Pete from HSBC meets with Eric, Graham and Andrew in The Shop Next Door to open a bank account.

First an admission: the coordinators of Whtichurch Arts had hoped to have a bank account up and active a long time ago. Unfortunately, we were let down by the baNk that we filled in paperwork with last autumn. Maybe the situation wasn’t entirely their fault, maybe it was. The unfortunate point is that we were left without anywhere to conduct the business of running Whitchurch Arts!

Just like ying and yang though, some richness was to come out of the poor situation.

A local resident put us in contact with Pete Wagner, a specialist at HSBC bank.

Today, the chairman (Graham), treasurer (Eric) and secretary (Andrew) met with Pete to get the ball rolling on setting up our account. Right from the start we were off to a happier start – we met not in a branch. Not in an office either. But in our local “Shop Next Door” coffee shop. How’s that for local customer service?

Its one thing to have a brand.  Its another to live the brand.  HSBC’s tagline is “The World’s Local  Bank” – well, it cannot get more local than the coffee shop!

Within an hour the business was done, the coffee cups were cleared away and we were all on our way. The follow-up paperwork will be with us in a week and that means we should have our account active before the month is out. Efficient, professional and local service from a bank; and more importantly, a person: Pete Wagner. Thank you Pete. You were professional, friendly, and went that extra mile (or five, from Andover) to give a local group a local touch of big bank business.