Yes. ENBD is 1000 times better than HSBC: they can actually solve problems and take initiative. They just make it ridiculously hard to get through to them now with endless inane menus.

I mean more about the drive to get calls answered, handled and passed on or ended. Each team will have targets and stats. Dicking around in a menu probably helps zing a few pointless calls from getting through or to an automated thing which means calls are handled better....maybe?

I called Du the other night, forgot to pay the bill this month. Not really sure why, just totally forgot it. Anyway, rang, got through, said I could pay, not a problem....sent to main menu to follow automated process.

There is one helpful and knowledgeable lady in HSBC in Bur Dubai. She has dealt with my requests a few times over the years. I do, however, worry that she is the only good one in the whole organisation though.

As for call centres.... try HM Revenue and Customs... all voice recognition and stupid options. Was on there for 5 mins the other day when it got bored and said 'Goodbye' and hung up on me.

With that in mind, I went into HSBC last week to open a US dollar account on my normal account and the guy said that I needed to give them my National Insurance number (hence the call to HM R&C. He said this was a new requirement for all expats who originate from a tax paying country. Anyone know what this is about?

After the issue with Swiss banks a few years ago, and the theft of a database of foreign customers of one of the big Swiss banks, was leaked first to German, then British and American tax authorities, countries started beating up the banks to report taxable income to tax authorities. It has hit the Swiss, Channel Islands, and IoM banks hard (a number of banks have shut their CI and IoM locations ), but meanwhile everyone else has to provide their tax IDs, such as a British NI number, to enable reporting of income.

Thanks, just wanted to let you know how we are restricted and customer service executives usually have the problem between satisfying the customers and the organization, it is like if your parents are having a quarrel and you can't take a side or blame anyone, customers push you to solve the problems, organization asks you to reduce call times for the service level and at the same time be nice and take ownership and first call resolution, Thanks God, I am working now in a bank with not many problems like phones, internet, computers companies, God be with them, simply this job makes you think seriously, how I can be a magician to fix the problems by tickling your fingers

NBD is also international, good point the call center agents have a lot of authorities, although you maybe a lucky person (hope that is always) to not have issues with NBD but I am sure if anyone posted a thread about that bank, you will find lots of people have problems, I always say, it is not about the organization, it is about one's own destiny or karma , there are people who live in Sweden and suicide and there are people in Africa are very happy (I am sorry I talk a lot )

In the branches and customer service unites, they have more authorities, quicker solutions.

Yes all you need is to fill CRS form (self certification for Common Report Standard), you need to mention your place of birth, you resident location, TIN (Tax number) and if you dont have it you need to mention a valid reason to open a new account, that is for new regulations in all banks that adhere to international laws.

Although I wish tax systems stops but this is a must according to FATCA.

So my question is.... do I want to give them my NI number? Currently I have an account and all is good, however, I'm expecting a decent sized transfer of dollars into it and so would like a dollar account so I don't get screwed on the exchange / fees or whatever...... but currently HM R&C knows nada about my earnings and although I've nothing to hide, I'd rather it stayed like that. The least they know the better. So, is it worth taking the hit on the exchange / fees and keeping HM R&C in the dark or am I going to have to give up my NI sooner or later anyway??

If you are not required to prove it, won't any number do?

yep we recently had a new consultant from Canada join us and when he went to open an account with HSBC, they asked him for his tax number/ref for his home country and until he supplied that, he's account wouldn't be open.

Now have my NI number thanks to the good people at HM R&C.... but I am still reluctant to give it to them, however, I'm not sure going along with Weasal's advice is a good plan. How about having just one number out....? A simple mistake to make?

Transpose the two numbers. Much more convincing.

Good that you took the number, but you will have hard times with the bank

If it is reported back as a name-number mismatch, what will be the consequence?

I have no idea, but I suspect that giving deliberately false information, albeit indirectly, to HMR&C might not be the best idea you ever had.

I wouldn't be giving it to HM R&C tho, I would be giving it to HSBC....