BarTalk

Are you hoping to claim back charges from your bank?

Steve Haslam

Cutter Inn

Ely

Cambridgeshire

It's not something that we really have to deal with, but it's scandalous that banks have got away with this for so long. I know other licensees that have been affected badly - wouldn't we all love to charge £35 for a letter? We're constantly being squeezed on our margins and don't get anything back when our accounts are in credit. If we treated our customers [the way] banks do there would be no pubs left! They're a law unto themselves.

More accountability is a good thing.

Chris Green

Stansfield Arms

Apperley Bridge

North Yorkshire

We have a very good relationship with our bank and I think it's worth keeping in mind that licensees may damage their relationships with banks by claiming money back. We have two pubs and our relationship with Barclays is very important to the business. You need to look after your own corner. My advice would be to negotiate and establish what your charges are going to be from the outset.

Dominic Hornsby

Fly in the Loaf

Liverpool

We're managed by Okells brewery on the Isle of Man and we do all our banking with the Post Office, which I don't think charges us when our account is overdrawn. I think it is absolutely scandalous that the banks charge so much for just handling cash - that's all it is. Why should the banks be able to make more money than the pubs?

Nigel Anstead

White Horse

Bedford

We actually switched from Lloyds TSB to NatWest three years ago and on the whole we've been happy with the service. We switched because we could not reconcile our charges and we were always put through to a call centre, which was no use at all. With NatWest we have a good relationship with our bank manager who regularly comes to see us for lunch, both for business and socially. Generally, though, I think that bank charges are far too high overall.