Customer Service Review: Natwest

This week, I took a trip down memory lane, and recalled a frustrating customer service experience I had with a bank during my University days…

My affair with NatWest began when I was accepted to university. I could have stayed with my long-time partner Barclays, who has been with me through the black, the red and back to black – but the lure of a student account with interest free overdraft and an under 25s rail card was just too much. I opened my student account and took my first daunting step into the student world.

For the first few months it was wonderful – I claimed my railcard with a third off rail fares and had a £500 pound overdraft (just in case), but our first argument was just around the corner. While attempting to pay for my weekly food shop, my shiny new debit card was declined. Confused and a little flustered, I asked them to try again – still nothing. Luckily, I found my trusty Barclaycard in the bottom of my purse as a thankful replacement. Once outside, I went to the cash machine to assess the situation – and the card didn’t work.

Once I arrived home, I rang the NatWest customer service line. When they picked up, apologies ensued and a new card was issues and sent on its way to me. In the meantime, I was introduced to online banking – a way to manage my account on the internet instead of having to go into the bank. This sounded very promising. After filling in my information, I was told my activation code was in the post to my address. When they say communication is the basis of any good relationship, they’re not wrong.

The honeymoon period resumed but was unfortunately short-lived. When proudly visiting NatWest with the intention of actually putting money into my account, I was told that my card had been cancelled. I believe it is only good manners to inform the other half of a termination of the relationship. The assistant showed me to the customer service desk to discuss what had happened. Apparently the decision was made to cancel my card, but no reason was given on the computer – the only option I was presented with for having the cancelation reversed was to call the customer service line, as in-person exchanges have evidently become obsolete.

It all sounds rather confusing doesn’t it? Well that’s how I felt too!

After a cup of tea, a slice of toast, and an inordinate length of time spent with the NatWest hold music, I was really starting to question this relationship. When a customer service assistant eventually picked up, I asked about my card and what could be done to address the situation in the hope of finding some answers. I heard the sound of typing and was then informed that my card had been reactivated, with a new one on its way – no explanation as to why this had happened in the first place or why the process had been so unnecessarily complicated and yielded so little.

The card arrived but, understandably, I neglected to use it. As for the online banking, it seems my house is too hard for my activation code to find, and the few attempts I have made in an attempt to resolve this have been met with statements like: ‘We have already sent your activation code’ or ‘you asked for one only last month and we can’t send out another until a certain time has passed’. With frustratingly flawed systems, clueless assistants and an unnaturally lengthy ‘please hold’ song, I’m declaring myself officially done with you, NatWest. Forgive me Barclays – I’ll never leave you again.

Oh, and I’m keeping the railcard.