Not upheld: Service failures generally complaint against HSBC UK Bank Plc

Decision detail

Summary

Ms D complained that HSBC agents handled her calls unprofessionally and impolitely when she called on 8 July 2025 about a direct debit that continued despite cancellation. The ombudsman reviewed call recordings and found that while Ms D had legitimate reasons to be angry about the direct debit issue, she became increasingly rude during the call, repeatedly swearing at the agent and making highly distressing comments. The agent maintained professionalism and dignity throughout the call. The ombudsman concluded the complaint was not upheld as the agent's conduct was professional despite Ms D's escalating rudeness.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman listened to all calls and found that while Ms D had legitimate reasons to be angry about the direct debit issue, her conduct during the call escalated inappropriately. The agent asked reasonable preliminary questions, and when Ms D refused to answer and became increasingly rude, the agent maintained professionalism throughout repeated swearing, cursing in another language, and making highly distressing comments. The agent's calm and dignified handling of the situation demonstrated professional conduct, not the unprofessional and impolite behaviour Ms D alleged.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website