Keywords: HSBC, Customer Service, Commercial Interest, Local Community, Client Relationships, Banks, Financial Institutions. TimeOutHSBC - The Story So Far (Version. 1 published Friday 27th January 2017) is the evolving story of how a much vaunted global bank with self acclaimed local focus and self promoted customer caring pedigree both moved out of an area and almost at the same time set about to unharness one small business from local support, resources and access to accounts. (Closed bank branch with To Let sign pictured above). When HSBC pulled out of town (which left no empowered warm bodies behind with which a personal face to face discussion could take place and who could have resolved all of the issues above) they effectively dispensed with personal relationships & personal contact and created a vacuum and an indelible impression of precipitous commercial and customer disinterest. If banks do not feel that they need to respond to their client’s reasonable requests they should say so publically as part of their terms and conditions, they appear to include almost everything else which is to their benefit. We propose a bank charter that as a minimum will encourage bank directors, managers and staff to respond to letters, that they treat clients with respect and that they do not take actions without discussion with their clients; especially those who have enjoyed a long standing and have been loyal to the bank for a number of years. If HSBC do indeed feel that customers are dispensable as people if they do not conform to an expectation that the bank has unilaterally determined to be in its own best interests; it should publically say so. In this way, the public (i.e. all of their actual and potential customers) will know exactly where they stand and will not expect a pattern of behavior and a standard of customer service; both of which appear to have died without a recognizable funeral! ;
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