Just in nationwide newtownards and was assisted by a chap called Phil he was marvellous very…read morehelpful and very pleasant and friendly explained everything thoroughly and put me at ease I would definitely have no problem in recommending Phil. He should be the manager thanks again Eileen Courtney

Although Nationwide Building Society is now a large British Brand, it is branches like the one in…read moreNewtownards that help it maintain its large client base. This bank still believes in the personal touch and that is what keeps me coming back. When I began University I was offered all sorts of different student accounts, with some banks and building societies even willing to throw in sweeteners to seal the deal. But I stayed loyal to Nationwide, perhaps this was not the right choice as they did not offer a student account, but it was the customer service particularly at my local branch that helped me make the decision to stand firm. At the Newtownards branch the same staff seemed to have worked there forever and they are always sympathetic to your problems. This is what sets them apart from the rest.

The Nationwide has been operating in one form or another apparently as far back as 1846…read more Interesting fact... This particular branch of the UK building society is located fantastically at the very top of Bedford Street, looking onto the City Hall and the hustle and bustle of Belfast city life. The ideal location makes it one of the busier branches that I have visited and as a faithful member, I have frequented this branch a number of times. One particular time which sums up exactly what Nationwide is about was when I went in to get some information about a new credit card. I only wanted a leaflet which I could read on the bus home (it was pouring with rain and I didn't fancy walking) but the nice lady behind the magic screen told me of all of the benefits of various cards, what would best suit a student and what would best suit me. We spoke for nearly ten minutes and although I didn't sign up there and then, I did come out knowing a lot more than I did when I went in. That in itself is the best thing about Nationwide because they are customer friendly. They are not there to make a quick buck. They want to help you with your finances as best they can. Though the security man looked a bit suspicious of me. It could have been that it was closing time and he wanted me out into the rain... Never the less the staff are lovely and very helpful. It's all you can ask from a bank these days as no one has any money.

Weirdly I feel quite affectionate about Nationwide Building Society and especially this branch in…read morethe heart of Belfast. A stones throw away from City Hall it couldn't get any more convenient. Facilities include 2 manned kiosks with always friendly and helpful staff. They also have recently installed 2 ATM's within the building itself and a machine where you can lodge paychecks. Although I always prefer doing this the old fashioned way - besides you can't beat a bit of human interaction. One thing that might trip you up at this branch is the door. Yes, I said the door. They have installed a security door where you have to press a button to get in and out. This door bamboozled me on my first visit after they installed it and to be honest it still catches me out. This is a great branch - just watch out for that door - trust me you'll thank me for that tip!

I used to work for this bank, not this branch but upstairs in one of the other departments. I have…read moreworked in lots of branches so I like to think that I know what I'm talking about. I have been in this particular branch lots and lots of times and being the flasghip branch this is pretty impressive. It is clean, crisp has every amenity that Northern Bank can offer. The staff are top notch and they have excellent self service options, which can help you avoid the queues which, to be honest can be quite big. An excellent city centre bank branch.

Huge, modern refurb has made this a great bank. The cashier desks have multiplied making queue time…read moremuch shorter. The staff are friendly and helpful and the fast lodgements system is quick and keeps lodgers out of major queues. More efficient than most city centre banks.

This is my local branch of the Halifax, and I really like it. A lost of places can take forever to…read moreget served, but in here, you are rarely stuck in a queue in here, which is always a good thing! The branch itself is totally basic, with only two counters and no real space for customers. Instead where this place excels is with the excellent and friendly customer service. The main ladies who work here are called Caroline and Karen and are wonderfully polite and friendly, and will help you out in whatever way they can. It is good to go somewhere where the people know you and genuinely care about you, which is quite important when you trust those people with your money! Unfortunately i gather the security of this place is under threat due to RBS cutbacks to local branches: I hope this isn't true and this place can continue to provide a good service to the people of Ballygowan and beyond.

This local credit union is a real establishment in North Belfast. Pretty much everyone has an…read moreaccount here, because they are waaaaayy better than a bank and more trustworthy. You can save away and then borrow against your earnings and they always have realistic payback agreements, and never let you borrow an unbelievable amount that you know you won't be able to pay back. They are helpful, courteous and down-to-earth - the staff always remember you and treat you as a valued customer, which is more than I can say for some banks. They recently had a new building established and it's light, spacious and modern, with suitable seating for those waiting to be seen, and lots of information about upcoming local events on the LCD montitors scattered around. They are also heavily involved in developing and improving the community and recently held the Newington Credit Union Young Peoples Awards, which were a testament to thier commitment to the local people. If you live in Belfast and you haven't got a Credit Union Account, I would recommend you get started....you'll thank me.

Newington Credit Union is a fantastic facility for the community to take advantage of. Everyone I…read moreknow has an account and would use it before even considering going to a bank for a loan. You put money into your account and thus are able to borrow either on the value of your savings or against your wages, the latter enabling you to take out more. The staff are always really friendly and remember your face. As Emma P said, the building went through a complete revamp and it now looks fantastic. The old building reminded me of some sort of centre were you got your communal wages in the GDR.

Years ago, a certain bank prided itself on being "The bank that likes to say YES" This branch of…read morethe Halifax is "The bank that likes to take you hostage, twice" Yes, you are reading that right, twice I have been held hostage by the bank staff whilst trying to exit the premises, the reason being one of those spawn of Satan deposit machines, with added emphasis on POS, has decided to eat a customers deposit necessitating a member of staff stripping its guts out. If you are, like me, the holder of a basic account, and therefore level with pond life on Halifax's scale of valued customer, you have to use these machines, unfortunately for us NI folk, they fail to recognise NI notes unless they're fed in a certain way, by the time you've waited for the person ahead to take their notes out, smooth them down, and reinsert them half a dozen times, it's no quicker than waiting for a cashier. But that's not allowed for us lesser species. In short, it's lucky I have an understanding boss, because I was stuck for a good five minutes yesterday when I was already cutting it fine time wise. If only piggy banks had a debit card!

This is my go to bank. Right by the bus stop at city hall. A lot of the Santander banks have…read moreclosed around the city centre but this one still stands and it's probably because it's one of the best there is. There is a mortgage advisor on site and they have small offices for private meetings. Queuing times are very quick never waiting more than 5 minutes.