First Direct is part of Natwest, not HSBC, I thought?
I’m a Nationwide customer, and I really can’t recommend them any more, as they’re moving more and more to a profit-making setup (low interest rates on savings, even compared to the high street; high charges for being overdrawn and now for using the card abroad).
Cahoot wasn’t bad for me, in a kind of inoffensive, just works kinda way. NatWest, interestingly, hasn’t been too terrible in the last year or so. To be honest, my advice with any bank would be to spend as little time as possible in there, talking to them or in any way overlapping with them.
Banks in North America charge you for the privilege of giving them your money, but at least the customer service is decent.