This bank of Yorkshire Bank is one of the many banks in Rochdale town centre, it is located on…read moreYorkshire Street which actually is well suited to the bank due to the name of the bank and street being similar, hence is oddly satisfying and rolls off the tongue better than other banks nearby on Yorkshire Street such as HSBC. Open between Monday and Saturday 9:15 - 4:30 pm, the opening hours of this bank are the first thing which stands out to be, as they're very restrictive, with many other banks opening and closing later, with 9 am to 5:30 pm is much more common in larger cities and even other banks in the town of Rochdale. The bank its-self is slightly old fashioned and not too impressive in terms of technology with a lack of machines to do everyday banking such as paying in and withdrawing money, with a slightly larger emphasis on counter service, and on previous visits the service does slightly lack without too many members of staff on to greet and assist customers, sadly this is slightly typical of banks in small towns as well as the opening hours, but it is perhaps worse off at this particular branch of Yorkshire Bank. In a town with a large number of banks, with this particular branch being 2 stores away from Barclays and opposite Halifax and HSBC, with others including Santander and Natwest not too far away, I can't help but feel this bank has been left behind and isn't moving with the times, with mediocre technology, service and overall feel - I'm struggling here in determining a ranking as it does provide a Yorkshire Bank branch in a time where many are closing down (it is worth noting a new, modern branch under the name B Works did open a few weeks ago nearby in Manchester city centre), but still other than providing a much needed branch of a chain on a street which matches the banks name more than any other, I can't think of many other positives, and if I was a member of Yorkshire Bank, rather than going in hoping to use a cash machine and getting information on a savings account (once again service was poor), I sadly feel a one-star rating is warranted.

Although I don't bank with HSBC I do call in once a year to pick up our airshow tickets which they…read moresell on behalf of RAF Waddington, This is a great branch located on union street just past sainsburys on the corner. A really supurb looking branch from the outside and inside. The staff are efficent and really know what they are doing and are happy to help with any quiries. Last time I was in the member of staff I first dealt with didn't know about the airshow tickets but was very happy to go and find out and sort it out for me, she was very talkative and was interested to know about the airshow and although I had to wait a while I didn't get the feeling that I was being a pest.

A typical "local bank" in a small town would be a good description of Rochdale's branch of…read moreSantander on Yorkshire Street. Opening hours are probably amongst the best in the area, as expected it doesn't include Sunday's, they open at 9 am Monday to Saturday, except for Wednesday's where they open an hour later (Strangely most banks do this - I presume for training?), closing daily at 5 pm, of course, this is an hour earlier on Saturday's. Inside, it is quite basic, there are a few banking machines but this is one of the more old-fashioned stores in the Santander network, the staff are okay here, however. Another one of those bank branches which screams to me "I'm only here because I have to be here" with the confusing, long process of shutting down a bank in the UK, which takes months of surveying and government intervention. 2*

Barclays Bank in Middleton is quite a nice bank, albeit, it does look old-fashioned from the…read moreoutside due to the building it is in, and then as you walk into the Bank as they is a sort of corridor and a staff staircase, before entering the main shop floor, it is quite modern on the shop floor. Barclays bank are quite a large bank in the UK, and around the world, being founded 325 years ago and since then earning a place in the FTSE 100 index on the London Stock Exchange. Talking more about this branch, once you have braced the more old-fashioned parts, the actual shop floor is quite nice and has been refurbished in the past year or two, and is much nicer than it previously was when I last seemed to go in. The bank also has free wi-fi, without a long sign-up required, although I'm sure you still need to confirm you want to join and perhaps an email address, but it is quick to set-up and good signal too, and could be used next store or even while waiting for the bus at the bus stop opposite, which I found to be helpful for me, having used by 2048MB of data allowance while waiting for a bus, wanting to connect to wi-fi to browse Yelp. The staff here don't seem to stand out, but they seem okay and nicer than some other branches I have visited, but they were just average. This bank is quite a nice bank for a small town, albeit it isn't perfect it does deserve a solid 3 stars!

This branch of the Nationwide Building Society is Centrally located being across the road from one…read moreof the exits of the Mill Gate shopping centre. Although fairly small when you get inside it's bright, airy and light with seating for you should you be accompanying someone who has to queue. There are two service desks at the back which are generally both manned with staff (unlike the 'reception' style desk at the front) and although I've not been through to the back,there is what I assume to be private offices for personal and confidential meetings etc. The staff are smartly dressed, professional, polite and very efficient and they alone make it a pleasure to do business with them. I can't really Fault this branch, the premises is tidy and clean and new looking and the staff are great.

This branch has great staff that go out of their way to help you. Queues can be long on pension…read moredays though.