Republic Bank is shifting its south coast operations from Worthing and Wildey to Coconut Walk, Rockley, in the premises formerly occupied by Scotiabank, as part of a move it said was aimed at improving efficiency while maintaining customer service and preserving jobs.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Republic Bank (Barbados) Limited, Carlene Seudat, told reporters on Thursday the Worthing branch will close its doors at month-end, while the Wildey branch will shut on April 30. The new Coconut Walk branch is scheduled to open on May 4.
While 15 000 customers would be affected by the closure of the two branches, Seudat maintained they would still be able to access banking services across the bank’s network.
She said: “Based on all of the work that we’ve done from our documentation and a customer‑facing perspective, there is no change to the customer. Just as currently any customer can do any branch banking in Republic Bank throughout the network.”
Customers who previously relied on the Wildey and Worthing branches would still have the option of accessing services at other locations, including the new Coconut Walk branch, she insisted.
“Those customers from Wildey could easily transition, and Worthing and Lime Grove and anywhere that we’re located can now transition and do their business at the Coconut Walk branch,” Seudat said.
The automatic teller machines (ATMs) at the Wildey and Worthing may be removed as part of the transition, but Seudat suggested that customers would have access to expanded ATM services at the new location.
“I believe most likely it will be shut down. We continue to review our ATM landscape throughout the region and throughout the country, and at this point, based on the negotiations that we have and the arrangements that we’ve made, that will be removed,” she explained.
“However, at the new location, we will have four ATMs, three attached to the branch and a drive‑through.”
The managing director also sought to give an assurance to employees that the merger of the two branches into one would not lead to job losses.
“We had started our staff engagement via the union since last year and we actually went directly to staff at the beginning of January,” she said. “We have since spoken to all staff members.”
Seudat acknowledged that the new branch will have a smaller footprint than the two locations combined, but said staff members will be redeployed within the bank.
“All staff who are not going to be absorbed by the new branch, because the new branch has less footprint combined, they will now be redeployed in our existing other five branches that will continue to exist, because they are now going to turn into six branches.”
Touting the new branch’s more open, digitally focused layout, Seudat said: “The new branch at Coconut Walk has the outfitting, the modernisation, the environment of digital that we’re moving toward, so that both our employees and customers continue to enjoy our services.”
She also encouraged customers to make greater use of alternative banking channels such as ATMs and digital platforms, suggesting that many customers prefer to avoid visiting branches unless necessary.
“It’s time spent that’s really unnecessary, given all of the demands of their day. So we’re trying to now craft a branch, and this will be a bit of a newer look and feel for us, where they can have the availability to use both the alternate channels quite freely, learn about what else exists in terms of other products and services that could prevent them from having to come to the branch.”
Seudat was speaking to reporters at an International Women’s Day Breakfast Seminar at the Courtyard by Marriott on Thursday.
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