Santander will reduce bank branch opening hours
Santander is cutting its branch opening hours from July, a response to long-term trends in customer behavior.
The change means that branches will operate from 9.30 am to 3 pm on weekdays instead of 4.30 pm.
The bank said that branch staff will be available for face-to-face meeting between 3 pm and 5 pm in case customers require support through alternative channels or which could not be provided earlier in the day.
A handful of branches located in shopping centers will be excluded from the changes.
These include the Gateshead Metro branch, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; The Sheffield Meadowhall branch will be open from 10.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. on weekdays; And the Basingstoke branch will be open Monday to Friday from 9.30 am to 7 pm.
Before and after the peak of the pandemic, we have seen a steady decline in branch usage over the years, with many customers preferring to transact digitally or contact us by phone.
Richard Owen, Santander
Santander said the Work Cafe in Leeds would also be open between 9am and 4.30pm on weekdays.
The bank said the number of customers using its branches fell by a third (33 per cent) in the two years before the coronavirus pandemic, and by 50 per cent in 2020 and 12 per cent in 2021.
The changes will take place from July 18 and Santander said there will be no mandatory redundancies or reduction in employee working hours as a result.
The bank plans to enhance its telephone support for customers and said branch staff will be trained to help them over the phone with their current face-to-face roles.
The shake-up will see 316 branches open from 9.30 am to 4 pm on Saturdays and will close at 12.30 pm to operate half-day service.
Face-to-face appointments can be made in these branches till 4 pm.
Meanwhile, 76 branches will retain their current half-day opening hours on Saturdays, and 58 sites will remain closed on Saturdays.
There will be no branch closures as part of the changes, Santander said, adding that all 450 of its sites will remain open every week.
There will also be no change in the number of branches opening on Saturdays, with 87 per cent of the sites operating from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm.
The bank said the change reflects an in-depth review when customers use its branches.
Most Santander Bank branches will operate in reduced hours from mid-July
(PA)
Richard Owen, Head of Branches at Santander, said: “These changes will enable us to maintain our existing branch network, while also providing significant additional capacity to help customers who wish to speak to us on the phone.
“We have seen a steady decline in branch usage over the years before and after the peak of the pandemic, with many customers preferring to transact digitally or contact us over the phone.
“We want to make sure we have the right mix of channels to help our customers however they choose to bank with us.”
Santander said it would write to regular branch customers to explain and support new opening hours.
The closure of bank branches and ATMs in recent years has raised concerns about people having easy access to their money. The government has said that it will enact a law to protect the future of cash.
Several industry initiatives are taking place, such as cashback in stores, and shared “banking hubs”.
Santander said it is actively committed to broader reach of the cash movement, with representation on multiple industry working groups and participation in the Cash Action Group’s Common Hub initiative.
