Banking 'duopoly hurts business'

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8268743.stm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Small firms are suffering because of a lack of competition in a banking sector dominated by two massive institutions, business leaders have warned.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said Lloyds Banking Group and RBS controlled about three-quarters of the market in Scotland.

It said smaller banks and the Post Office should be encouraged to provide more competition.

The FSB has been giving evidence to the Westminster Scottish Select Committee.

Colin Borland, FSB public affairs manager in Scotland, said: "The only choice which too many small firms feel they have with banking is 'take it or leave it'.

"The FSB has believed for a long time that the small to medium enterprise banking market in Scotland suffers from a lack of competition, but the banking crisis has left us dangerously close to a duopoly."

Mr Borland said small businesses need effective competition between the banks to ensure they can get a fair deal.

He warned that without somewhere better to take their business, an individual sole trader or small firm is powerless against a massive financial institution.

He added: "That is why we are calling on the government to look at how the smaller banks can be encouraged to compete for small firms' business in Scotland and why we are underlining the need for credible, trusted players - such as the Post Office network - to enter the market."

The FSB - which represents about 20,000 businesses in Scotland - made the comments to the Scottish Affairs Committee, which is holding an inquiry into banking.

The business group also called for the creation of a "corporate mediator" to intervene in disputes, along the lines of an existing scheme in England.

This would engage with small businesses and banks to resolve problems over lending decisions.

Decision-making should be restored to local branches and impartial information should be gathered to keep tabs on the sector, the FSB argued

[flaminmoses]

and a report into days paper says banks are cold calling people over trying to get them to use their products.

they rang me at the wrong time the other day and i told them what i thought of their efforts over the last few years and that their products were not customer friendly....and that they caused the recession lol

i said they were lucky i was still with them :)

[Lounge Lizard]

and a report into days paper says banks are cold calling people over trying to get them to use their products.

they rang me at the wrong time the other day and i told them what i thought of their efforts over the last few years and that their products were not customer friendly....and that they caused the recession lol

i said they were lucky i was still with them :)

Keep a football referee's whistle next to the phone ready for such calls.
An unexpected sharp blast will stop them calling again.

[BELIAL]

and a report into days paper says banks are cold calling people over trying to get them to use their products.

they rang me at the wrong time the other day and i told them what i thought of their efforts over the last few years and that their products were not customer friendly....and that they caused the recession lol

i said they were lucky i was still with them :)

Keep a football referee's whistle next to the phone ready for such calls.
An unexpected sharp blast will stop them calling again.

Have a heart,call center jobs;s**t money and some arsehole foreman /manager looking over your shoulder and monitoring every word,remind you of anything/ Whistle would be the equivalent of "your late postie ,you lazy bastard"

[andy2007]

I know that they have a terrible job to do. But when the same ones call you over, and over, and over, again. Despite you telling them that you aren't interested. Something needs to be done.

I used to have a lot of calls from people wanting to sell me new windows, kitchens, etc.. At first, I was tolerant. They've got a job to do, just like me. But when the same companies, kept calling. Even after me explaining that as I Rent, rather than own my Home. I don't have to pay for such things. I decided to see how long I could keep them on the phone. The effect was fantastic! It was nearly 3 years before I got any more calls! My personal best, is half an hour, without actually buying anything!

Don't get me wrong though. If it's a company who've not called me before. Or one who I've dealt with before (so I'm likley to be interested). I either tell them I'm not interested, and get off the phone as soon as I can, without being rude. Or buy something. But I've got better things to do with my time, than get regular phone calls from people, trying to sell me things I don't need, and wouldn't have to pay for myself, either!

It's the same with Banks! How many times must they be told, that I don't want a Credit Card?
I'm tolerant with my Bank. Because I don't want to cause trouble with them, as they have my money. But the others, get the same treatment that the other Cold Callers do. Although it's much harder to keep them on the phone, without buying. I can only manage 15 minutes with them. But it's their phone bill, after all, eh?

[Lounge Lizard]

and a report into days paper says banks are cold calling people over trying to get them to use their products.

they rang me at the wrong time the other day and i told them what i thought of their efforts over the last few years and that their products were not customer friendly....and that they caused the recession lol

i said they were lucky i was still with them :)

Keep a football referee's whistle next to the phone ready for such calls.
An unexpected sharp blast will stop them calling again.

Have a heart,call center jobs;s**t money and some arsehole foreman /manager looking over your shoulder and monitoring every word,remind you of anything/ Whistle would be the equivalent of "your late postie ,you lazy bastard"

Okay then, after their first few words I'll just say "can you just hold on a moment?", walk away from the phone and waste however long then want to wait in vain to see whether I return.

[BELIAL]

and a report into days paper says banks are cold calling people over trying to get them to use their products.

they rang me at the wrong time the other day and i told them what i thought of their efforts over the last few years and that their products were not customer friendly....and that they caused the recession lol

i said they were lucky i was still with them :)

Keep a football referee's whistle next to the phone ready for such calls.
An unexpected sharp blast will stop them calling again.

Have a heart,call center jobs;s**t money and some arsehole foreman /manager looking over your shoulder and monitoring every word,remind you of anything/ Whistle would be the equivalent of "your late postie ,you lazy bastard"

Okay then, after their first few words I'll just say "can you just hold on a moment?", walk away from the phone and waste however long then want to wait in vain to see whether I return.

Oh for fs chaps ,how would you like that done to you when attempting to deliver a walksort promo packet,it ain't the workers fault it's the management they work for. Try treating people in the way you would like to be treated.Postal workers are not the only ones being shat on,no wonder some of the public comments about us are so stupid ,some of us do the same thing to other workers

[andy2007]

The difference is: These Companies have been told many times, by us, that we don't want their products/services. Yet they repeatedly call us. The fact that I didn't have any problems for 3 years! after trying to keep them on the phone for as long as possible. PROVES that they can stop further calls if they want to. If they'd stopped the calls, when I (and presumably others) had politely explained that we weren't interested. And neither would we be. Then there would have been no need to be nasty to them.

Like I said earlier: If it's a company that haven't called before, or at least for a long time. Or if it's a company that I've used before. so there's a good chance I'd be interested in buying something else. Then I either get off the phone as quickly as I can, without being rude. Or I buy something. This isn't a game to me. And I'm not the malicious type. But sometimes people take things too far, and it becomes neccessary to ensure that they leave you alone in the future.

Remember: If one of them get's held up talking to someone like me. They won't hit their targets. So they'll miss out on any bonus, and probably get into trouble. So they'll obviously warn their collegues about me, and I won't get called again. I've already proved that theory, as I've only recently started getting any cold calls at all. I've had 4 in the last 6 months. 2 of them were from my Bank, offering me a Credit Card (I don't have one, and don't want one, either!). It's lucky for them, that they have my money. Or they'd have "had the treatment". The other 2, were from companies who haven't mythered me before. So I got off the phone as quickly as possible. The longest one, was 3 mins. But I tried several times to end the conversation politely, before that.

Dont forget: We have a legal obligation to deliver, whatever we're given to deliver. Cold Callers, have no such legal obligation!

[BELIAL]

Yeah you're right ,these call center wage slaves should should grow a backbone and refuse to deliver all this advertising crap. Do not engage with that predictive dialer ,tell your manager the Andys object,that'll do the trick Whatever happened to "I am my brothers keeper"?

[andy2007]

I think the quote you're thinking of is "I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?", which is somewhat different, don't you think?