NatWest Branch Closures - Misleading Info on Customer Use?

WillPS

Rob5342 said:

It's amazing there are so many branches left really, it's hard to imagine why anyone would ever have any need to visit one, especially as you can pay in cash at pay offices 

This probably should be the case - however there's still a frustrating amount of situations when the 'big 5/6' still insist you turn up in branch. My most recent was because I wanted a chequebook from Barclays and they didn't have a signature of mine on record. One would have thought that could be resolved with a photo taken and submitted via an app, or if it had to be physical then a piece of paper and a reply paid envelope, but no.

Some other things that for totally arbitrarily reasons have recently required branch visits:

• upgrading a joint Lloyds bank account to Club Lloyds, when a sole account is already held
• opening a joint packaged back account with Halifax (think this is now possible via app)
• removing a party from a joint Nationwide current account
  
• closing certain linked savings accounts, even where closure is allowed by terms - HSBC, Club Lloyds
  
• switching to an existing current account with Santander (there is a way of doing this over the phone, but officially the advice is 'book an appointment within a branch')
  

I'm sure there's hundreds of examples.

penners324

WillPS said:

Rob5342 said:

It's amazing there are so many branches left really, it's hard to imagine why anyone would ever have any need to visit one, especially as you can pay in cash at pay offices 

This probably should be the case - however there's still a frustrating amount of situations when the 'big 5/6' still insist you turn up in branch. My most recent was because I wanted a chequebook from Barclays and they didn't have a signature of mine on record. One would have thought that could be resolved with a photo taken and submitted via an app, or if it had to be physical then a piece of paper and a reply paid envelope, but no.

Some other things that for totally arbitrarily reasons have recently required branch visits:

• upgrading a joint Lloyds bank account to Club Lloyds, when a sole account is already held
• opening a joint packaged back account with Halifax (think this is now possible via app)
• removing a party from a joint Nationwide current account
  
• closing certain linked savings accounts, even where closure is allowed by terms - HSBC, Club Lloyds
  
• switching to an existing current account with Santander (there is a way of doing this over the phone, but officially the advice is 'book an appointment within a branch')
  

I'm sure there's hundreds of examples.

Yet there are banks where all of that is achievable on a website or on an app

boingy

My mum still prefers to go into a branch and so far the Lloyds branch she uses is still open. But about a year ago it seems they got rid of all of the customer service staff so if you want to discuss anything you go to the teller window and they phone central customer services on your behalf, while the people in the queue behind you stand around waiting! She asked if she could make an appointment to discuss something face to face and they said "yes, but not in this branch". It's not like it's a small town or a small branch. So I imagine they'll reduce the facilities at that branch until no-one uses it then close it because no-one uses it. I suggested this to mum and she said "as long as they do that after I die"... 

WillPS

penners324 said:

WillPS said:

Rob5342 said:

It's amazing there are so many branches left really, it's hard to imagine why anyone would ever have any need to visit one, especially as you can pay in cash at pay offices 

This probably should be the case - however there's still a frustrating amount of situations when the 'big 5/6' still insist you turn up in branch. My most recent was because I wanted a chequebook from Barclays and they didn't have a signature of mine on record. One would have thought that could be resolved with a photo taken and submitted via an app, or if it had to be physical then a piece of paper and a reply paid envelope, but no.

Some other things that for totally arbitrarily reasons have recently required branch visits:

• upgrading a joint Lloyds bank account to Club Lloyds, when a sole account is already held
• opening a joint packaged back account with Halifax (think this is now possible via app)
• removing a party from a joint Nationwide current account
  
• closing certain linked savings accounts, even where closure is allowed by terms - HSBC, Club Lloyds
  
• switching to an existing current account with Santander (there is a way of doing this over the phone, but officially the advice is 'book an appointment within a branch')
  

I'm sure there's hundreds of examples.

Yet there are banks where all of that is achievable on a website or on an app

Yep. It feels like cakeism on the part of the banks to both insist that you need to visit branches because they haven't implemented a process which demonstrably can achieve the same remotely, and yet also make the process of getting to a branch increasingly difficult. Again, something a regulator should in my opinion have taken a tougher stance with and yet never did.