Even first direct can do dumb things !

(Sorry for radio silence. We have a new site going live and the blogs have been going into the new site which you cant see yet! )

Call me sad, but I found a dumb thing at first direct at last! I have given them the feedback - it's worth it because I believe they will act on it.

Unlike the guys at Swindon station today after I trod on a loose flagstone outside the front door of the station. It had a huge puddle under it that went straight up my legs. At least I was too wet to look like I wet myself!

Telling the ticket clerk, it was clear she had no way of dealing with what customers say. "Tell that guy in the orange jacket over there". I didn't bother.

So what did first direct do? A classic in the web site. Click on mortgage sales and it asks you to log in if you're an existing customer. You log in and click on mortgages. It asks you to proceed to log out and look at mortgages. Back where you started! ! Tee hee.

The other dumb thing is quite interesting. And another classic. Marketing versus operations.

Marketing obviously made their mortgage offer way too good. Not only couldn't I be put thro now, they couldnt call me back until Monday as they were booked solid!. It's the classic oversell or underpricing that generates more demand than can be handled. Even assuming the forecasts were notified. The customer experience - frustrated. Being a fan I'll wait. But it doesnt reflect well.

Bet operations are getting it in the neck not marketing.

Could I do it myself on the web? "We've taken it down because of the demand...." !!