Lloyds TSB - how do you find their business banking service?

[Olemorris]

Over 12 years with Lloyds as my business bankers I have had continuing poor services, botched service, left-hand-not-knowing-what-right-hand-is-doing service, countless business managers (the last one managed a whole 3 months), mistakes, and all the usual frustrations of being left holding a phone while they try to get the right person almost every time I call. Anyone else experienced similar things, or am I just unlucky .....

[dongle]

been with them for over 12 months business banking and never had a problem

[steveroberts]

We bank with lloyds and they have been first class. One thing I do agree with, though, is the annoyance when they change their business bankers...all that good will you build up with them disappears over night; maybe in the present climate there will be fewer promotions so they'll be around a bit longer:)

I once went to a presentation by the lady who started coffee republic. She made the point that, when dealing with the banks you're actually dealing with an individual in that bank rather than the bank themsleves (hoping I'm making sense!). Can you ask for a change in business manager if your relationship with them is strained?

[foxydon]

dont know about tsb but never never use bank of scotland. have spent all day with no luck trying to sort a error on there part out. only one branch in shefiield were i can go and actually sort out account enquires and there only open mon to fri 9-5. not very good for me with a new businesses to run and currently working 56 hour a week. and trying to get the branch number is impossible

avoid at all costs

[Raggy]

I bank with Lloyds. They're okay but we don't ask a lot of them. My main gripe is that they don't seem to understand foreign currency. If I want to pay someone in $ or € they struggle to find the correct forms. I only found out who my Business manager was by accident the other day. There does seem to be a different one each time I phone (which to be fair is probably about 3 times a year). I sort of assumed all banks were much the same.

[MNS MIKE]

I would advise you switch to HSBC.

We moved to them from Natwest and their service is brilliant! Not only are there a few business managers on hand (all eager to get to know the individual and business) you can easily contact them - if at any time you cant, leave a message and they call you back within minutes. Foreign currency no problem, we deal a lot with that. You are able to pop in to the town centre branch, help yourself to free tea/coffee and free meeting rooms are available

[Olemorris]

ta for all your replies. i am currently waiting for Lloyds TSB to sort out a foreign currency issue - still not responded after a week - apart from an auto-response style letter to say they will respond within 8 weeks - how helpful and reassuring is that!!

[Olemorris]

BTW Raggy, they once returned an American check to me because it was "out of date". The actuality was that because it was an American, writing an American check, they used the US date format. Whoever was dealing with cheques in the foreign department really ought to have known that.

[DavidRa]

BTW Raggy, they once returned an American check to me because it was "out of date". The actuality was that because it was an American, writing an American check, they used the US date format. Whoever was dealing with cheques in the foreign department really ought to have known that.

Yes they quote the month first then the date hence 9/11.

[jencel]

I don't know the size of your business, but Abbey and Alliance & Leicester both do free business banking for small businesses. It's free up to certain limits of paying in cash and cheques, but the limits are quite generous.

 

Celia