Which is the difference. My bank account is far far from the bottom of my list of priorities.
Where did I say that? I didn't. I said customer service is bottom of my list of priorities when choosing a bank account, quite how you'd managed to turn that into thinking a bank account itself is bottom of my list priorities I've no idea.
It virutally does everything for me (bar my mortgage) and therefore, I rate the ability to instantly talk to someone far higher than the odd extra pound in interest.
Talk to them about what? What it is that you need to use the customer service side so often that it begins to actually matter whether they are that good or not? There is almost nothing you cannot do online and the rare times I've visited a branch I've found the staff to be the same as in any other branch I've used - some good, some bad. They are just local people at the end of the day. Call centres I agree with you but you rarely use them.
All I can think of is talking to them about additional products and services. Loans, mortgages, etc - all of which you can and should shop around for anyway.