Opening a Metro Bank account

Account opening as it should be

13 August 2010 | Current accounts

Today I opened a Metro Bank account. Despite my cynical expectations the bank really is putting the customer first. Here is the chronology of what happened:

09.00 Leave office armed with appropriate documents on my quest to open a Metro bank account
09.25 Arrive at Holborn. See bright coloured branch across the road and walk in
09.28 Greeted on entering store, (note it is not called a branch), and once I had said who I was, I was handed a bleeper and invited to sit and wait for free agent. “They will be with you very shortly.”
09.55 Reading papers in reading room. As the time goes by my cynicism begins to grow again, it doesn’t seem that every desk has an adviser active.
09.58 An older man in suit appears in room to greet other business colleagues. I look expectantly communicating to him that I am waiting.
He says “How long have you been waiting? I say “half an hour”- he says “that isn’t right”, goes off and then returns to say,”it will be fifteen minutes before our next agent is free. Why don’t you go to EAT just up the road, buy yourself a coffee, get a receipt and then our cashier will reimburse you?
Right, I say, that is great, it’s the first time I get offered money by a bank, before I even bank with them.
Had this been a “real” bank it would have been heads down and let’s pretend he isn’t there, trust me been there.
10.25 The bleeper goes whilst I am in the coffee shop. I return and sit down to open the account. Courteously greeted we sit down at a desk with a computer terminal. Now we’ll see; I think                         
10.40 Painlessly the account opening takes place. I will spare you the minutiae. The usual disclaimers, account document signatures and ID and address checks take place while I sit there. How do I want my name on my card all?
All very personal, I say, “This is good” my agent says, “Well the whole point is that the bank is built around you”. Do you know I am beginning to believe it too?
10.50 The account is open; I passed the credit check and can even have an overdraft. I have in my hand my own debit / ATM card. Whilst the agent was getting my card I set up my online account access sitting in her seat on the computer. It was that easy.
10.52 We discussed whether or not I wanted to put money in the account right then. In the end I opted to pay £20 cash in – they also credited me my coffee money.
11.14 Cash in. I had asked the agent if the ATM card worked in Tesco Bank near my office. She replied that if I put cash in now then I would probably be able to get some out on the way back to my office. You know what I am thinking don’t you?
11.46 £10 out of my new account less than three hours after I set off.

Of course there is a way to go yet but it is a good start. Tomorrow their internet banking goes live so we will be reporting on that.