There are a couple of reasons why this is the best bank I've visited full stop:…read more The staff are polite, friendly and courteous. The branch is clean, small and easy to get to. The queues are short and it's easy to pay money and cheques in. The cash-points inside and out always have money and mini-statements, even on Bank Holidays. The best point however, is their excellent customer service. Every time I've asked about opening or closing a bank account, they've been able to help me out on the spot. They also seem knowledgable about the business bank accounts with Bank of Scotland - Halifax's sister bank - unlike all the other branches in the city!

I'm not sure it's possible to rate a bank as more than three stars, let alone one I've never…read moreactually been in - so, as bank go, Nationwide, yer alright! My actual reason for commenting on this particular branch is that I feel the profile of its two outdoor cashpoints needs raising - why are there always huge queues outside the neighbouring Lloyds TSB cashpoint and yet nobody ever using this one? Beats me.

This is a very, very busy branch since Nationwide took over the Portman Building Society. Its…read morereceived quite a bit of investment, so there's a fair few holes-in-the-wall available. And there's often at least one greeter on duty, who will either demonstrate the machines or see to a query, so that the queue is often a little shorter than it looks. However, the level of expertise of the staff seems to have gone down in recent years, and the regard for privacy. I recently had a member of staff come to see me in the banking hall, rather than taking me to one of the glass-walled interview rooms. And a cashier who was taciturn to the point of . well, not quite rudeness, but not far off. I think its a teething problem with integrating the Portman customer, I hope it is, anyway, because its a good company with good products, very centrally located with a lot of facilities available on a Saturday, when most of us need them most.

This particular HSBC branch is pretty handy if you live in this end of town, as it offers most…read morefacilities larger branches do with the bonus of usually being dead quiet. In fact this dead quietness can go the other way sometimes - as in you may go in for a quick query and get way more attention than you intended/than you were in the mood for! When I lived near Seven Dials I went to chat to someone about setting up a joint bank account, and I went another time for a bank draft - both times I was sat down at a desk whilst a very patient member of staff chatted to me - one time she even stayed a bit past closing time to finish something! I'm not too fussed about this face-to-face thing, being of the internet age where it's just a bit of a chore to have to physically do something! But I appreciate this is important to some people, and it was certainly a refreshing change to the fast paced city centre banks. All in all, my best banking experience!

This is quite a quiet branch in some ways, but it has most of the modern automated machinery that…read morewe really need from our banking services these days. I think this would be one of the best branches to come to if you needed to have an appointment to talk over your financial situation - they have the usual expertise, but seem to have a better ratio of staff to customers than usual. And there's very rarely a queue. Its just outside the main reach of shops around Seven Dials - must be all of three minutes away, towards Shoreham Road, so still very accessible. There are ATMs outside too.

As the name implies, this branch is right in the pedestrianised part of the town centre, so very…read moreeasy access, and its a good branch too. Its small enough so that the manager herself is often in the banking hall greeting new customers, and often working out quotes etc with them as well. I liked the level of service offered, they actually phoned back when they said they would. I'm not quite sure they have the depth of knowledge for all modern banking needs in a branch this size, but in the areas they do cover, they seem to be tip-top.

I use the Natwest on London Road most of the time but this is the largest Natwest in Brighton and…read morethe most central so I stop in here when I'm in town. As it's the largest Natwest it also feels very impersonal, not aided by it being in a grand building- a lovely building but impersonal. The size though means lots of staff and a string of cashiers desk- so quick service and queuing for a minimum of time. It's a bank so I don't have much more to say!

Another small, busy branch. Again, the staff are always happy to help you with any queries…read more And its nice that they have a cash machine, as the one further up the road at HSBC always seems to be out of order, and the only other ones are at the bottom of the hill and at Tescos.

HSBC's main branch serving Brighton centre is located close to the buses on North Street, it is an…read moreaverage sized branch by HSBC standards, albeit smaller than locations I'm more of a "regular" too such as Manchester St Ann's and Liverpool. The store has a good amount of seating and express banking machines, although I didn't like the fact that there were too many different machines for different things, such as for paying in cash and cheques and withdrawing it, considering nearly every other bank does it all in one machine now, with probably Halifax and the Lloyds Banking Group the only exception, I don't like this approach as it is confusing and slightly time-consuming depending on if you need to queue and switch between machines. There is also a small counter, which is slightly hidden into the back of the store, the waits didn't seem to be too long. Open 9-5 Monday to Saturday, the hours are pretty generic and common, but with many local banks shutting earlier especially on Saturday's, the opening hours are pretty decent here and the minimum of how they should be for a bank. Decent bank. 3*

Like the Falmer HSBC, this place is very good as banks go. There are loads of free cash machines…read moreand it's the most easily accessed place for free cash withdrawals on this end of the North Laine. There's usually a queue for the counter, but never a long wait. And there're always plenty of staff on hand in the week to help with whatever (new accounts, internet banking, loans...).

I have banked with this bank for many years and was recently contacted by Isabella, a member of…read morestaff at the Brighton branch to review my accounts. She was very friendly, but professional. She guided me patiently through the various current and savings account options without being pushy and I am very happy with the choices I made. I had to phone her back as I had a query and it was so nice to phone on a landline which was answered by a person straight away, without having to go through all the automated options first. I am an older person and remember that this is how business used to be done a very long time ago. Thank you.

Co-Operative Bank Fan…read more Most things good, but administration needs to be speeded up. It would help to be given the name and extension number of the same person to deal with a query. Thank you Tom for helping. He is looking into a missing twenty pounds payment for me. I have not heard back yet but hope to soon.