The Royal Bank of Scotland has apologised after a technical glitch left customers unable to make online or card payments for around three hours on Monday evening.
The technical glitch affecting RBS, NatWest and Ulster Bank customers disrupted systems between 18:30 and 21:30 in the evening, preventing customers from making purchases and accessing their funds.
The bank said it did not know what had caused the glitch, but assured customers that systems are back to normal. However, some customers have reported abnormalities in their balances on Tuesday.
The bank has promised to compensate any customers that have been left “out of pocket” as a result of the downtime.
Long Series of Problems
The glitch is the latest in a series of embarrassing technical problems to have affected the bank in the last 18 months.
In June 2012, problems caused by a software upgrade locked customers out of their accounts for several days, with Ulster Bank the worst affected.
The resulting backlog of up to 100 million transactions meant that payments in and out of accounts were delayed by several days, causing widespread disruption.
Just one month later, in July, a separate problem left customers unable to access their accounts or pay for goods using debit cards.
The bank experienced a further glitch earlier this year, which prevented customers from carrying out basic banking services.
Customer Service
The issues are a challenge for the group’s new chief executive, Ross McEwan, who faces an uphill battle to retain customers following the launch of the new seven-day current account switching system in September.
The latest TNS UK current account switch index has revealed that 17% of those who have switched using the new system have deserted RBS and NatWest for other banks.
Mr McEwan has spoken about the need for the bank to change its customer service. This is an issue that clearly resonates with customers.
Poor service has been identified as the most significant issue that has driven customers to leave their bank, according to the TNS Index. Almost one in four (22%) cited poor service as the main reason for switching to a new bank.
Are you fed up with RBS and NatWest’s frequent technical glitches? Would you consider changing bank accounts for a more reliable service? Find out more about how easy it is to switch accounts through the new seven-day current account switching system!
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