Why Chris Pitt of first direct believes there's no substitute for a friendly Yorkshire accent

"I've worked in financial services all my career and there are two types of trust; rational trust and emotional trust,’’ he said.

"Although most people believe, quite rationally, that no bank is going to steal their money, few banks command emotional trust; and the customer believes that the bank is on their side.

"Over many years, first direct has built up levels of emotional trust. I personally speak to customers when they have had an issue. Our complaint levels are very low, but it's important that I as CEO call them up and see how we can help if there have been problems.”

Customers can also expect a speedy response whenever they pick up the phone.

"The average time it takes to receive an answer when you pick up the phone to first direct is 12 seconds,” said Mr Pitt. “I see our staff come alive when they answer customers' calls and I like them to tell me the factors that might be stopping us from providing a great service.”

first direct, which launched in Leeds 34 years ago, is the bank that never closes. Its staff answer the phone around the clock and it is an easily accessible presence on customers’ mobile phones or laptops.

Mr Pitt was previously at HSBC UK where he was responsible for the marketing activity for wealth and personal banking, commercial banking, first direct and Marks & Spencer Bank. Earlier in his career, he worked in roles at TSB and Tesco Bank where his experience spanned the development and launch of mortgage, insurance, credit card and investment products.

"I was head of marketing at HSBC in the UK which is best job I've had until I got this one,” Mr Pitt recalled.

"I feel very attuned culturally and emotionally with first direct. From our bases in working class districts in Stourton (Leeds) and Hamilton (in Scotland), we think of ourselves very much as a family.

"First direct decided to base itself in Leeds in 1989 because of the natural warmth of the Yorkshire accent and the quality of the workforce. We are very supportive of the UK economy, especially in the North of England.”

First direct’s customer service is driven by the knowledge that banking can be complicated and important, according to Mr Pitt.

He said: “On 70 per cent of the calls that are made to first direct, the customer deals with just one person; they are helped by their first point of contact in the company.

"We take around 70,000 to 80,000 calls a year. Some people continue to do banking by telephone and when they call they get straight through to a human being. There are no instructions to press '1' for further help. We are here 24 hours a day every day of the year,’’ he said.

"People want to do things simply and straightforwardly. January was our strongest ever month for current account growth. Around 50 per cent of our new customers are under 35. We attract customers because of our fantastic customer service. We want to double in size over the next four to five years."

Mr Pitt also hopes to help more young people find a place on the housing ladder. For many people in their twenties and thirties, home ownership seems to be an impossible dream. First direct has developed tools that could help young people develop successful money-management strategies.

He said: “The reason it's harder for young people to get a foot on the housing ladder is not rocket science, it's the multiplier effect with house prices increasing faster than average salaries. We want to encourage people to save and build their wealth with tools such as FD Insights and FD coach. FD Coach provides insights into how you are spending your money and can be used to encourage you to think about how you might build up a nest egg.

"Around 30,000 people have visited a section of our website that provides advice about cost of living. We are really engaged with our customers and don't want to see them pay unnecessary fees. We need to be proactive and will continue to challenge the unfairness facing younger customers and provide them with hope. For example, we support the charity Shelter and an organisation in Leeds called Into University, which promotes social mobility.”

This commitment to social mobility is reflected in a recent initiative which aimed to raise aspirations among local school children.

"We have had around 70 children in our building in Leeds recently to discuss possible careers in financial services,’’ Mr Pitt said. “We wanted them to develop the confidence to be ambitious and gain the practical skills to be able to achieve these ambitions.”

He’s keen for consumers to have an informed awareness of the importance of banking services and managing their money.

He added: "The problem is that banking is usually in the background of people's minds. It's getting people to engage with banking and finance when it matters. That can lead to a seismic shift."

It remains a major employer in Yorkshire. Altogether around 1,350 of its 1,750 staff are based in Leeds and Mr Pitt confirmed that first direct hired an extra 325 people in the first quarter of the year across the business. Customers, it seems, just can’t get enough of the rich, authentic, Yorkshire accent.

Mr Pitt said: "We picked Leeds as our home because of the positivity, warmth and engagement of local people. Our customers just love talking to people from Yorkshire."