Ashford has seen so many financial institutions close down over the years such as Nationwide…read moreBuilding Society, Midland Bank/HSBC Bank and Lloyds Bank that Barclays is one of the few to remain though is permanently under the threat of closure. The bank was refurbished about 6 years ago to give it a more modern appearance, its generally quieter than the Staines location but the service is inconsistent depending on who you get at the till, some staff are more helpful than others. It will be interesting to see which is the last bank left in Ashford with Nat West holding on for now.

Shahwar was the best. She spent a lot of time helping me fix a problem with my account even though…read moreit was my fault.

Saves going to Hounslow High Street but that's the only redeeming feature. Staff less helpful and…read moreare patronizing towards their customers the vast majority of whom are from ethic minorities. What makes it worse are the staff themselves all appear to be from across the Indian Subcontinent. It would be better to have some staff transferred to other branches to broaden their experiences. I saw one elderly Asian lady in a saree rudely spoken to because of the way she presented more than one cheque which wasn't to the tellers liking, the woman had done nothing wrong it was just a different way. The teller I saw wanted to charge a fee for the transaction I wanted to carry out even though my account gives that service for free. She insisted on the fee, when I referred her to her branch service manual and the relevant section she came back without apology and said I won't charge you this time as though doing a favor.

This is a lovely big, spacious branch. It's geared up to business banking and as such there are…read morealways plenty of staff around to help with queries. Although they give their address as Ten Pound Walk, it's actually on Heavens Way, which is just off to the left, and then into one of the little cul-de-sacs - took me quite a while to find it the first time. Loads of parking outside. Really handy, close to town but so much calmer. Staff are really friendly and unlike town branches seem much less hurried. Check the opening hours before you go though - I'm not sure, but think they may shut a bit earlier than many banks.

I went in here to open an account with all of the documents that I would require, which I found…read morelisted online. I spoke with the attendant and she told me that I had all of the correct documents except that one needed to be in color (although the requirement Ol for a color copy is unique to this bank as I opened an account without a color copy at another bank). I asked if I could use the bank's computer to print out a color copy and she said no. She told me to go find a public library to use. I left and walked 5 minutes to another bank where they immediately set up an account.

Lovely helpful people in a big branch of Natwest designed to meet all my financial needs (and i am…read morevery financially needy). They were exceedingly patient with me when i was trying to transfer some money abroad. And, they gave me a Natwest branded piggy bank! Now you're all jealous hey?

This branch of Santander is one of the many banks I visited during my time in London, it is a nice,…read moremodern store and a pretty average of size, right next to Green Park Underground, it is also next to M&S Simply Food and Metro, a rival bank on Piccadilly, London. The store is modern and had a decent number of machines for basic banking, such as withdrawing and paying in cash/cheques and more. The bank had a nice, modern feel to it, and it is probably one of my favourite Santander branches in the city, with Santander branches tending to be a little dull, old-fashioned and uninspiring, this branch in most cases was different. Opening hours (AGAIN) are a big flaw for this bank, it is something I've found common in London to a degree that the branch is only open 9-5 on weekends, again opening an hour later on Wednesday's. It's like living in a foreign land, being 2 hours on the train up north in Manchester, I'm used to banks being open all day Saturday too with the occasional Sunday opening (Lloyds Bank and TSB on Market Street, Manchester), and find it ridiculous that yet again this is another bank which works the old-fashioned, generic hours which really don't suit 2019. Put that in comparison, Metro Bank which is next store is open 8-8 (TWELVE HOURS!) during the week, closing at 6 on Saturday's, and opening at Sunday Trading Hours on Sunday (11-5) 3* - pretty modern bank, average sized in a good location but let down by opening hours and other minor factors.

Worst bank ever! It's apparently not easy to open a bank account in UK but they are at least…read morefriendly and advise you what you need. (Barclays bank, Lloyd Bank etc). I was referred to TSB by a friend and I had the right documents with me, the customer service person that I was assigned to was unprofessional and very slow, kept repeating the questions and the purpose of why I need a bank account etc. But it was still running smoothly. I am a European Citizen, however as soon as he found out I was born in the middle east the questioning came out! I was being interrogated and it looked more like a CIA interview. He said he needs to ask me more questions (due to sanctions in the motherland) and I will have my answer in a few days if I got approved to this crap bank. He kept repeating the same questions over and over and if I were taking/transferring money from the Middle East etc. I had enough and asked to talk to the supervisor, still no customer service there and she said the same thing. I told them to withdrawal my application and left to another bank, which helped me right away and got my new account! No extra questions asked!!!!! Racist worker, crappy customer service, ugly depressing premises. I am used to US customer service and I must say this had been the worst customer experience in UK so far.

I'd just popped in to open a TSB Classic Plus account (5% interest on up to£2,000! - with £500 per…read moremonth) after making some changes to my Lloyds account and was blown away by the differences between the two branches nearby to each other. Much larger and airier than the nearby Lloyds Branch, and as many staff as there were customers. I wouldn't pick accounts based on In-Branch service anyway, but in judging them on this, I was incredibly impressed, especially in contrast to my earlier experience.

I've been a customer of Lloyds Bank ever since I joined them as a student back in the mid 80s. The…read moreservice has generally been good over the last few decades and I've seen various innovations come and go. However, despite the internet age and the convenience of internet banking, it's still reassuring to see a branch of your bank on the high street. The Epsom branch of Lloyds is very convenient for me as I can pop in her before work. They've been trying to jazz up the appearance indoors but ultimately, what we want as customers is fast, efficient service by the tellers and customer service agents. My philosophy is to get in quick and get out quick! I've used this Epsom branch to make overseas transfers of money and to deposit cheques, which still can't be done online. They've been good at delivering the service. No complaints from this customer.

Halifax at Westfield London is one of two major banks inside Europe's largest shopping centre in…read morethe Shepherds Bush area of Kensington, London. It is pretty handy in its location, with cash machines which can be accessed whenever the main bank is open or closed, perhaps to withdraw cash to spend in the mall. The branch isn't as modern as one would expect as it is a modern mall but basically falls into the average look and feel of a Halifax store, albeit a little smaller. The opening hours are quite useful being open until 18:30 daily, only shutting on Sunday's but this is common for 99% of banks in the UK. There is a small amount of seating, but it isn't the most comfortable or relaxing seating, but it still is one of the better places in the mall perhaps to sit down and relax for a moment, connecting onto the reasonable free-wifi, perhaps to do some online banking, yelping and everything in-between. Location, free-wifi (common for every bank), long opening hours and cash machines make this location "A-OK", a three-star rating is warranted mainly for ease and location.