Lloyds bank no longer offering face to face appointment?

lolaparker

I have banked with Lloyds since I was 16 … ( I am now retired ) I  have always been happy with service and have gone with the times and now use internet and telephone banking for day to day transactions and occasionally opening / closing accounts

however , I was always reassured to know that if I had a complex need , I could have a face to face appointment in branch with a “manager”.   The  titles and names changed over the years but I always had a named  someone at the branch as my point of contact 

I recently had a phone call from my new “ relationship manager “ ?? Saying the service was now changing to “ Microsoft teams virtual appointments “ ???  Whatever that is ….And in future, I would no longer be able to talk to someone face to face in branch …

why? I hold all my financial products including current and savings accounts , credit cards and home insurance with the bank. So surely if I am such a “ valued” customer, the least they can do is let me talk to someone in person ! 

Do other banks still offer in branch appointments? 

Hoenir

Services require trained specialists these days. Bank managers with authority were phased out a long time ago. 

eskbanker

lolaparker said:

I recently had a phone call from my new “ relationship manager “ ?? Saying the service was now changing to “ Microsoft teams virtual appointments “ ???  Whatever that is ….And in future, I would no longer be able to talk to someone face to face in branch …

I suspect that the relationship manager was trying to encourage the use of technology rather than actually relaying a new formal policy of no branch appointments for anything, but no harm in asking for clarification, e.g. something in writing.

blue.peter

This sounds very strange, since there are some things (e.g., registering a power of attorney) for which LBG actually insists on customers attending in-branch face-to-face appointments.

400ixl

Teams is still face to face, just that the face is on your screen and you don't need to go in the branch, and the relationship manager does not need to be in the branch either.

It is still a direct interactive person to person conversation.

Fewer and fewer banks will be offering physical in person meetings, building societies may provide them for longer.. There is no real need for them these days as it can be done as a live virtual meeting, saving on a huge amount of cost and for the vast majority of people inconvenience. The number of hours wasted for people trying to get into branches during the working day and for many it is not possible.

eskbanker

400ixl said:

Fewer and fewer banks will be offering physical in person meetings

Are you aware of any high street players who've actually stopped them or indicated that they plan to?

400ixl

All of the Lloyds banking group to start with (Lloyds, Halifax, Bank of Scotland), as announced in January. Santander are well on the journey with only 2 hours per day available for face to face. Other banks are also on the same journey with closed branches, reduced hours for appointments already and shift to virtual coming.

eskbanker

400ixl said:

All of the Lloyds banking group to start with (Lloyds, Halifax, Bank of Scotland), as announced in January. Santander are well on the journey with only 2 hours per day available for face to face. Other banks are also on the same journey with closed branches, reduced hours for appointments already and shift to virtual coming.

I don't recall any LBG announcement of stopping branch appointments as such, although it's true that they started pushing their online service as an alternative, and reduced branch resourcing accordingly?  It's clearly the general direction of travel but actually denying face to face meetings altogether would be quite a significant step, given the vocal minority who either can't or won't be in a position to go wholly online....

Brie

eskbanker said:

400ixl said:

All of the Lloyds banking group to start with (Lloyds, Halifax, Bank of Scotland), as announced in January. Santander are well on the journey with only 2 hours per day available for face to face. Other banks are also on the same journey with closed branches, reduced hours for appointments already and shift to virtual coming.

I don't recall any LBG announcement of stopping branch appointments as such, although it's true that they started pushing their online service as an alternative, and reduced branch resourcing accordingly?  It's clearly the general direction of travel but actually denying face to face meetings altogether would be quite a significant step, given the vocal minority who either can't or won't be in a position to go wholly online....

I don't think Barclays announced it either but simply has made it more and more difficult to get an appointment.  Not just that so many branches have closed but that there is basically no one in a branch that has the level of diverse knowledge and/or authority to make meeting with someone productive.  

lolaparker

blue.peter said:

This sounds very strange, since there are some things (e.g., registering a power of attorney) for which LBG actually insists on customers attending in-branch face-to-face appointments.

I was told poa registration can only be done by telephone or online ….that was one of the “ complex needs” i was referring to…. Fortunately I was able to do online but what about those who can’t ? 

eskbanker

lolaparker said:

blue.peter said:

This sounds very strange, since there are some things (e.g., registering a power of attorney) for which LBG actually insists on customers attending in-branch face-to-face appointments.

I was told poa registration can only be done by telephone or online ….that was one of the “ complex needs” i was referring to…. Fortunately I was able to do online but what about those who can’t ? 

If the options are phone or online, then those who can't do it online presumably have to use the phone?  Their accessibility policy should also offer textphone or similar for those with hearing difficulties....