ABN Amro to open 100 advisory focussed branches
(13 June 2005 – Europe) Dutch giant ABN Amro is repositioning itself as an advisory bank rather than a transaction based one by opening 100 new financial centres in the Netherlands over the next 12 months.
ABN Amro chief executive Jan Peter Schmittmann said the role of bank branches was changing very fast, from transaction based branches to advanced advice centres, a trend the bank had responded to over the past two years.
The bank said the new centres would offer instant advice without the need of an appointment and a product range suited to the local market.
The centres have a big emphasis on being customer friendly, opening on Saturdays and weekday evenings and featuring "open and modern architecture".
ABN Amro said it saw the role of these kinds of branches as being "crucial" for the realisation of its strategy, which was to be the "home bank" for all of its clients with a greater emphasis on personal service.
"Despite the fact that, on average, clients visit a bank branch only twice a year and are very satisfied with our services via the internet and the call centres, the branches are the main driver of customer satisfaction," Schmittmann said.
The bank said the new centres would offer instant advice without the need of an appointment and a product range suited to the local market.
The centres have a big emphasis on being customer friendly, opening on Saturdays and weekday evenings and featuring "open and modern architecture".
ABN Amro said it saw the role of these kinds of branches as being "crucial" for the realisation of its strategy, which was to be the "home bank" for all of its clients with a greater emphasis on personal service.
"Despite the fact that, on average, clients visit a bank branch only twice a year and are very satisfied with our services via the internet and the call centres, the branches are the main driver of customer satisfaction," Schmittmann said.