Santander has announced major changes will be coming to its UK branch opening hours from July.
The changes mean branches will operate from 9.30am to 3pm on weekdays, instead of until 4.30pm. It comes as a "response to long-term trends" in customer behaviour.
The bank said branch staff will still be available for pre-booked face-to-face appointments between 3pm and 5pm, if customers need support that cannot be provided through alternative channels or earlier in the day. However, a handful of branches situated in shopping centres will be excluded from the changes.
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The bank said the number of customers using its branches fell by a third (33%) over the two years before the coronavirus pandemic, and a further 50% in 2020 and 12% in 2021. The changes will take place from July 18 and Santander said there will be no compulsory redundancies or a reduction of employee working hours as a result.
The website states: "The way many customers manage their money and banking has continued to change and the recent pandemic has accelerated this. Fewer customers are visiting our branches and many are finding it convenient to use Mobile or Online Banking or contact us by telephone for their day-to-day banking.
"So, we’ve looked at how we can help our branch staff to continue providing a face-to-face service as well as supporting those customers that now prefer to contact us by telephone. If you need help that we can’t provide using Mobile, Online or Telephone Banking or during our branch opening hours, please call us on 03309 123 123."
There are also plans for the bank to beef up its telephone support for customers and branch staff will be trained to help on the phone alongside their current face-to-face roles. There will be no branch closures as part of the changes, Santander said, adding that all of its 450 sites will remain open every weekday.
The shake-up will see 316 branches move from being open from 9.30am to 4pm on Saturdays to operating a half-day service, closing at 12.30pm. Face-to-face appointments can still be made at these branches until 4pm and 76 branches will retain their current half-day opening hours on a Saturday, as 58 sites will remain closed on a Saturday.
There will be also be no change in the number of branches open on a Saturday, with 87% sites operating from 9.30am to 12.30pm.
Richard Owen, head of branches at Santander, said: "These changes will enable us to maintain our existing branch network while providing significant additional capacity to help customers who want to talk to us by phone. We have seen a continuing reduction in branch usage over several years, both before and since the peak of the pandemic, with many customers preferring to transact digitally or contact us by 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 will be writing to regular branch customers to explain the new opening hours and to offer support.
Bank branch and ATM closures in recent years have sparked concern about people being easily able to access their money. The Government has said it will legislate to protect the future of cash.
Santander said it remains actively committed to the wider access to cash movement, with representation on several industry working groups and participation in the Cash Action Group's shared hub initiative. More information about opening times can be found online here.
