As Barbara indicates Nationwide is fast going down hill these days and it seems any branch staff who might have spent too much time being helpful to customers have probably by now been made redundant in favour of those who met all their targets by constantly selling products they didn't really need. This unfortunately means that the staff who are left in branches also don't seem to have much clue as to why any customer should possibly object to having to call Nationwide on an 0845 phone number.
The sharp deterioration in customer focus this year by Nationwide has also seen them slash instant access savings rates to near to nil and as a result of all this my ISA savings are no longer with Nationwide but instead with NatWest who are paying me between 3.25% and 3.5% on them on an instant access without penalty basis.
I considered trying to attend Nationwide's AGM to raise these matters but it was held in July and in Birmingham so was not at all convenient and hence why I didn't after all attend.
Nationwide seem to have been taken over by the offspring of Sir Fred Goodwin and the only reason for still having an account with them at all is their exchange rate fee free Visa debit and credit card products and even that facility has now been watered down so that it only works fully within the EU.
In short the arrogant new management of Nationwide seem incapable of serving their customers and are onlu likely to get the message that customers are unhappy if those customers take their business away from the Society.