No idea what’s happened to First Direct. They used to answer immediately. I’ve now waited 4x15 mins this week (before hanging up). 5th time I got through in 18 mins and they passed me to second line support which I had to give up on after 40 mins in total.
Useless.
I got this email today:
I’m getting in touch today to let you know what’s been happening at first direct.
If you’ve tried to call us recently, you may have noticed our call wait times have been longer than what you’d usually expect. I’d like to offer my sincere apologies if you’ve not received the level of service you would normally expect from first direct.
I know how frustrating it is when you need to speak to us and can’t get through straight away, and I really appreciate how understanding you have been once you do get to speak to us.
What’s happened at first direct?
Over the course of last year, we saw a change in customer behaviour, with more people using our digital services and the volume of calls coming into first direct falling. In fact, over half of our customers didn’t call us at all in the second half of the year.
But more recently we’ve seen the number of calls steadily increasing. This has created additional pressure on our team and we’ve seen call wait times start to increase.
What we’re doing to put it right
first direct has offered customers human to human telephone customer service since 1989. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. In the last 12 months, we’ve not reduced the number of people in our call centres. In fact, this year we’ve been hiring and training more people to meet demand as fast as we can, but as I’m sure you can appreciate this isn’t a quick fix to the current call wait times.
However, right now we’re getting as many people as we can to focus on answering your calls. This is my number one priority.
What you can do to help
If you are able to use first direct’s digital services, it would help us to focus on our most vulnerable customers who rely solely on the telephone to do their banking with us.
In the last few years, we’ve been rapidly introducing new features into our Mobile App and Online Banking, with lots of your everyday banking needs now able to be done quickly and securely online or using the app. It’s easy to check your transactions, make payments, move money, change your address, or even freeze or unfreeze your card online.
If you would like to know more about these features and how to use them, we have some helpful articles and video guides that may be able to help.
Thank you
Finally, I’d like to say thank you for being a first direct customer, and for your continued support and patience while we work to bring you the best service we can.
Yours sincerely,
Chris Pitt
CEO first direct
Thanks for sharing that.
I find it hard to believe that a dramatic increase in customer demand and no reduction in staffing is to blame. But hey ho.
You’re right, it makes no sense. “We haven’t reduced the number of staff in our call centres, but the number of calls went down and then went up, and now you have to wait longer”. But at least they’re acknowledging the problem.
Maybe there is a bit missing, which probably should read as “number of calls went down, so we reallocated some staff to other things/made them redundant; they went back up again, and we promptly found ourselves with insufficient capacity as a result”!
Except that that would contradict the “haven’t reduced the number of people” line.
If this is true at face value, it could well be the case then that the ratio of experienced staff/new hires is all out of whack.
I know, @HoldenCarver is probably right!
In the last few years, we’ve been rapidly introducing new features into our Mobile App and Online Banking
[citation needed]
And define “rapidly” 
Definitely not a fan of that card. It’s far too sparse…
I don’t think it looks quite as bad in Apple Pay but it’s still pretty crappy.
In any case, I’m near enough locked out of my account because their app doesn’t yet work on iOS 15, so this is all moot
Lots of complaints that the new cards don’t work in HSBC card machines, which is… bizarre…
There is some minor and temporary loss in functionality according to First Direct website
I guess it’s just until HSBC update their software, which I imagine won’t take long…
When you use your Debit Mastercard at an ATM:
Alternatively you will be able to:
Temporary changes when at an HSBC branch
Although we don’t have any branches ourselves, you can always bank in person at any HSBC branch, or with our friends at the Post Office. When you use your Debit Mastercard to make a transaction at an HSBC branch, there are some temporary changes:
you won’t be able to deposit cash into the self‑service machines
you won’t be able to deposit a cheque into the cheque deposit machine by using your card to initiate the deposit – simply type in your account number and sort code instead.
Alternatively you will be able to:
pay in cash or cheques over the counter at the branch. You can find details of branches here
pay in cash or cheques at the Post Office. You can find details of branches here
pay in cheques through the fd Mobile Banking App
send cheques direct to fd
Surely after all that money they spent on their new logo they would put it on the card?
Clearly they are conflicted.
They wanted a shiny new logo, to keep their brand “fresh”, but were also desperate to maintain their minimalist look.
The card is a rip-off of Starling, Monzo and Dozens basically.
You can imagine the marketing meeting:
A) “Everyone else has a solid colour card, we need one too”.
B) “Yes, but our colour is black, let’s do black”.
A) “And put the card details on the back, all the cool banks do that now”.
Very unoriginal, and the arrow by the chip is just awful!
I really don’t understand the arrow. People have managed without the arrow for years. Why do we suddenly need one? The notch has a clear benefit for those who are visually impaired, but I struggle to see the point of the arrow.
Absolutely, the notch is not intrusive and a nice way of improving accessibility.
The arrow is just so “in your face” and visually distracting; I find it really looks out of place (and, as you say, seems to serve no purpose either as the notch is easily enough to ensure the card is facing the right way, so why do we also need an arrow?).
I think that’s a braille mark, meant to designate credit, debit and ATM cash access cards.
But the exact format for each type doesn’t seem to be standardised yet.
Nationwide’s Member Credit Card has several dots in a similar position, for example.
