HSBC are crap

This is a ranty post so I apologise in advance about that, but if you can't rant on your own blog on the internet, then where on earth can you?!

I've been thinking HSBC have gone a bit, well, shit for the last few months but the last two dealings I've had with them just confirm my thoughts and perhaps I ought to put my money where my mouth is and actually move banks.

Today was a classic, one of the bosses at work is leaving shortly and I'd been asked to order their leaving gift on Amazon as I've got a prime account and get things next day, so they gave me the cash and I thought ooh I'll see what time my local branch shuts and nip after work (as I finished at 3). So ideally it'd go like this:

1. Look at HSBC Website for opening times of local Branch
2. Go to local branch and deposit money
3. ?????
4. Profit

Except you go to the HSBC website, there is no obvious section for "branches". All the sections where they want you to have their products are easily accessible and it's easy enough to log into internet banking but I can't deposit cash online and I want to go to my local branch damn it. Next step, search name of local branch on site " Sorry, we could not find any results for your search criteria.   " Oh ok, maybe I was too specific, lets try "Branch" instead 50 results to wade through, none of which, on the first page, seem to be relevant, so I cba looking at the rest.

Next step, let's do a random Google search for my branch, found a site that has all local HSBC's on it with their telephone number and opening hours. Fab. So when I drive there, I was somewhat pissed off to find out that my local branch has in fact closed down and my new local branch isn't actually local. Awesome. How about having something on your website? Putting a message on the Internet Banking page for me? Sending me a letter, oh wait no, I told them I don't want letters, which they ignore to send me loan and credit card applications I don't want. That's another good idea from them, I don't have any debt anymore, so obviously what I need is more fucking credit cards and loans, I mean it's not like there's a recession going on or anything right?

So anyway, not impressed with them but it's not just this occasion either. A few weeks ago I'd gone into a pharmacy to pay for a prescription when my card was rejected, not once but three times. Highly embarrassing as everyone looks at you like you are a shopaholic loser but ok not the end of the world just irritating. Then I start worrying, I'm going to London in 4 hours and what if I have no money, how am I supposed to stay for a weekend there with no cash? Why has my card been rejected, crap what if my card has been cloned and my account has been emptied, argh, better ring them.

So again ideally it'd go like this:

1. Ring HSBC/Log into Internet banking
2. Find out why card rejected
3. ????
4. Profit.

But no, no that'd be easy and wouldn't inconvenience their customers. What actually happened was I couldn't log into internet banking, I was on the phone for 20 minutes on hold. No messages to say why it's busy or that there is a problem. Whilst I'm on the phone I wonder if I've missed a message on their front page saying if there's any issues, no nothing there, how about do they have a corporate twitter account, yup they do but it's not been updated for a few days, maybe some UK news websites can help, nope. Eventually (after being fed up of spending money on hold as they don't have a local number you can ring) I hung up and hunted round some forums, I got confirmation that the same thing was happening to folks all over the UK.

HSBC, when shit like this happens, put a message on your website, seriously, you have Web Administrators that can do that kind of quite easily, talk to them and let them know so that your customers know what the fuck is going on. Also, if you insist on having a presence on social networks, use it to inform your customers, it's no use using it just to promote how great your accounts are when your customer service is shit.

I feel some kind of loyalty to them because I've had an account with them since I was born (and it was The Midland Bank and my mum used to work for them) but this year there've been the above two events that have inconvenienced me and loads of little others that I just don't have the energy to rant about as they are kind of trivial. My other half is with Lloyds TSB and in fact our joint account is with them too, and they are much better, their internet banking is amazing, I love how they break down your spending for you etc and they just seem a little more clued up about things than the ancient big machine that is HSBC. I should really just put my money where my mouth is and start transferring stuff over to Lloyds (and hopefully that will generate anther post of praise of how easy it is rather than another ranty post about another UK high street bank)

/rant

Another shoe post - Wedges

These are my newest pair of work shoes, I got them from (shh don't tell ... ) Sainsburys, they do them in this mushroom colour and also in black and they are super comfy. I've not tested them out stomping around London yet, I'm there next Friday so perhaps I should (although flats are always the way forward I'm learning when trekking around London!). They were a bargainous £20! 

Things I've bought this month that are fairly awesome (beauty related)

I've bought a few things this month that I can see being staples in my bathroom, usually I have nada loyalty to brands preferring to try new stuff, whatever is on offer or whatever catches my eye. There's generally no logic to how I choose a product, it depends on how cheap I'm feeling, how flush I'm feeling or if a review has influenced me!

1. Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector

This is a BB Cream, which allegedly is going to be all the rage. BB stands for blemish balm and although this could do with being a teensy bit lighter for me it provides really good coverage on my skin, it evens it out and provides enough cover that I feel made up without having a full face of make up on. It's nice and light and sinks into my skin without clogging my pores up. All in all, I like it a lot! It comes in light and medium (I bought light) and I think some of the premium brands have their own version but this is the only budget version I've seen. It was £9.99 from Superdrug.

2. Argan Secret Hair Elixer. I bought this from Sallys and if I remember rightly it was about £15.99. They also do a shampoo/conditioner and a hair cream. I bought the elixer as I figured it'd last ages as I'd only need a little bit. A little goes a long way with this, it smells absolutely divine and it makes my hair super shiny, very soft and just really healthy looking. It makes it very easy to straighten when I've used this (it's a heat protector too!) and if I use it when my hair is wet it lets it dry in ringlets without frizz so in my books it's a super product! 

3. Happy Hair Days Shampoo. These are about £4.99 each in Sainsburys, they tend to have them on buy one get one free so I stocked up when they had the offer on. I've tried the Rosemary and Mint one (which is a budget ringer for the aveda version) and this one which is Coconut and Marshmallow. The smell is gorgeous on both this and the rosemary/mint but even more importantly the shampoo/conditioner combo is lovely. It's really light and doesn't weigh my hair down at all, it appears to have no nasties in it and although I've not studied the ingredients much (which generally you need a degree in chemistry to understand fully anyway!) it hasn't irritate my scalp so it gets a thumbs up from me!