There continues to be an irony between my day job and the reality of the incongruent behaviours of businesses that profess to value their customers, customer service and customer experience. I preach evolution not revolution. I’m all for progress, evolution, and innovative measures to propel us forward that utilise the best technologies available, but only when it makes sense for the people and customers we serve.
Customer Service (CS) is the support you offer your customers—both before and after they buy and use your products or services—to help them have an easy and enjoyable experience with you. Providing customer service is essential if you want to retain customers and grow your business.
Customer Experience (CX) is not a product or something you can necessarily touch or feel. It is all the interactions customers have with your company at all stages of the customer journey. Whether it’s a call to customer service, observing an ad or something as simple as paying a bill, every exchange impacts how a customer perceives a business.
The HSBC branch in Port Talbot closed on July 11, 2023. HSBC published its impact analysis statement, Port Talbot Impact Analysis Report. In the report, they stated that they will continue to support their vulnerable and branch-reliant customers. My mother falls into the latter category. The same report provides many assurances for those customers reliant on cash services.
My mother is an 84-year-old warrior! Most days, she goes into town on the bus to shop and often visits neighbouring towns when she wants a change of scenery. My siblings and nephews always offer to take her shopping and offer to take her further afield. 99% of the time, she refuses their offers. My mother is a strong, independent, and proud Welsh woman. She is all too aware that she is getting older and wants to be on the move for as long as her body and mind permit her. She has a laptop she uses regularly to shop online with multiple brands, send and receive emails, check her bills, and surf around for whatever interests her. We have video calls, we converse with SMS messaging, and if I want her to know the details of something I find interesting or to show her something I’ve done – I will email her the link to the article or video. It’s important to her and me that anyone reading this understands that she can do most things she sets her mind to. Not so dissimilar to me. I am, after all, my mother’s daughter.
When her local HSBC branch closed, she was disappointed and resigned herself to the fact that she would have to travel to Neath, which is a ~ 40-minute bus journey + 30 minutes of walking to the bus stop and bank premises every week to carry out her banking requirements. She knows she can do telephone banking, but in her words, ‘I don’t want to talk to dead people.’ IVRs often misunderstand her strong Welsh accent; she ends up in loops and gets frustrated. It’s not too dissimilar to a lot of us. My mother understands the need for progress and is not a laggard. However, her experiences differ from the many statements of intent or promises in the above Impact Analysis Report. She has tried online banking with HSBC, and found the process cumbersome because she could not read the messages and input the digits within the time the application gave her.
My mother wanted to pay a bill for an item she had received. She doesn’t like debt, and as usual, she went by bus to her nearest branch in Neath to pay for it. The staff behind the counter informed my mother that they no longer handle cash and instructed her to use one of the self-service machines. Neath HSBC is now designated as the Digital Service Branch. The nearest cash service branch is in Swansea, with a 1hr+ bus and walking journey. She went to the machines and saw the message on each screen stating they were OUT OF ORDER. The Impact Reports state that their counter staff will provide guidance and support. This did NOT happen at any stage during the interaction. My mother returned to the counter, queued again and then informed the staff that all the self-service machines were out of order. She was dutifully informed that their processes would not permit my mother to pay her bill in cash and that they could only process it using her bank card. With no realistic alternatives, my mother handed over her bank card with the bill paperwork, and the payment was processed.
Shortly afterwards, my mother received a bill from the company from which she purchased her items, stating she had not paid her bill and they had added £1 interest. My mother returned to the Neath HSBC branch and informed them they had not paid her bill. They told her it was her problem because they don’t process payment of bills over the counter. My mother reminded them that, at the time, all their self-service machines were out of order. After a period of tutting and sighing from the staff, they checked their system and said they had indeed processed the bill payment.
My mother showed them the letter from Damart, which contradicted their statement. They showed her the screen. My mother put her glasses on and looked at the transaction. My mother pointed out that the last few digits differed from her receipt. Again, they told my mother that the computer screen showed that they had. The computer was the source of truth. My mother stood her ground and disputed it for well over an hour.
My mother maybe 84 years old, but she’s not senile or feeble! She’s very astute and on the ball regarding her money and bills. This toing and froing went on for weeks! The bank finally acknowledged it was a typo and assured her they would correct their mistake. It took over 3 months and accumulated an extra £3 in interest. Frustrated beyond belief, my mother went to the local Post Office and paid the bill AGAIN! She didn’t want to be in debt. The Post Office charged her £2.50 for the transaction. NB: HSBC has not followed up, not rectified the situation, and never apologised for the diabolical and disrespectful customer service they afforded my mother.
My mother walked out of HSBC determined to vote with her feet and went into Lloyds Bank to open a new bank account. She told me she spoke to a lovely lady at the counter, but when she looked at the self-service machines, she thought they looked complicated and didn’t want to ask the lady for help.
Her next stop was to go into Natwest. After all, their latest adverts on the TV claim they are not like other banks. They are not closing their branches and care about their customers. My mother explained that she wanted to open a new account. The lady handed my mother a laptop and told her to sit in the armchair in front of the window and fill in her details. My mother looked at the laptop. It was very different to the Chrome book she used at home. She was also mortified at the prospect of sitting in the main window view because she didn’t want to be a mannequin, with passers-by gawping at her, while she tried to figure out how to use the laptop. My mother explained that she couldn’t use a laptop and didn’t want to sit in front of the window like a mannequin. The lady told my mother, ‘Surely you know your own name and address.’ My mother walked out.
Just writing this makes my blood boil with rage!! Where is human decency, never mind customer service?
My mother has since joined Santander and even uses online banking. When she wants cash or a bank statement, she goes to her local Lloyds branch, where she assures me the staff are polite and respectful.
While closing high street banks may make business sense from a cost-saving perspective, it raises significant concerns about the impact on communities, particularly in rural and underserved areas. For many, especially older people and those without reliable internet access, or access to digital devices, physical bank branches provide a vital lifeline for accessing essential financial services and support. The closure of these branches could further exacerbate financial exclusion and widen the gap between those who are digitally literate and those who are not.
In response to these concerns, some banks have pledged to support affected communities by providing alternative banking options, such as mobile banking units or partnerships with local businesses to offer banking services. If this is the case, why don’t all the people who need these services know about them?
This type of progress promises greater convenience and efficiency for many, but it should also raise significant concerns about financial inclusion, community resilience, and the future of banking regulation. Who is checking to see if the promises made are being acted on? My mother is one of millions experiencing the imbalance between innovation and inclusivity. As we march towards progress, we are not supposed to leave anyone behind. Yet the stark reality is that no one is inspecting what they expected. In the process, the lack of customer care and the non-existence of giving a shit about the customer experience screams back at people like my mother.
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