Sabtu, 23 Juni 2012

If Nationwide close our branches then we shut our accounts say customers

If Nationwide close our branches then we shut our accounts say customers

By Jo Thornhill

PUBLISHED: 15:47 EST, 23 June 2012 | UPDATED: 15:47 EST, 23 June 2012


Student Abbi Whitaker says branch access is important

Personal touch: Student Abbi Whitaker says branch access is important

Nationwide Building Society has just announced the closure of 23 branches â€" a blow that will devastate many customers.

The move, revealed in Financial Mail, will be completed by the end of August.

The axe will fall heavily on the Derbyshire brand that Nationwide bought in 2008.

We visited Derbyshire and found many customers at four doomed branches angry and ready to vote with their feet.

ALLESTREE 9.30am

At the Park Farm shopping centre in Allestree, North-West of Derby city centre, the shops are just opening. But there is already a steady flow of customers either visiting the Derbyshire Building Society branch or queuing outside to use its cash machine.

At the Age UK charity shop next door, volunteer Margaret Suter has just found out about the branch’s impending closure. Margaret, who worked in administration for Derby Council’s criminal mental health team until she retired, has saving s with Derbyshire.

She says: ‘I am OK, but lots of our customers are worried. They are elderly and many are not in good health. The closure makes them panic about how they will manage their money.’

Opposite the branch, at Allestree Pet Supplies, 17-year-old student Abbi Whitaker, who is working there part-time during her college studies, says she is annoyed she will not be able to manage her savings as easily as before. ‘A branch closure is bad for this area,’ says Abbi, who is studying for a national vocational qualification in animal care and hopes to become a veterinary nurse.

‘Most of my family and many friends have accounts at Derbyshire, but if we can’t use this branch I think most of us will switch elsewhere.’

There is a Barclays and a Royal Bank of Scotland branch in the shopping centre as well as a post office.

‘Branch access is important,’ says Abbi. ‘It is so much easier to take your passbook into a branch in your lunch break than have to deal with your  savings online or over the phone.’

CHADDESDEN 11am

A few miles down the road in Chaddesden, east of the city, a smaller Derbyshire branch is located in a parade of shops just off Nottingham Road.

There is a Tesco Express nearby with a free cash machine, a newsagent, bakery shop and travel agent, as well as a range of fast-food restaurants.  But Derbyshire is the only bank or building society. The nearest bank is a Barclays close to Derby County’s Pride Park ground about a mile away.

Retired printer David Farq uar, 70, has lived in Chaddesden â€" known locally as ‘Chad’ â€" for 50 years and has saved with Derbyshire for the past 20. He pops in to the branch once a week and has a passbook savings account.

‘I’m disgusted this branch is closing,’ he says. ‘I used to bank with Abbey National, which is now owned by Santander.

‘But a few years ago it closed all its branches in Derby’s suburbs. The post office here also closed. I can’t understand it. This Derbyshire branch is always busy.’

SPONDON 12.15pm

Lunchtime in this historic village a few miles east of Derby and Captain Sam’s fish and chip shop, in business for 60 years, is doing a roaring trade.

Assistant Elaine Flint says her mother Barbara, 82, has already moved her savings to the RBS branch in Spondon. ‘Mum is frail and not mobile so she can’t travel far on the bus,’ says Elaine. ‘The nearest Derbyshire branch is Borrowash, which is a 15-minute dri ve or bus ride away.’

Joyce and Michael Dunn, both 78, who have lived in Spondon for 41 years, have also closed their Derbyshire accounts. ‘We saved with Derbyshire for 30 years and we liked going in to the branch,’ says Joyce.

Michael, a retired engineer for Rolls-Royce, admits they can get into Derby for free on the regular bus service. But he says: ‘It’s busy in the city, so we will probably switch our savings to the RBS branch in Spondon.’

LONG EATON 1.30pm

The large Derbyshire branch on the roundabout on Derby Road has a steady stream of customers.

Christine Shelbourne, 60, a former inspector at an upholstery factory in Long Eaton, says: ‘I’ve come today for some advice about my savings because I’ve just retired and want to have a better handle on my money.’

Christine, who has a daughter and two grandchildren, adds: ‘I don’t want to bank online or by phone. I feel more comfortabl e speaking to someone in the branch.’ She has lived in Long Eaton all her life and believes the community will feel the loss of the Derbyshire branch.

‘It is a popular and well-known brand,’ she says. ‘I’m upset this branch is going. I will have to drive to Derby now to visit the branch there, but the parking is horrendous.’

Other Derbyshire closures are in Alvaston, Duffield and Somercotes, all in Derbyshire; Eastwood and West Bridgford, in Nottinghamshire; and Normanton, West Yorkshire. ATMs at these branches will also be removed.

Nationwide is also shutting three Cheshire Building Society branches â€" in Bramhall, Greater Manchester, and Culcheth and Stockton Heath in Cheshire â€" and one Dunfermline Building Society branch in Stenhousemuir near Falkirk.

Matthew Wyles, group distribution director at Nationwide, says the decision to close branches was difficult but carefully considered.

‘We have a collective responsibility to our entire membership to run the business as efficiently as possible,’ he says. ‘Typically the decision to close or merge a branch is based on a number of factors, including the  proximity of other branches, profitability, expiring leases and declining customer usage.’

Since Nationwide announced its decision to close branches in Derbyshire, Loughborough Building Society says it has seen a 66 per cent increase in footfall at its Derby and Long Eaton branches. The mutual has three other branches in Loughborough, Leicester and Southwell, Nottinghamshire.

Gary Brebner, chief executive, says: ‘There are many people living outside cities and towns that rely on visiting a bank or building society branch close to home. It shouldn’t be presumed that everyone is content to travel great distances to visit a branch.

‘This trend of branch closures is disappointing for communities, but we are committed to cust omer service and see this as an opportunity to help those abandoned by other providers.’

...but expanding Metro Bank wins friends

Not everyone is turning their backs on the High Street.
Metro Bank, which was launched almost two years ago, already has 12 branches with a further six scheduled to open  by 2014.

The new branches will be in Brighton; Reading; Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire; Romford, Essex; Staines, West London; and Epsom, Surrey.
Metro’s focus to date has  been largely within the M25 with branches in central and Greater London as well as Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.

But it plans to extend its network to 200 nationwide by 2020. Branches are open  seven days a week.

Anthony Newbury, 63, a retired chauffeur from Amersham, Buckinghamshire, switched from Nationwide to Metro two months ago. He was fed up with high charges on his overdraft. He opened a current account in the High Wycombe branch in Buckin ghamshire, which opened in March. He has also taken  out a loan.

‘The attitude in Metro was like a breath of fresh air,’ says Anthony, who does volunteer work helping the elderly.

‘The staff were helpful and getting accepted for a loan wasn’t a problem. The opening hours are flexible â€" and there is the bonus that my two dogs are welcome in the branch.’

Here's what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

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Actually do the deed, rather than just talk about it. Banks Building societies are complacent enough to realise that they can hack and slash left, right, and centre in the knowledge that few will move their accounts when the chips are down. Where are you going to move to in any case? Are they not all as bad as each other these days? Is there such a thing as a bank/building society that has massively increased branch presence around the country?

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Do not expect this to be the last bout of closures, Nationwide are more more concerned about profit rather than service to customers via attractive rates offers. The next to be hit will be the inner city branches that do not provide the lucrative investment business. Watch this space!

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May I ask? Why are you still with them to threaten to leave them?

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