You can bank on a hard time opening an account - Fiona Duff

Do you know how difficult it is to open a bank account these days? Well, to be honest I really just wanted to change it from one institution of uselessness to another. And frankly it has left me at the end of my tether.

Opening a modern bank account can be a frustrating process

It started in the middle of last year when the bank where the business account had first been started demanded all sorts of security questions. Now, for reasons that are far too long to go into in less than 350 words, this account was started by someone else who is no longer treads the soil on this planet. In fact on no other planet either. It isn’t used much – I have neither a bank card nor internet set up.

Anyway, for this reason I didn’t have answers to the three questions asked when I phoned. I tried to explain but computer said no and so telephone banking was suspended. I marched along to the branch in town to try and have words.

The staff there were actually lovely, although did agree with me that the business banking at the place they were employed was useless. Great PR guys! Finally one of them managed to get hold of the business banking team after a 45 wait on the phone – luckily I had taken a book with me.

In the end, I decided to change this account to the bank I use for my own accounts. You would think this would be simple – I mean I have been a customer since I was 17 and that’s a heck of a long time. However, I was proved wrong. Of course there was no way I could actually meet someone and I had to apply online with email follow up. The problem being that the lady I was dealing with didn’t seem to know how to reply and I was only able to talk to her colleagues.

After a few months of tearing my hair out I did what I always do in these situations. I wrote to the Chief Executive and hey presto I have an account.

There’s nothing like going to the top.