally had an HSBC account, my parents have Barclays, and my sister has LloydsTSB. So I have had some experience of different banks. My parents have torn their hair out with Barclays, so for me they're a nono. I have accompanied my sister in LloydsTSB a few times, and they were pretty average at customer service, as were HSBC. Natwest, however, seem to be a cut above the rest (except the Co-op who are similarly good) in that department.

I got a Natwest account when entering (Surrey) university as they have a branch onsite. This seems to be a policy for Natwest as many people I know at uni say the same. Of course, at the beginning of term everyone wants an account to put their student loan in, so that they can at least drink their way through the first week if nothing else. Natwest managed to do the intelligent thing and extended their open hours and added special out-of-hours times where applicants could finalise and set up their accounts which worked really well. They also had some side offices where you could talk to them in private, which was good as I know some people had need of an overdraught before they arrived!

I have personally had great customer service, as they always try to help, like bypassing the queue if all you want to do is put some money in, etc. They're not perfect, though, as my friend initially applied over the phone and they misspelled his name. When he asked them to correct it upon receiving the card and cheque book, they managed to get it wrong again in a different way. It was all sorted eventually though and neither of us has had problems since. The Natwest bank card is a Switch card, and most online stores take it in place of a credit card. You can get a credit card, which is a Mastercard, but I decided that maybe zeroing my account was bad enough without credit card debts too...

Happy saving. You know you need to. No, I think you'll find it's better to be in the *black*.

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