Swings and Roundabouts (Cahoot)

Member Name: fliptwist

Product:	Cahoot
Date:	01/04/03 (115 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: good interest rates, efficient when it works

Disadvantages: poor customer service

You know the NatWest adverts, where customers 'enthuse' about how their bank has cut their service levels 'in order to provide a better service'? Every time I see or hear these, I think of my experiences with Cahoot.

The thing with Cahoot is, I don't think it's fundamentally a bad product. I like the convenience of their online banking, their interest rates are good and when it works it's a well-executed service.

When it works. And herein lies the problem, because they really do seem to have cut costs right down to the bone on customer service, so when there's a problem and you actually need to speak to someone, it becomes incredibly frustrating and tedious. You can email them, but if you want an immediate reply this is obviously not much use, and if your query is longer than 500 characters (why?) then tough - that's their self-imposed limit. When you do get a reply, don't expect to be able to reply back - for 'security reasons' they can't discuss your account over email. You get the picture?

All of this is not to say I don't rate the product. I realise that to provide the competitive rates that they do, they have to claw back costs somewhere else... and it would seem they manage this by providing minimal customer service. Sure, they mess up (it may be an internet bank but its still run by us fallable humans, just like every other bank), but if you need their help to sort out the mess... well, good luck!

Summary: