Anyone been in Barclays recently?

Anyone been in Barclays recently? I went in my local branch today for the first time in several weeks. There is only one counter position now, with a sign saying it is for commercial and business users. Everyone else has to use the new self service tills. The self service tills were emblazoned with signs saying "Barclays empowering you."

There were three of these ssts. When I went in today, one till was out of order, one till was occupied by a very slow elderly gent trying to puzzle out how to use it, and one till was occupied by an irate customer as it seemed to have swallowed his card. A member of staff was discussing whether he could find someone to open it up for him.

Nearby a desolate customer was complaining plaintively to another customer that his account had been frozen and he did not know why and wanted to discuss it with someone. He had come down to the branch to be told there was no manager and no one available to discuss it with him, he would have to go home and phone customer services. What happened to personal bankers?

The queue for the single till (which also handled foreign currency), was about 15 people long and growing. They could not open another one as there was physically just the one one till. You know some people, including my sister, are numerically challenged. She is with Lloyds who still have cashiers, so my OH tells me. I don't know what she will do if they go the same way as Barclays.
«13

Comments

  • agrinnall
    agrinnall Posts: 23,344
    First Post Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    littlerock wrote: »
    I don't know what she will do if they go the same way as Barclays.

    I'd say it's pretty likely with the High Street banks. Using a Building Society may be a better option as they generally don't have the funds (perhaps excluding Nationwide) to invest in the technology required for unattended banking so they have real people behind the counter.
  • Thrugelmir
    Thrugelmir Posts: 89,546
    Name Dropper Photogenic First Anniversary First Post
    Forumite
    littlerock wrote: »
    I went in my local branch today for the first time in several weeks.

    What happened to personal bankers?

    Lack of demand obviously. As usage of branched diminishes.
  • littlerock
    littlerock Posts: 1,774
    First Post Combo Breaker First Anniversary
    Forumite
    My town is a busy tourist destination and a popular retirement destination. The local Barclays branch is always very full with both local residents and visitors to the town. I see that the change has been rolled out for some time, so my branch must be one of the last to be converted.

    Looking it up, it says every branch will have a trained greeter with an ipad at the entrance. Mine certainly does not. There was a harrassed junior member of staff trying to calm down an irate customer but he was not waiting at the entrance and he did not have an ipad (the barclays staff member of course).
  • Robin9
    Robin9 Posts: 12,055
    First Post First Anniversary Name Dropper
    Forumite
    My branch still has cashier's and a self-service.

    But now only open three days a week.
    Never pay on an estimated bill
  • Browntoa
    Browntoa Posts: 49,288
    Name Dropper Photogenic First Post First Anniversary
    Ambassador
    cant remember the last time I went into a branch , online banking via app or phone call on a very rare occasion
    I'm a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Shopping and Freebies, Phones and TV and Over 50s boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing . All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
  • FOREVER21
    FOREVER21 Posts: 1,729
    Energy Saving Champion I've been Money Tipped!
    Forumite
    Barclays, in Newcastle city centre has also now gone "automated", no sign of a cashier at all. Although I was told afterwards cahiers were available downstairs for business and premier customers.


    you are confronted by a row of machines, some of which only dispense cash whilst others accept cash, cheques and issue statements and give out cash.


    As they have just opened this new branch they had a greeter complete with ipad and another 4 members of staff standing by the machines to help out and explain the new system.


    It did seem to work ok no sign of any irrate customers. I was withdrawing money and this hit a snag when I was asked which notes I wanted, I keyed in what I thought was the correct amount but I had obviously done something wrong as I got an error code and told to try again.


    I had then to start from scratch again but this time I got the cash. Interestingly checking my account at home I found the first attempt had been shown as a withdrawal ,together with the second attempt, but then a correction had been made and one amount was credited back to my account.


    I suppose one has to move with the times, but as an earlier poster suggested this move was due to lack of useage in branches this was clearly not the case here as this branch was always very busy.


    No I think it is down to the fact that Barclays as other banks see this of a way of reducing staff costs.
  • The branch might 'always be very busy' but it depends on the sorts of transactions being done. If it's simple things like withdrawing cash or paying in cheques, why spend £16k a year plus costs employing a cashier?
    DEBT FREE!

    Debt free by Xmas 2014: £3555.67/£4805.67 (73.99%)
    Debt free by Xmas 2015: £1250/£1250 (100.00%)
  • littlerock
    littlerock Posts: 1,774
    First Post Combo Breaker First Anniversary
    Forumite
    edited 6 October 2016 at 4:32PM
    Well as I said it is a tourist destination and home to a lot of well heeled retirees. There are a lot of upmarket shops who I assume have to bank their takings regularly, and tourists, and locals, changing foreign currency. It is not just the occasional person with a small cheque to cash.

    The financial press says that Barclays needs to save money due to bad investment decisions and fines for dubious practice. The branch network used to be profitable and underpinned the rest of their nefarious practices. One has to say that Barclays does not seem to be interested in high street customers anymore.

    There are no greeters in my branch. The young man trying to calm down an irate customer had just come out from round the back inside the branch (I saw him come out.) No one was helping the elderly gentleman. The whole thing was a very unpleasant experience.
  • It was probably profitable from branch advisors misselling PPI and investments to customers.
    DEBT FREE!

    Debt free by Xmas 2014: £3555.67/£4805.67 (73.99%)
    Debt free by Xmas 2015: £1250/£1250 (100.00%)
  • Have you been to Santander recently? There are 2-3 counter positions and most are in use my elderly people recounting tales of their grandchildren.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 342.5K Banking & Borrowing
  • 249.9K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 234.6K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 607.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 172.8K Life & Family
  • 247.4K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.8K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards