Online and phone banking giant First Direct, the division of HSBC that introduced "no branch" banking to the UK, has stirred up the banking sector again with its decision to charge some customers £10 a month for running their current accounts.
First Direct – which has been in the vanguard of CRM usage, spearheads the uptake of CRM qualifications and accreditation, and is fielding keynote speakers at the 2007 Customer Management and Strategy Conference – has said the move only affects customers who hold less than £1,500 in their current accounts.