Got to be Smile or First Direct. They both consistently top the tables for banking and customer satisfaction.

wish i could say the same martin!

I've been with Nationwide for a long time, and I have to say their customer service has been fantastic. I even phone up my actual branch and speak to people if I need to. Very good, all English, and extremely effective.

I`m with HSBC and although I get good service I`m fed up with talking to someone in India who can`t or won`t help me with a problem, do you know that I cant even speak to someone at my bank in the uk at any time at all!!!!!!.....that`s unless I drive 30 miles and actually go into the bank.

Its not good enough.

LloydsTSB for me. Do 99% of my banking online and deal with the local branch for the odd transaction that can not be done online.

Happy with the service I get, just not sure if they are the best bank in respect of what you get back from them.

Abbey speak English but it's a pain when all I want is to talk to my branch and the call centre insist on giving me the party line

personally I recommend First Direct, been with them for over ten years, no complaints and their call centre employees all appear to be UK based.

for work we use HBOS or bank of scotland, again no complaints.

All our a/c's are web/phone based and we never go to a high st branch.

fwiw, I recco the Halifax, as you get a call centre either in Ireland, or 'oop norf'.
Only had a couple of issues, both minor and easily sorted over the phone 4 years ago:)

I'm with Nationwide and Natwest (s'funny as I have no money).

Anyway, Nationwide's online facility is top notch. I've been with them 6 years and to be fair they've been good. The only small issue I've found occasionally is finding a branch if you're not in a city. I do most of my banking online anyway, or at an ATM. I only go in to pay cheques.

As for Natwest, their online banking is very average. Not a patch on Nationwide. They do have UK call centres though and they have branches everywhere.

It was HSBC I have been having problems with, hence this post. Twice now I have requested some information be sent to me, and twice they have sent the wrong stuff which has now got me into trouble with the IR as I have not been able to supply the information they requested in a timely manner. This is not the first time either.

It really is simple stuff but they just can't get it right.

I always get the impression that they are reading from a script and when you go off script their language skills can't cope.

Thanks for all your advice. Nationwide seem to be recomended. I will give them a try.