CreditCards Blog

I'm just about to give up on Barclaycard having had many satisfactory years as a Goldfish customer. Barclaycard Goldfish is not working for me and I would like to know which Credit Card companies still have call centres in the UK. I cannot take any more frustration and exasperation I have so far experienced.

Why don't you just ask to be transfered to a UK call centre when they answer? Barclaycard have UK call centres, all you have to do is ask them to transfer you. I haven't used offshore call centres for ages with Barclaycard - i just refuse to speak to them & tell them i want to be transfered to a UK call centre.

all of Halifax call centres are still in the UK.:D

natwest and hsbc have uk call centers

American Express and MBNA call centre are also based in the UK.

Yeah American Express even tell you where in the UK they are when they pick up!!

natwest and hsbc have uk call centers

Think you only get through to the UK at HSBC for applications. If you have HSBC Plus though, there's a dedicated UK call centre for all your accounts including credit cards.

ShelfStacker - that is why I'm perfectly happy to pay the 12.95 for the Plus! The customer service on the phone is actually really good. They seem to know what they are talking about.

Not sure about Capital One, the few times I've called the guy sounded Asian, but was very clear and easy to understand. He could have been anywhere, but the key point is the ease of understanding each other, especially if you live in an area with a strong regional accent yourself (I bet the Indian callcentres equally dread the thought of getting a call from a Glaswegian or Geordie!)

Even the UK call centres aren't foolproof as I've noticed you often get someone with such a broad Scottish accent that I often can't understand a word they are saying

Even the UK call centres aren't foolproof as I've noticed you often get someone with such a broad Scottish accent that I often can't understand a word they are sayingYes we should only have call centres in the South where they speak BBC English. Here here.

natwest, halifax, mbna have always been uk for me!

Nationwide is also based in the UK.

Bunch of English !!!!! - trust a Glaswegian to post the original query and then to get the idiots to reply about Scottish accents. My original frustration was about the lack of empathy from what seemed to be a robot on the other end of the phone. No offence to offshore call centres when there are so many !!!!! to be found in England. Goldfish used to be Bishopbriggs I think - most refreshing for a Glasgwegian based customer but anyway Halifax card already ordered thanks to DON79. Fingers crossed I'll get any more sense out of an English based call centre........

Keep your hair on love. Someone just made a general comment that they sometimes found the Scottish accent a bit difficult to understand, in just the same way an Irish accent can sometimes be a little hard to understand the first time round, being Scottish yourself you would not understant how difficult your accent may be for other people who are not Scottish to understand - you did not need to reply with derogatory, insulting & practically racist remarks about the English. It's not like anyone was making insulting or racist remarks about the Scottish being foul tempered & having no sense of humour, just stating they found the accent a bit hard for someone who isn't scottish to understand sometimes.

Keep your hair on love. Someone just made a general comment that they sometimes found the Scottish accent a bit difficult to understand
Yes, one comment and she goes apeshit - totally uncalled for Catherine. And before you say anything, my mention of Glaswegians & Geordies was off the cuff and not intended as an insult - yours clearly was.

whats the problem with off shore call centres?! do they not speak english?!

Not sure if this is allowed but its a relevent link;

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/saving-and-banking/article.html?in_article_id=442927&in_page_id=7

I found this were it reviews certain call centres and lists were they are. RBS have a 5* rated call centre according to them, and they are all based in the UK. Barclays also got 5* but are in India and the UK. HSBC seem to be all over the place. Halifax are UK and got 4*, Lloyds are also UK based and got 1*. ICICI are in India, likewise are two of Abbey's and one is in the UK but are rated 1* and off a past experience of my sister, they have put the phone down on her on at least two occasions that I know of. Nationwide is all UK and Clydesdale is also UK based. So that link above will give you ratings on what they think after a call around. Doesn't feature Natwest, Yorkshire bank and co but I assume they are all pretty much the same.

Co-op offer all UK call centres and in a recent customer satisfaction survery finished top of the list.

http://www.everyinvestor.co.uk/personal-finance/banking/abbey-voted-worst-for-customer-satisfaction--again

With Abbey coming bottom. So this might help you make a decision, maybe not. But hey I prefer UK based call centres but as long as the person on the other end answer your questions then that is all that matters. So I guess that rules out Abbey who you ring up and they put the phoen down even though they haven't answered your questions lol.

Doesn't feature Natwest, Yorkshire bank and co but I assume they are all pretty much the same.
Natwest and RBS are the same bank and have callcentres that deal with both banks so should be the same rating basically (but of course it depends who you get through to)

Bunch of English !!!!! - trust a Glaswegian to post the original query and then to get the idiots to reply about Scottish accents. My original frustration was about the lack of empathy from what seemed to be a robot on the other end of the phone. No offence to offshore call centres when there are so many !!!!! to be found in England. Goldfish used to be Bishopbriggs I think - most refreshing for a Glasgwegian based customer but anyway Halifax card already ordered thanks to DON79. Fingers crossed I'll get any more sense out of an English based call centre........

I'm not surprised that staff on the end of the phone give you any time of day. Your attitude is dreadful.

whats the problem with off shore call centres?! do they not speak english?!
Yes they do Chuckley, but people naturally get frustrated if they can't make themselves understood or if they can't understand the person on the end of the phone. There are a lot of accents and dialects in the UK and equally a lot of colloquialisms - it works both ways and if a Geordie, Scot, Irishman or Yorkshireman answers "aye" to questions the person on the other end won't understand.

or how about "ah cahn't gerrinter me accahnt" - if a southerner can't understand that, what chance has an Indian? And if said Indian speaks with a strong accent, what chance has a Geordie (for example) got of understanding him/her?

