The thing about banks is that they think that they are doing you a favour. However, year on year,…read moretheir customer service gets worse and worse. They seem less and less interested in speaking to you in person - with automated machines replacing real people. The layout of the bank is irritating to say the least. It used to work quite nicely, as all customers could move through to the back where the tellers are. These days there are annoying sweepers trying to stop you getting to the tellers and making you use a machine. Therefore, where all the machines are situated (at the front of the bank) there forms a series of large queues. These queues have to cross each other as there isn't enough room. Sometimes you can't even get in the door of the bank. I say, don't bother. Use an online bank, and if you need to go to an actual branch, use an out of town branch where there is still some level of customer service.

This is definitely my favourite HSBC to visit, because since recently they have installed all-new…read moremachines to do your cash deposits or cheque deposits on. They allow you to just pop your stack of cash in the hole, once you've scanned your card in and tapped in the transaction. It counts your cash, pops up the sum for confirmation and then immediately adds the money to your account. This is loads more convenient than the old system of writing up the transaction and enveloping it with your money etc then waiting for the cash to get into your account. And of course it's also quite nicely laid out since the refurbishment, in such a way that as soon as you walk in and look a little lost you are approached by an employee who then helps direct you to the right person. Altogether good location, good service, conveinent and easy - as banking should be.

I've had a payment stopped on a clubs and societies account and instructed to phone a number that…read moreis for fraud on business accounts. I tried to make a payment to a coach company but it was stopped by the bank as an unusual payment yet I have been booking and paying for coaches on a regular basis for over 2yrs, just not with this company. An instruction was given to call a number which turned out to be a fraud team. On the phone yesterday when I phoned this number the message told me the line is staffed on Saturday 9am to 5pm. However, when I phoned today the staff member dealing with me was unable to complete security which involved sending a code by email but the email didn't arrive and it seems there is an error in the email address the bank has for me. This has been my email address for many years and certainly since the account was opened with Yorkshire Bank. The staff member then tried to put me through to another team but they are not available until Monday. I do not have a debit card for this account and it's very inconvenient to be stopped from making this payment. It would have been much more helpful if the bank could have told me today why the payment to the coach company has been stopped.