Announced today that Australian Mutual, owners of Yorkshire Bank have announced that there are to be more branch closures in a cost-cutting exercise.

Eventually, every bank will have once branch in each city and none in the suburbs. I've often wondered to whom the Convenience Banking 'facility' in Yorkshire Bank is supposed to benefit, because it certainly isn't the customer.

For business banking, I use Broomhill. They closed Crookes and Walkley branches which used to be more convenient. Personally, I bank at Lloyds TSB, again, in Broomhill. I used to have the option of banking in Walkley, Crookes and Upperthorpe. All these branches closed.

Going back to the 1970s, I remember Midland Bank having branches in Fulwood Village, Ranmoor and on Commonside (now PA Jewellery).

It's clear that these banks, making record profits, aren't content to sit back on the money they're making out of you and me. They desire more and more. They care not one jot for you personally, just see you as a money making machine and it's just a shame we can't live without them.

Banks don't deserve our custom.

Anybody know of other local bank branches that they miss?

My first thought when I heard this was they might consider closing one of the branches in the city centre? There's one on Fargate and one at the end of The Moor (could be more but noticed them).

Do you reckon the one on Fargate does more business and therefore stays?

Yes, I reckon Fargate is Yorkshire Bank's main city centre branch. But! Our business manager has recently moved to Fargate from The Moor, so read into that what you wish.

I've banked with yorkshire bank all my life because my dad used to be a manager there. And I used to get preferential treatment {going straight to the managers office instead of waiting in queue, getting a free cup of tea etc..}
15 years ago the bank was great, it had local branches in every major district and you could turn up and pay cheques in and pay bills easy. There motto was Friendliness we built a bank on it, and they were a very friendly bank.

But when the Austrailians took over, they started shutting branches, and forcing the staff to make targets, this target culture made a big change to the bank staff, and caused a great deal of stress to the branch managers.
I used to use the heeley branch which was close to my work and I could nip out and pay things in, but when they shut that one, in the 1990s they forced me to transfer my account to the Moor branch, which was rediculous, you cannot park there very easily, and it would take 45 minutes to walk there and back from my work.
So I used abbeydale and woodseats branches, last year they shut abbeydale too! now I have to go to woodseats, and the queues there last for15 minutes sometimes. If anything it seems they want more branches not less.

If they shut woodseats, I think the only south sheffield branch left? then that's it I'm moving to another bank.

Originally posted by Ousetunes
Announced today that Australian Mutual, owners of Yorkshire Bank have announced that there are to be more branch closures in a cost-cutting exercise.

Eventually, every bank will have once branch in each city and none in the suburbs. I've often wondered to whom the Convenience Banking 'facility' in Yorkshire Bank is supposed to benefit, because it certainly isn't the customer.

For business banking, I use Broomhill. They closed Crookes and Walkley branches which used to be more convenient. Personally, I bank at Lloyds TSB, again, in Broomhill. I used to have the option of banking in Walkley, Crookes and Upperthorpe. All these branches closed.

Going back to the 1970s, I remember Midland Bank having branches in Fulwood Village, Ranmoor and on Commonside (now PA Jewellery).

It's clear that these banks, making record profits, aren't content to sit back on the money they're making out of you and me. They desire more and more. They care not one jot for you personally, just see you as a money making machine and it's just a shame we can't live without them.

Banks don't deserve our custom.

Anybody know of other local bank branches that they miss?

I have noticed that the amount of Alliance And Leicesters that have been closed is astronomical - there are very few left.

I think that there are quite a few HSBCs around - practically one in every area. Halifax and Barclays are few and far between (not in every area) as areCo-Operatives.

For LloydsTSB, I find there are reasonable amounts of them; when in Sheffield I have always used the Ecclesall Road one, opposite HSBC. I used the one in Hillsborough once. Pity there isn't one in Walkley.

Alex

When I've been in Sheffield, there have been loads of Y Banks - The one on Junction Road; that's the only one I can think of now!

Alex

Yes, I remember the little door to the Midland Bank down at Fulwood village.. although I didn't bank there (being a little girl at the time). I bank with them now (along with a few others) and I use either the Broomhill or Dore branches. IMO all Yorkshire Bank branches should close. I have worked for a couple of banks (never banked with any of them personnaly) and I have to say that YB were the worst for customer service .. and organisation to work for!

Im leaving Yorkshire bank at the end of the month- i find there service terrible and there on-line banking very bad indeed.

I am one of many people I know who have given up on banking in person as they are never open when I need them to be.

So i moved all my accounts to internet friendly banks and find this really convenient.

Now I know not everyone can do this and that some people like to keep the personal touch and deal with passbooks etc, but unfortunately this is the most costly way for banks to operate.

I think the future will bring less local regional banks, leaving just city centre ones and the internet.

sorry.

Originally posted by LoopyLou
I am one of many people I know who have given up on banking in person as they are never open when I need them to be.

So i moved all my accounts to internet friendly banks and find this really convenient.

Now I know not everyone can do this and that some people like to keep the personal touch and deal with passbooks etc, but unfortunately this is the most costly way for banks to operate.

I think the future will bring less local regional banks, leaving just city centre ones and the internet.

sorry.

I do believe that is true, however, you cannot feed a cheque into the CDRW that Auntie Maude gave you, and then it appears on the LloydsTSB website as added to your account.

I think banks will close along with the GPOs.

Alex

Very true Alex, and we all have an auntie maude of some desciption.

If I get a cheque, I sort of look at it for a while - and admire it's antique qualities and then pay it in through a LINK cash point over the counter at the post office.....

But I dont think the future of the post office is any more secure than local branch banks.

I suppose the closure of banks etc will track the reduction in use of cheques......

Through work I have to deal with most of the banks and I have found Yorkshire to be by far the worst. The queues are always massive and the efficiency of the staff virtually nil. I recently had to do a couple of international money transfer to a spanish account. Barclays carried out the transaction overnight, with Yorkshire it took 8 days.

From my dealing, Barlcays are by far the best I have come across for business banking whilst for personal I would really recommend First Direct. I have now been with them for over 11 years, the staff are friendly on the phone, if ever I have had any problems they have been resolved instantly with staff who are able to make decisions and you can use any HSBC branch if you need to go into a branch (although the queue at Hillsborough branch can sometimes reach the door!).

I feel sorry for the people loosing their jobs. Banks are for money over people every time; staff and customers alike.

I find it really difficult to get to a bank these days. I have cheques sat on the shelf waiting to be paid in. I have cash in an evelope waiting to pay a bill...:mad:

Wish they did 'drive thru' banks, like the fast food places :hihi:

Originally posted by muddycoffee
If they shut woodseats, I think the only south sheffield branch left? then that's it I'm moving to another bank.

I will be gutted if they shut woodseats....otherwise it will be a run into town to pay in my ebay cheques...!!



:rant:

Originally posted by LoopyLou
Very true Alex, and we all have an auntie maude of some desciption.

If I get a cheque, I sort of look at it for a while - and admire it's antique qualities and then pay it in through a LINK cash point over the counter at the post office.....

But I dont think the future of the post office is any more secure than local branch banks.

I suppose the closure of banks etc will track the reduction in use of cheques......


Alternatively, you (well, I can with LloydsTSB) pay cheques in via the hole-in-the-wall; I usually do this if the queue is astronomically long at Lewisham (the branch I mainly visit).

Alex

Originally posted by Hels

Wish they did 'drive thru' banks, like the fast food places :hihi:

Barclays tried it, but it didn't work out.

You know you can post cheques to the bank - if you only have cheques to pay in you may as well do that to save time/effort/petrol.