HSBC has issued an inordinate amount of apologetic press releases for their UK customers. So many people had trouble logging into their accounts to access online banking and even trouble with the mobile app. The issues began around 11:00 BST on Wednesday, leaving many unable to manage their accounts, which has raised concerns among users.
Tens of thousands of people filed complaints about HSBC’s service on the outage-tracking site Downdetector. That continued outage quickly sparked outcry from users who took to social media to share their displeasure at not being able to access their financial information. As one customer put it, “It’s very frustrating and very concerning,” underscoring the dramatic impact of such failures on a customer or business’s day-to-day banking operations.
The ongoing issues come at a time when HSBC is already under scrutiny for its decision to close 114 bank branches across the UK in 2022. Although the bank committed to halting any further closures until 2026, the reduction in physical locations has left many customers reliant on online services. As banking services shift more to the digital realm, outages like this worsen fears about availability and dependability.
Over the past few years, dozens of banks in the UK have reduced their branch networks. Consequently, customers are increasingly turning to digital. Because of this, there’s no wonder that your customers are rightfully worried when they encounter system hiccups that limit their ability to access the banking services they need.
HSBC was the first to realize the depth of the disruption. They promised customers that they are handling the situation with the highest level of seriousness and expediency.
“We’re really sorry and are investigating as a matter of urgency.” – HSBC
Our customers are very impatiently looking for a solution. It’s within this context that we see how important reliable online banking options are to an increasingly digital-first population. The HSBC logo features four red triangles in a white lozenge. The bank is currently focused on bringing its systems back to full functionality and winning back the trust of its users.