Lloyds TSB Bank

This Lloyds TSB branch near Victoria Park was once my neighbourhood bank until I moved to the Bay. The customer service here was always outstanding — maybe it has something to do with the fact that it’s a bit smaller and on the outskirts of the city centre (I had a similar experience with the teeny-​tiny Lloyds near Mermaid Quay). I’m sorry to say I don’t get the same service at the branches closer to town.
When I broke up with my partner, I needed a sole bank account, as our finances were no longer intertwined. The kind woman understood the situation and walked me through every step of the process (it as my first sole account since I had moved to the UK).
It didn’t help that she knew my partner on a first-​name basis, as he had a business account with them, but I was grateful she didn’t ask any contentious questions about a UK visa or why I was in my mid 20s and getting divorced (you wouldn’t believe the things people, especially older women, think they have a right to tell you!).
Anyway, the whole experience temporarily restored my faith in financial institutions, until the recession hit, that is.