I like your approach — environmentally contextual.

One idea I have been trying to float, which is an extension on what you have typed (so you might have said it) is to design the branch to the demographic it will be servicing. That is, if it is is in the middle of a shopping centre go Retail, if it is near Light Industrial Areas, perhaps you have a different design to allow busineses to do what they want to do.

Of course this might be hard to get right.

best regards
Haider A Rashed
GM – Operations
Alinma Bank (Under establishment)
+966506681708

Yes, the presentation was focused on design, as promised in the presentation’s title, “The Future of Branches – Trends in Retail Financial Branch Design.” And I believe there were a number of tips in the presentation about how to use branch design to maximize sales. I should also point out that the examples included in the presentation aren’t necessarily recommendations. They are used for illustrative purposes only. Many are included simply to show extremes. And some are examples of what not to do (such as UNCB’s Starbucks-style “Gold Cafe”).

The presentation was never designed to be an all-encompassing exploration of branches. I only had 1 hour, so I packed what I could into this webinar (which was intentionally built to be visually-based). I’m sorry it doesn’t address your issues concerning staff and the strategic role/purpose of branches, but those are both excellent ideas for future “Future of Branches” presentations.

A large % of them may be elderly people who go there because they get their social interaction that way. Another large % may be going there simply to deposit their paycheck and get out (cuz’ they don’t want to use the ATM and RDC isn’t widespread yet).

You’re on the right track by focusing on the transition from transaction to interaction. For most people, banking is a CHORE. But fancy-shmancy branches don’t change that.

What’s at the core of this transition is moving a customer up the “value chain” from managing an account to managing their financial life. And there a lot of firms working on that — firms like Mint, Wesabe, Geezeo, FinanceWorks, etc. ONLINE firms.

There are too many people in the banking industry who get confused about what a “branch” is. Vernon Hill (ex-CEO of Commerce Bank) argues that nobody wants a relationship with their computer. I’d argue that nobody wants a relationship with a brick, either. A branch — historically, at least — has been nothing more than a place to have a “face to face” interaction. It’s the access to PEOPLE that has made the branch important — the ability to do things there that can’t be done (or done well) through other touchpoints. Technology is changing all that. Technology is making it possible to not only have that “face to face” contact without having to go to a physical place to do it, it’s making the support and account opening interactions better.

Some banks have tried the retail-driven, Starbucks-inspired branch design. It’s not a panacea, and it’s been a waste of money for at least some (if not most) of them. And I think you’ve mis-characterized retailers’ objectives with store design. They don’t necessarily try to make shopping “enjoyable” — they try to maximize sales.

Some banks have tried the retail-driven, Starbucks-inspired branch design. It’s not a panacea, and for many other banks and CUs, following that path may very well be a complete waste of money. Especially for those who are trying to acquire more younger consumers.

It’s a very well designed presentation, Jeffry, but I question whether it represents the “future of branches”. You’ve focused on the “design” of branches. A more important question that banks and CUs must address is the “purpose” of branches. Any bank or CU that puts money into the design of a branch before addressing the purpose question is wasting its money.