Take it or leave it I say.......

As I mentioned in a earlier post, we have really pushed the boat out next year and booked an all inclusive foreign holiday for us all next July.  So we now need to think about saving for it.

Today, hubby decided to go down to the high street to open a holiday savings account.  We printed off the application forms and both completed the required information.

First stop, Santander aka Abbey aka The Abbey National (now I'm giving my age away!) .  The sign on the door says open at 10am.  It's 10 to 10, so hubby decides to wait in the queue for it to open.  5 past 10 and it's still not open.  Suddenly someone appears and decides to open the door - no sorry for keeping you waiting or anything like that.  Hubby gets in the queue again to see a customer advisor.  At last he's seen but told that she can't help him and he needs to see another person.  So, he waits for this person to come onto the floor. 

He comes over and askes hubby what he can do for him, he explains that he would like open a savings account.  He asks hubby if has an appointment.  Hubby says no, and explains that he has completed all the relevant paperwork.  He tuts and says that he really needs to make an appointment for these sort of things and tells him that he'll have to sit down and wait and he'll see what he can do but he's very busy. 

My husband is a patient man but this really rattled his cage.  You'd think in this current financial climate any bank would welcome a customer with a wad of notes in their fist wouldn't you.  With this, hubby stands up and tells the young advisor that he has decided to take his money elsewhere and leaves to go across the road to the Nationwide aka used to be a building society but now dabbling in banking but still a small fish.

He goes in to the branch and is greeted by a huge smile and a hello, how can I help you today.  She was more then happy for him to complete the paperwork then and there, he made a deposit and left with his brand new savings book in hand. A statisfied customer.

It's the little things in life that make a difference isn't it.  It annoys me that the 'big boys' just assume you'll go to them and they are not prepared to make the effort.  Many moons ago when I worked in retail for a large department store it was drilled into us that 'Customer is King'...sadly it appears nowadays that this is no longer the case.

Have a great week.

Sue x x x x