A seemingly soulless and robotic staff situated in one of the most vibrant and classic buildings of…read morethe town centre. What an unfortunate combination. Many decades ago (when I were a wee girl) it was the Frome Selwood Building Society. True local firm, with an understanding of the local market and a personal interest (or so it seemed at the time) in all of it's customers. In short, it cared about customers as individuals. Then followed the inevitable series of expansions, take-overs and buy-outs and now it's the local branch of the Stroud & Swindon, who's customer ethic leaves a lot to be desired (in my personal opinion of service there). Lost your pass-book? That'll cost ya. Want to close an account? That'll cost ya. Been a customer for over 30 years? Er, yeah That'll cost ya. It's not the system but the robotic, detatched way they deliver it that grates. It's as if assistants are taught to keep well clear of customer interaction in case they have to crack a smile once in a while - which I cannot believe is the general work ethos of such a large company! Sadly, not a building society I'd even bother opening a new account with now. I may have just been unlucky, of course, and got the 'Computer says No' impersonator!!

This is a credit union run by volunteers…read more It costs £3 to join and £1 opens your account. There are three branches - Parkstone, Bournemouth and Christchurch. Interest is paid at 1.5 percent per month, apr 19%. Yes folks! I am looking forward to doing some work with them from April as a budget coach - er no, not a bus! At present it is much safer to save money in Credit Unions as the base rate with banks is so low. Older people can benefit greatly as well as others on a low income.

If you've been a student, you'll know the fear and loathing felt when checking your bank statement…read more But this branch of Lloyds TSB has some of the most efficient and helpful staff I've ever met in a bank. They take the time to listen, offer great advise and don't go for 'the hard sell' when you loosely ask about opening a savings account. It genuinely seems that your needs come first - which makes a welcome change! This branch rarely has queues, which makes it a great place to pop in a cheque on your lunch hour. They also have in-store cash machines, deposit machines and a separate help-desk if you need some one-to-one advise. They also have trays of free Murray Mints on the desk which I think is sweet touch (see what I did there?)