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Flipped out: bad customer service and the burger van

"Press 1 to speak to an adviser….You are number 17 in the queue….Your call is important to us, we'll get to you soon..." If you’ve ever been stuck on the phone listening to those pre-recorded voices whilst having to choose a never ending list of options, then you understand the pain of bad customer service.

At first direct, we know that customers really care about how they interact with businesses. In fact, recent research from first direct shows that 84% of people think good service should come as standard these days and a further 33% said they would never interact with a business again after a poor experience.

Stats are great, but as a bank we're all about the human touch, so we designed a little experiment to show just how important customer service is in real life. To get to the bottom of the matter, we decided to open a burger van. Well, two actually...

  • Bring on the beef (vegetarian options also available)

    Picture the scene, it's lunchtime at a busy street food market and there's a brand new burger van on the scene. If there's one thing people love, it's a freshly grilled burger. But they're in for shock.

    Despite it's sleek look, BurGrr isn’t quite what it seems. Instead of being greeted by friendly staff, the customers have to interact with a glitchy ordering system voiced by a sarcastic robot who thinks it’s okay to offer veggie burgers with a side of bacon.

    Before things turn ugly out there, first direct's fastfood response team swoop in to save this lunchtime from a disappointing end and show what a difference great service makes.

    The team soon transform BurGrr into an altogether more friendly outfit called Two Buns & A Bank. Manned by smiling first direct staff who are ready to go above and beyond the call of duty to give customers a dining experience they'll never forget. Claire Kenny, Stephen Friel, Katie Skinner, Samantha Jennings and Danielle Irvin (all members of the first direct customer support team) are soon drawing the customers in.

    So what makes this van so special? Fully customised orders with a personal thank you message, a specialist sauce sommelier offering a range of condiments, and a breath freshening station for a post-patty cleanse. The looks on the customers' faces say it all: Two Buns & A Bank is top of the pop-ups.

    Picture the scene, it's lunchtime at a busy street food market and there's a brand new burger van on the scene. If there's one thing people love, it's a freshly grilled burger. But they're in for shock.

    Despite it's sleek look, BurGrr isn’t quite what it seems. Instead of being greeted by friendly staff, the customers have to interact with a glitchy ordering system voiced by a sarcastic robot who thinks it’s okay to offer veggie burgers with a side of bacon.

    Before things turn ugly out there, first direct's fastfood response team swoop in to save this lunchtime from a disappointing end and show what a difference great service makes.

    The team soon transform BurGrr into an altogether more friendly outfit called Two Buns & A Bank. Manned by smiling first direct staff who are ready to go above and beyond the call of duty to give customers a dining experience they'll never forget. Claire Kenny, Stephen Friel, Katie Skinner, Samantha Jennings and Danielle Irvin (all members of the first direct customer support team) are soon drawing the customers in.

    So what makes this van so special? Fully customised orders with a personal thank you message, a specialist sauce sommelier offering a range of condiments, and a breath freshening station for a post-patty cleanse. The looks on the customers' faces say it all: Two Buns & A Bank is top of the pop-ups.

first direct BurGrr

  • May the best van win

    Two Buns & A Bank proved great service is king when it comes to burgers - and the same goes for banking. It's easy to dish up customer service like it's a tired old set menu with nothing but a few basic options. At first direct we serve up an altogether different experience for our customers. We treat them as individuals, solve their problems quickly and strive to exceed their expectations at every turn. If you re looking for a bank with award-winning service that puts its customers first, then look no further.

    So if you're looking for a bank with award-winning service that puts its customers first, then look no further. It's a simple process to switch to us. Find out more here. Account terms and conditions apply.

    Two Buns & A Bank proved great service is king when it comes to burgers - and the same goes for banking. It's easy to dish up customer service like it's a tired old set menu with nothing but a few basic options. At first direct we serve up an altogether different experience for our customers. We treat them as individuals, solve their problems quickly and strive to exceed their expectations at every turn. If you re looking for a bank with award-winning service that puts its customers first, then look no further.

    So if you're looking for a bank with award-winning service that puts its customers first, then look no further. It's a simple process to switch to us. Find out more here. Account terms and conditions apply.