Improved service for bank customers

Press, 1 June 1988, Page 35

Improved service for bank customers

The new look Papanui Postßank is designed to deliver customer-oriented banking.

Situated within the new National Mutual House at 485 Papanui Road, the new Papanui Postßank offers off-street parking and greater access to retail shops than the existing bank premises. Since it became a State Enterprise on April 1, 1987, Postßank has been carving a commercially viable niche for Itself in the competitive New Zealand banking scene. As well as upgrading the premises it inherited from the Government, Postßank is also embarking upon new technology to become a low cost provider of banking services.

The new Papanui Post Bank which opened on May 30 incorporates the latest in retail banking facilities and shows what the new era of customer conscious, economical, no frills banking holds for Postßank’s customers. “No frills’’ does not mean banking products

inferior to those offered elsewhere, but a banking operation which will be tailored to providing increased operating efficiencies at a lower cost. For example, Postßank has already shown by experience in Christchurch and other parts of New Zealand that moving banking services into more customer-conven-ient locations can result in a significant increase in customer traffic in the branches. Based on Postßank’s experience in Rlccarton, Upper Rlccarton and Greymouth, moves into locations closer to retail businesses have resulted in customer transactions Increasing up to 50 per cent.

One aspect of the new style bank at Papanui includes the introduction of separate interview facilities so that discussions about new accounts, loans and overdrafts are held in complete privacy, over a cup of tea or coffee, and do not hold up other transactions in the teller queues.

Postßank’s strategy is to present itself as offering simple, practical and sensible ways of handling a person’s banking requirements. Chief Executive, Lindsay Pyne, says the bank will meet customer needs through an uncluttered range of products.

To this end a new mortgage scheme offering flexible, low, fixed interest rates was launched last month and several other new products to benefit consumers will also be announced soon.

On the training side, as well as giving extensive technical training, PostBank has initiated a very extensive personal development course for its staff of more than 3000. Postßank is committed to grass roots banking and will be using its traditional strength as a planform from which to offer services appropriate to a highly competitive commercial organisation and in keeping with those it believes customers want and are entitled to.