Holly Barclay / 19 July 2025 / Categories: Product and Brands, High Street Brands, People, Ordinary People

HSBC Premier Account Customer - the good, the bad and the ugly

If ever you have to go all the way into your closest HSBC branch sometimes now a day trip there are so few branches still open pray you get help from someone like Bhavika who I have been lucky enough to meet now on two visits to the HSBC bank when things have gone wrong with the app and I have been forced to go to my nearest open branch.

The good part of the whole nightmare when something just won’t work is you find someone like Bhavita, calm, competent and capable ready to help you sort things out. I cannot imagine a business having a better ambassador or member of staff assisting customers face to face probably already irate at the difficulty incurred when something goes wrong exacerbated by long on hold wait times if you can even get through to speak to someone, customer service advisors in far off lands replacing the friendly bank manager of old or tech, you have made the effort to get to grips with, enlisted the help of others that try as you might, even using various different smartphones to determine if the problem is a glitch linked to your specific device, operating system, version of software of just your smart phone model that simply will not work.

And upgraded security and steps we must all now jump through to verify identity using digital recognition software and multiple passwords too confusing for words in order to protect us from cyber crime a space that now is attributed to 70% of all crimes committed.

It makes me wonder if technology when it comes to our money is indeed a good thing and perhaps the human touch, like in my experience with Bhavita is actually way better.

I am a premier customer with HSBC so I was thinking maybe I have only received this level of help in branch because of this upgraded status and what level of customers service the other customers in the packed waiting area received. I did notice the customers being assisted around me, I could hear everyone’s conversations and I remember thinking it would be easy for anyone with an agenda to glean private login in details in that kind of open arena. I was careful to write my passwords down for Bhavita helping me and not share them aloud, not sure who might be listening. The people around me were not so cautious.

I have been with HSBC a long time and have a business account with the bank too so for me to change to a different bank at this point is unlikely but just because I am not leaving the bank it doesn’t make me happy the personal touch has completely disappeared from banking and how much more relaxed and comfortable I’d feel if I had a personal relationship with a bank manager like Bhavita I knew was on hand to help me all the time.

I do have her card now and personal business email which gives me some peace of mind should something else need resolution in the future. Let’s hope she doesn’t leave and I am left once again struggling with tech designed to make life smoother or long range customer service that feels like speaking between two soup cans linked by a piece of string.

I was talking to a friend the other day about how young people today are much more likely to be irresponsible with money than previous generations defaulting on loans and credit card payments and not valuing their relationship with their bank and it made me think about a relationship with your customer goes two ways in every business. When you keep the customer at arms length and don’t engage with them in real time and real life the customer doesn’t feel the same obligation and connection to value that same relationship and do the right thing by you as a business.

Every time I have tried to connect with a human for services like savings accounts, credit cards and business services I have been directed online where I have been assured all the information I need can be found.

It’s a shame banking has lost that and it’s not just HSBC why I don’t see any point in moving my business elsewhere.

My advice is try and make a connection with one member of staff at your bank so at least if you find yourself in a pickle you have a human insurance policy.