It's not a language barrier, but it's the effect of having to deal with unusual accents.

Halifax card already ordered thanks to DON79. Fingers crossed I'll get any more sense out of an English based call centre........
I think they're in Belfast (or NI anyway) so don't worry lass, you won't have to bear the English accents :rolleyes:

it works both ways and if a Geordie, Scot, Irishman or Yorkshireman answers "aye" to questions the person on the other end won't understand.


That would only be a problem for call centres outside the UK:rolleyes:

first direct have call centres in Leeds and Hamilton near Glasgow. smile also have their call centre based in Stockport.

Barclays was one of the worst call centres I ever had the misfortune to contact. 7+ people spoken to and each one passing me on to another one...

Nice lady from Virgin told me she was in the west coast of Ireland. She was English (kind of south I think) and I'm Scottish (kind of Fife I'm certain) but we seemed to understand each other quite well.

To be honest, I've spoken with BOTH Scots and English and had trouble with their accents, or, more often, the speed they run through their scripts. I think all call centre staff should have a soft, lilting Welsh accent, so there!

Not sure about Capital One, the few times I've called the guy sounded Asian, but was very clear and easy to understand. He could have been anywhere, but the key point is the ease of understanding each other, especially if you live in an area with a strong regional accent yourself (I bet the Indian callcentres equally dread the thought of getting a call from a Glaswegian or Geordie!)
Hey leave the toon out of it boyo! :naughty:
I would talk to a scouser, brummie, taff or paddy any time of the day in preference to a......carefull Mr P...."Asian" call-centre. :beer:

I think all call centre staff should have a soft, lilting Welsh accent, so there!
Now there's lovely for you ;)
Hey leave the toon out of it boyo! :naughty:"the toon"? "boyo"? You a Welsh Geordie then Proliant? Come on, we all know a Geordie's just a Scotsman with his head kicked in and Welshmen only marry cos sheep can't cook :p (only playin bonny lad :D)

* Disclaimer - the contents of this post are only said in jest - please do not start sending death threats or hatemail or threaten me with a Glasgow Kiss/wet leek.

What I find so damned infuriating with foreign call centres is the extreme politeness.

The last time I had the misfortune to get through to someone on foreign shores, the person repeated every thing I said and thanked me for every sentence I made...eg..

Me: Hi, I'm calling to query something on my account

Them: Thank you madam, I understand you would like to query something to do with your account. How can I help you?

Me: I need to know x, y,z

Them: Thank you madam, I understand you wish to find out abou x, y, z.


Etc, etc, etc.

Politeness is all well and good, but extreme politeness can irritate and extend a phone call to twice the length it needs to be....all at my call cost. :rolleyes:

Btw.....I've twice phoned MBNA and not got a UK answer.



Glasgow kiss/wet leek...........:rotfl:

Now there's lovely for you ;)
"the toon"? "boyo"? You a Welsh Geordie then Proliant? Come on, we all know a Geordie's just a Scotsman with his head kicked in and Welshmen only marry cos sheep can't cook :p (only playin bonny lad :D)

* Disclaimer - the contents of this post are only said in jest - please do not start sending death threats or hatemail or threaten me with a Glasgow Kiss/wet leek.
lol :rotfl: :rotfl: Do you know what a smoggie is?

M&S have call centres in the UK & Philipinnes.

I'm just about to give up on Barclaycard having had many satisfactory years as a Goldfish customer. Barclaycard Goldfish is not working for me and I would like to know which Credit Card companies still have call centres in the UK. I cannot take any more frustration and exasperation I have so far experienced.

Why, what's your problem? Can't you register for Barclaycard internet access, or do you like to waste your (and the call centre) time?

Capital One have a call centre in Nottingham, and Egg are based in Derby I do believe, so both UK :)

Yes they do Chuckley, but people naturally get frustrated if they can't make themselves understood or if they can't understand the person on the end of the phone. There are a lot of accents and dialects in the UK and equally a lot of colloquialisms - it works both ways and if a Geordie, Scot, Irishman or Yorkshireman answers "aye" to questions the person on the other end won't understand.

or how about "ah cahn't gerrinter me accahnt" - if a southerner can't understand that, what chance has an Indian? And if said Indian speaks with a strong accent, what chance has a Geordie (for example) got of understanding him/her?

It's not a language barrier, but it's the effect of having to deal with unusual accents.yea but the country is multicultural with many different accents. there are call centres in different areas around the country, just like tax offices. they all have their own accents. we cant change it we just have to get used to it.

many a times ive called a company only to have a scottish accent down the fone... off shore is the same. OP is going on like ALL call centres in the country have to speak like the queen. far from true!

Being an Indian, personally I hate getting Indian call centres, though not because of the accent(as I was born there and lived there for quite a long time)but because of the ignorance of products a swell as the customer care elevels we find were in the UK.

Problem lies not only with the India based call centre but also UK based Institutions whose only concern is saving costs and do not spend on training the operators on the products as well as the way of customer care in the UK. The poor guys are put on the phone after poor training and do not know the products well or how it works in UK

I very well understand that UK residents would find it extremely difficult to understand an asian accent just like I had problems when I got to london and people used "init"...:rolleyes: did I not learn that as "Is it not"

Its just the way english has developed into slang words but considered normal here but unknown in India.

IMHO, The only Indian Call centre I do not mind is the one with Virgin media where they take care of most stuff as much as possible and when they cannot they do not argue but they transfer you to a UK based one, without having to ask for it.:T

You've obviously not dealt with Virgin Media's technical support for thier cable television services then? They would have to be the most poorly trained of all Virgin Media's service staff & the most woefully inadequate.

It took 5 phone calls a day for 3 weeks & a letter to thier head office just to get the services that i was paying for to work.