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A new community banking van for towns across Rodney and Northland is set to begin operating in the coming months, which will expand face-to-face banking services across the region.
Proposed stops for the mobile branch include Wellsford, Mangawhai, Waipu, Kawakawa and Paihia.
The focus of the service is on improving access for communities that may not have a nearby physical branch.
It’s designed to provide non-cash banking support such as opening accounts, loan applications and will help customers to use online banking tools.
Westpac NZ chief executive officer Catherine McGrath says the bank recognises that many customers prefer meeting with someone face-to-face for important moments and decisions.
“While more and more New Zealanders are choosing to do their banking digitally, there’s still a need for quality face-to-face conversations between our bankers and customers,” she says.
xcvp,“We think our frontline teams are a real strength, with three-quarters of surveyed customers we interact with in branch or on the phone saying they’re ‘very satisfied’ with our service.
“By listening to customer feedback and introducing some innovative new options, we’ve added nine new points of presence in the past six months where customers can visit us. The new vans and community bankers will add several more points of presence over the coming year.”
The van forms part of a wider rollout that also includes a second new van servicing Canterbury, joining an existing community banking van already operating in Southland.
“Our community banker vans … travel between locations where there’s not enough demand for a full-service branch, but our customers still need support and advice.
“Our Southland van regularly visits Te Anau, Winton and Riverton, along with Invercargill. It parks in places you wouldn’t normally expect to see banking services.
“Customers appreciate us showing up in places they’re comfortable and familiar with, like outside RSAs and churches, rather than having to visit a branch, which can be intimidating for some.
“Having expert bankers on the ground is helping us strengthen our connections to the community. We can help vulnerable and older customers manage their money better, including educating them about online banking.
“While the vans are cashless, bankers will help customers with cash services at nearby ATMs where possible.
“We’re also looking at taking them further afield to help our business customers set up recognised seasonal employer workers with bank accounts in places like Marlborough and Bay of Plenty.”
This service would also benefit seasonal workers around the more remote areas of Rodney.
“These workers play a critical role in our horticulture and viticulture industries. We want to make it easy for them to access essential banking services, which will also benefit our customers who employ them.
“Having mobile banking vans gives us that flexibility to support communities when and where they need it.”
Westpac is presently working through the exact schedule of the vans.
A fourth van will enter service later this year in a yet-to-be confirmed region.
