RBS are to close another 158 branches (30 RBS and 128 NatWest branches) across Scotland and England. 300 staff will move to back office jobs but 362 employees are expected to lose their jobs. The bank will end up with an estate consisting of 30 RBS and 128 NatWest branches.
RBS blame the closures in part due to the number of customer carrying out traditional in-branch banking transactions online.
“Simple transactions undertaken in branch at NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland have fallen by 43% since 2010, while online and mobile transactions have increased by more than 400%. We interact with our customers over 20 times more through digital channels than physical ones.”
– RBS Spokesman
RBS and NatWest are investing in specialist ‘TechXperts’, to ensure branch staff are trained to support customers in using online and mobile banking. Previously they had announced that by the end of April 2017, more than 1,000 NatWest TechXperts and 200 Royal Bank of Scotland TechXperts will be in post, one for every branch in England, Scotland and Wales. It’s not known if these numbers will be adjusted by the new branch closures.
Trade Union Unite point out that “people like the face-to-face contact that having a physical presence in the high street provides. Pensioners, people with mobility issues, and those without internet access are being particularly hard-hit – especially in rural areas. Small businesses are also badly affected – especially those that rely on cash-handing. They say that survey after survey have found that the majority of people believe convenient local branches are essential or very important to them“.
Does your business still rely on your local bank branch, or are you now forced to speak to a call centre? Which do you prefer – has the consolidation of advisers resulted in a better service, or do you find it’s now a computer making decisions and the days of a local business consultant or bank manager that personally knew you and your business worked better?
One Response
I hope that affected NatWest customers move their business to the nearest competitor who still has a local branch.