Maybe I expect too much? Perhaps I’m being a bit too picky? Or could it be that the standard of customer service in this country has slipped dramatically over recent years? I’ve never had much luck with banks – so far I’ve opened (and closed!) accounts with Barclays; The Woolwich; The Royal Bank of Scotland; and The Halifax (all for different reasons). As I say, I’ve never had much luck with banks… that is, until I discovered the HSBC. With their wide range of services and their ability to treat customers as individuals and not as a statistic; the HSBC has not only managed to accommodate all of my financial needs, but it has excelled in doing so. Therefore, I wish to offer this review as an account of my experiences so far with the HSBC – highlighting mainly the services that I have personally used over the last few years.

The branch that I chose to use upon joining the HSBC was the largest branch in Manchester – situated in a Grade listed building at the top end of King Street – and although I have visited a number of other branches within the city; this has so far been the most impressive. Like any other bank, it has the usual line of ATMs; a fast deposit machine (for when you can’t be bothered to queue!); and a row of teller windows – however, unlike many other banks that I have used, this branch also houses a computer share-dealing terminal; a basement safety deposit area that you can enter; private rooms for discussing every aspect of your financial needs… all surrounding a stylish central reception and comfortable seated waiting area. From the moment I entered the building and approached the reception, I was treated with the utmost respect from the friendliest and most helpful staff that I have ever encountered within the banking industry. I was kindly asked to take a seat, and within minutes someone approached and whisked me off to a private room to discuss my requirements – I was even offered refreshments!!!

I now have two separate current accounts with the HSBC – one that is solely mine; the other being a joint account for bill payments, etc. From what I can remember, both accounts were easily opened with very little fuss. The lady that dealt with my enquiry started off with a brief chat; then after taking some details and looking at my identification, she proceeded to inform me that I now had a £250 overdraft facility (which has now been increased to a suitable level); a cheque guarantee card; and a shiny new HSBC Mastercard. I now receive monthly statements from the bank and an extremely detailed yearly summary of all my finances. After three years of banking I have had no problems whatsoever with either of my current accounts – they even reverse any charges without any need for me to throw a tantrum; which to tell the truth, does take a bit of the fun out of banking!!!

I can only imagine that the HSBC credit card is much the same as any other – except that there doesn’t appear to be any bonus award scheme for using it. When I first started using the credit card, there was a sort of points system, where you accumulated points for every pound spent – however, by the time I was reaching my first one thousand points, the scheme came to an end and nothing has replaced it. I never did cash in the points as I had no idea what they were for or what they could be used against! Aside from that, I have been very satisfied with the credit card – my limit gets raised on a regular basis without any request being made; which is always preferable to begging companies for a higher limit! I am aware that the HSBC offers three types of credit card – regular; Gold; and Platinum (depending upon the type of customer you are!). My card is just the basic card – I have no idea as to the annual interest that I pay (otherwise I would have quoted it); but it serves its purpose and sustains my need for retail therapy!.

This is a service which is offered to those customers who have the HSBC credit card. Basically, for a small annual fee (approximately £10) you can insure all of your account, credit, and store cards against loss and theft. I have taken advantage of the service twice over the last three years and must say that it was worth every penny. Upon losing your wallet/purse, one phone call will have all of your cards cancelled and replacements issued – the staff at ‘CardGuard’ contact all the other companies on your behalf and I have always found their service skills and customer relations as second to none.

I’ve taken out two personal loans with the HSBC – the first for just a couple of thousand; then a second loan for a greater amount, to consolidate the first loan and some credit cards. Both times I decided to visit my branch as a means of applying (although this can also be done by telephone) – and both times the process was completely painless and hassle-free. There was no need to fill out any complicated forms as my details were already stored on their system – all I had to do was tell them how much and an agreement was printed out right there and then. After signing the forms, it wasn’t long before the money was safely in my account and I was back on Market Street indulging in another therapy session! I have been offered a number of loans through other companies (usually by mail-shot), and on comparison it would appear that the HSBC rates of interest are more often than not rather competitive – although I feel that I would have used HSBC regardless out of loyalty and simplicity alone.

This is the account that I opened most recently; and although there is very little in there at the moment, this is where all of my Ciao! pennies will be going! I opened my savings account over the phone (!) and after a brief discussion pertaining to my needs, I was given two main options – the ‘Instant Access’ or ‘High Interest’ account. I opted for the High Interest Savings Account as you are required to give sixty days notice on withdrawals in exchange for a higher rate of interest – the fact that I need to give notice (or face a penalty!) is useful in preventing me from spending it all on a whim! The best thing about the savings accounts was that there was no minimum balance required for opening it – I could have started the account with 1p if I’d felt so inclined (I didn’t!).

So far I have taken advantage of the HSBC’s home and travel insurance services. The travel insurance I used for the first time last year on my holiday to Feurteventura; and from what I can remember it was very well priced when compared to the travel agents (which are always extortionate!) and even the Post Office. With regards to the home insurance, I’ve been using that for the last three years – initially I had only my contents insured; then my contents and my partners watch (!); and now that we’ve bought our own property, it has been extended to cover building insurance. Now I won’t claim to know anything about insurance, I used the service initially because the bank seemed so professional and I was impressed by the customer service – the premium seemed to be cheap enough, so I just went ahead and took out the insurance. I didn’t bother to shop around as I prefer to stay loyal to one company for as long as they treat me right – which so far, the HSBC has done just that. In fact, the only reason that I didn’t get my motor vehicle insurance through the HSBC is because it came free when I purchased the car – otherwise I am sure that I would be using the HSBC for that as well.

This is one of my favourite factors and also one of the main reasons that I have stuck with the HSBC. There are several ways to manage your accounts, including…

Personally, for the majority of the time I use the internet banking service – it is really easy to navigate and I have never had any problems loading the pages or executing my commands. Upon activating my current account, I was automatically registered for internet banking and was even given a brief tutorial within my local branch. Through the internet, I can now pay bills; monitor all of my accounts, loans and credit cards; transfer money; and even buy shares!!! Initially, I experienced a couple of problems whilst trying to pay bills online – by typing submitting an incorrect account number for my creditor (!) – but just one phone call to the HSBC customer services line and my money was soon recovered by their efficient staff and sent to its correct destination. More recently, the online banking facility has entered the realm of ‘real-time’ – meaning that transactions made before eight o’clock in the evening are updated as they occur as opposed to waiting until the following day for money to be transferred, etc.

The HSBC offers a wide range of services that I have never used and actually have no use for – including mortgages; lifecare; health insurance; services for charities and societies; and setting up your own business. As I haven’t actually used any of these services, it wouldn’t really be appropriate for me to comment upon them – however, if you would like further details you can get these from a number of different sources…