Despite being an HSBC Customer for 30 years with a Mortgage with HSBC it still took 6 months to open a business bank account. Complete mess from start to finish. Local branch Canary Wharf failure to respond to account opening request made locally in branch and over email. Fobbed us off to another branch as "too busy". Great local branch manager in Stratford but arms tied. Complete various paper forms in person for multiple directors, return twice to branch to bring further information not requested before first meeting. Then radio silence. Had to chase branch for follow up. Finally an update / delay tactics by asking us to submit more information to branch. Account opening documents, cards, security cards sent late. First letter from bank wants welcome letter but an apology letter for not sending out the account terms and conditions. Most awful disjointed and lackadaisical customer experience. Finally get into bank account and the web app is the same old clunky unresponsive product HSBC have been hosting for the last 10 years. Main reason we opened withHSBC was for foreign exchange which you have to pay additional monthly charge for we only discovered after opening even though we mentioned to business manager it was the primary reason were opening. Doubt he even knew they had started charging for it. We opened an account with a Neo Bank competitor Starling - seamless onboarding, responsive customer centred team. App is modern and easy to use and offers continual new advances. For Foreign exchange we use Transferwise. When time is money for your business avoid HSBC as unnecessary time sink. Why trudge when you can sprint.
Reviewed on: 3rd January 2020
Seamless and responsive customer service from creating account to managing day to day queries.
5
It took 6 months to open a business bank account with HSBC, fobbed off by local branch CW as too busy so had to commute to remote branch in Stratford. This interview was followed by lazy and slow receipt of account opening documents, cards and welcome letters. Complete mess process and comms wise - a tragically poor customer experience from a veteran bank. For example first Letter from HSBC was not a welcome letter but an apology letter for not sending our account opening terms and an outdated and sluggish web app. They should fire who ever is in so called charges of the broken business banking service. With Starling bank our account was opened within a day, seamless responsive and proactive account opening team. We were able to set up and transfer day to day business banking using the app in no time. Hugely recommend. Exciting to see the new business app integrations they have.
Reviewed on: 3rd January 2020
