About a month ago I decided that it was time to move banks. There was nothing really wrong about my previous bank but I felt that I was not really being taken care of. The account I was on was no longer providing me any benefits and the bank didn't care to do something about it.
I was tired of dealing with adequate customer service and not being able to get the information I needed quickly, so I looked at the market to see what else is there. Most banks in the UK have a reputation for poor customer service and complicated products. There was one that everyone was talking about, First Direct.
I always liked their communication and the black and white theme, so after careful thought I decided to try them out. They were so confident about offering the best service that they offer a new account bonus, and a "dissatisfaction bonus" if you leave in the first year.
The Communication
As soon as I signed up with them, a great trip started. Have a look through the gallery above and you will see that their communication is always helpful, well designed and clear. For the most part jargon has been removed and replaced with helpful guides, summaries and lists. They take great care in every document that they send out and everything is designed to fit their brand.
Every document, email and text message feels like it's personal and addresses your needs. On top of that, they don't do a lot of hard selling of a dozen other products or accounts.
The Experience
From day one, all they care about is the experience of the customer and satisfaction. Instead of cutting corners to decrease costs, it's obvious that they are focusing on keeping the customer happy. Whenever I called the call centre the phone was answered immediately by a real person (wow this is different for a UK bank). The product offering is created around the thinking that I should be able to do everything with ease, that's why they have an easy to use phone, internet, mobile, text and iPhone service.
Whenever I have interacted with them, I feel like I'm their top priority and that feels good. In a market that is known for overselling and not providing good customer service, First Direct is doing things differently. They care about their customers and provide a quality product. In comparison to other banks their account doesn't offer too much bonuses which are usually used to disguise poor quality.
What You Should Do
There are two things to take away from what First Direct does. First, they are not just a bank, they are a brand. Every communication, every interaction, every experience is designed around the brand values of clarity and customer satisfaction. They have not focused on adding travel insurance or breakdown cover in order to get you to buy, they have focused on what people care most about, being heard and having their problems solved. They have created a good quality product that addresses the customer needs.
Second, they are doing it for their customers. It's obvious from the level of service that what they care about is the customer. Yes they are also doing it for the money, but their focus is on customer service and satisfaction.
Have a look at what you do, are you doing it for your customers? At the end of the day, you should only care about your customers and making them happy. They are the ones that will buy from you, will support you and will make you popular. Decide on what your brand values are, communicate them consistently and clearly, and make your customers happy.
Posted from
Pinner, United Kingdom
