“Used to the best.. Now a joke.. Being forced to use their app over everything and forgetting what made them so good-excellent customer service. Been with them about 15 yrs.. I'm in the process of leaving I'm that dusgusted. And as for phoning for help.. A joke.. Avoid like the plague”
“After wasting nearly two hours over this last week trying to call First Direct, I finally got through late last night. I was on the phone for fifty minutes, being transferred to a number of different people with long sessions 'on hold' in between. Eventually I was told they could not resolve my problem and I would have to ring again tomorrow. I objected , pointing out that it was impossible for me to contact them as they never answered the phone, and that therefore they should ring me. I was then informed that a call back would take four weeks . What is going in here?”
“I have tried 4 times today 10 mins each call, this bank has gone from bringing the best to what now must be the worst customer service out there. I think it is now time to move on and certainly stop recommending them to anyone out there”
“After 3 previous attempts of ~15 mins each and not getting through, this morning got through after 10min...phew!
I was told more people being trained and should start to get back to normal in a months time. I have my fingers x'd as I've been a customer for >20 years. The online model only works if you can quickly speak to a person when needed whether in the UK or overseas.”
“I think it's simple. They used to be brilliant, independent of their parent, (HSBC) and soo much better. Recently they have become more and more like HSBC and that is not a good thing. I think I've had enough, time to move on.”
“Been a customer for 40 years now cannot get to my account for over a month. Because online banking will not recognise my username. App does not work. Now cannot pay my bills and there is no means of contacting the bank as they never answer the phone. Someone at the top has ruined the best bank in the UK. Now having to resort to legal action to obtain access to my money.
Someone at the top needs to be fired.”
“Been a customer for ages due to quality of service ..alas it's no more .. two bit bank with high levels of arrogance that it is now no longer worthy of .. really shame time to go they have gone from best to worse but still believe worth their salt .. in denial I'm leaving”
“First Direct now have a policy to keep customers waiting 45mins before answering.This has been introduced to bull clients into using its online services only”
“After enjoying a loyal 30 years of grade A1 top banking just horrified to experience the rank bottom customer service now offered by First Direct. Customers need to speak to people when problems arise. End of. Self destruction of the highest order. Some gigantic blunders at Board level. It may be too late to turn it around. I can see the demise already. And an absolute tragedy.”
“Scam victim late 2020. Refusing to refund all the money because "it was partly my fault". FD's service then was nothing short of shambolic; only 3 staff provided positive customer service. FD deals with account fraud, combined department (HSBC, FD AND M&S) card fraud. Then approved fraudulent loan. As it was online application, they didn't need to check with me as the supposed applicant. Really! Their online systems and employee vetting are "robust". Absolute rubbish!! Asked FOS to investigate. Waste of time, they sided with FD. Report states they located some of the money at their parent company but don't know how much and when it will be recovered. This is the 21st century FD. Your reputation is tarnished, stop living on previous glory. CEO's email address in public domain so another opportunity to voice your feelings. Now actively looking for new bank, to move when saver account matures. I've had enough....”
“FD has long ceased to be the excellent service it used to be/have. For a year now the telephone message will say "more phone calls than usual". Th banking app has many birthing problems. FD is now one of the shabbiest services in a telephone bank imaginable”
“For some reason the wait on the phone has gone through the roof in the past month. I tried several times this week, and waited close to 40 mins and had to give up. So I thought I would try during the England-Ukraine match, when few people could call, and it worked. After a 25 mins wait I heard the same friendly voice I am used to since 2001 (yes, I am a customer for 20 yrs), had excellent service who managed to reset my App in 2 mins. Very efficient and friendly as ever. Just the long wait was frustrating. They must be honest and transparent with their customers as to the reason for the long wait, and get it sorted asap.”
“Happy customer for 20 + years WHAT THE HELL HAS GONE WRONG!!
Hours on phone with constant frustration of rubbish messages as to why no one is answering the phone
Definitely time to change!!”
“Do not use this bank. You setup a telephone banking password and they ask you for it and you give them exactly what you setup and they say it's incorrect then they put you on hold for 20 minutes while they ask you every single question under the sky including what time you pooped in the morning and showered then it's still not good enough for them and they disable your app just because you called and didn't answer the questions they have the incorrect answers for. Avoid!!”
“I had to call First Direct Customer Service on Thursday evening and I was shocked at their poor customer service, as I rarely call them due to their app. The customer service has gone downhill, what a shame. I waited ages for someone to answer and when she answered she couldn’t help me with a simple request to pay someone I have paid previously. What’s’ happens or changed at 1st Direct? I always said you had the best customer service, but not anymore?”
“Utterly incompetent
Texted me saying they had tried to call me - spoilers! - they hadn't.
Finally got through to them after 4 attaempts (and being hung up on once) Only for them to try and argue with me that they had tried to call despite my phone never ringing and showing no missed calls.
Don't bother. They don't deserve your money”
