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  1. #1
    @hibs.net private member snooky's Avatar
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    RBS to shut more branches

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...-fife-38170966

    Anybody else think that RBS are using the online banking as a convenient excuse?

    They closed a branch near me saying that walk-in customers were down 11%.
    What about the rest? Did someone at a management meeting ask, "How can we pi$$ off 89% of our customers in one locality in one stroke?"

    I find their partronising adverts galling now. "We're with you every day, We're the Royal Bank for Scotland" - eh, no you're not.


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  3. #2
    @hibs.net private member CapitalGreen's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by snooky View Post
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    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...-fife-38170966

    Anybody else think that RBS are using the online banking as a convenient excuse?

    They closed a branch near me saying that walk-in customers were down 11%.
    What about the rest? Did someone at a management meeting ask, "How can we pi$$ off 89% of our customers in one locality in one stroke?"

    I find their partronising adverts galling now. "We're with you every day, We're the Royal Bank for Scotland" - eh, no you're not.
    I think you have misinterpreted the use of percentages in this article.

  4. #3
    Coaching Staff BroxburnHibee's Avatar
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    They recently closed the Broxburn branch so now it's either Newbridge or Livi. Pain in the a**.

  5. #4
    @hibs.net private member Speedy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by snooky View Post
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    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...-fife-38170966

    Anybody else think that RBS are using the online banking as a convenient excuse?

    They closed a branch near me saying that walk-in customers were down 11%.
    What about the rest? Did someone at a management meeting ask, "How can we pi$$ off 89% of our customers in one locality in one stroke?"

    I find their partronising adverts galling now. "We're with you every day, We're the Royal Bank for Scotland" - eh, no you're not.
    Cost cutting, simple as that really. Interest rate forecasts are low so with income hard to come by, costs will have to go.

    I'm surprised the Chesser branch is being closed though because customers of the shandon branch were diverted there not so long ago.

  6. #5
    @hibs.net private member Scouse Hibee's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by snooky View Post
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    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...-fife-38170966

    Anybody else think that RBS are using the online banking as a convenient excuse?

    They closed a branch near me saying that walk-in customers were down 11%.
    What about the rest? Did someone at a management meeting ask, "How can we pi$$ off 89% of our customers in one locality in one stroke?"

    I find their partronising adverts galling now. "We're with you every day, We're the Royal Bank for Scotland" - eh, no you're not.
    You have misunderstood the figures quoted.

  7. #6
    @hibs.net private member Jack's Avatar
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    Given the total shambles that RBS have been, even before the crash with a series of mega fines for shafting their customers, I'm surprised they have any customers left.

    Last year the Bank of England thought they were crap and over the last 12 months they've ... errr ... not got any better!

    I know a load of folk will say what about all the jobs but with the continued millions being lost on a monthly basis you really have to ask what's the point of keeping it going? Just give it to a bank that knows what they're doing.
    Space to let

  8. #7
    @hibs.net private member RyeSloan's Avatar
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    Bank branches are the same as post offices...victims of transformational change.

    A large branch network used to be an asset...now it's largely just a large cost base losing money so I'm not surprised to see more branches go.

  9. #8
    Coaching Staff hibsbollah's Avatar
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    RBS are in a downward spiral, the problem being that the aggressive acquisitions continued way beyond post 2008 when lessons were supposed to have been learnt. ABN/AMRO could be the final nail of the coffin.
    Last edited by hibsbollah; 02-12-2016 at 10:27 AM.

  10. #9
    @hibs.net private member snooky's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scouse Hibee View Post
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    You have misunderstood the figures quoted.
    It was the teller at my previous local branch that said they were closing the branch because walk-in customers were down by 11%.
    If I'm misunderstanding her (or if she was misquoting), please explain what that figure actually means. Ta.

    BTW, I wonder how many branches could they keep open if the didn't pay the fat cats the big bonuses?

  11. #10
    @hibs.net private member Speedy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by snooky View Post
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    It was the teller at my previous local branch that said they were closing the branch because walk-in customers were down by 11%.
    If I'm misunderstanding her (or if she was misquoting), please explain what that figure actually means. Ta.

    BTW, I wonder how many branches could they keep open if the didn't pay the fat cats the big bonuses?
    It's that an 11% drop is a directional change (presumably 2016 compared to 2015) whereas you've linked that to 89% of customers use branches & 11% don't.

    Edit: The point on bonuses also doesn't correlate. If a branch (or any other part of a business) is losing money it doesn't matter how many 'fat cat' bonuses would keep it open - why would you want to if it continues to generate a loss?
    Last edited by Speedy; 02-12-2016 at 11:42 AM.

  12. #11
    johnbc70
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    Quote Originally Posted by hibsbollah View Post
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    RBS are in a downward spiral, the problem being that the aggressive acquisitions continued way beyond post 2008 when lessons were supposed to have been learnt. ABN/AMRO could be the final nail of the coffin.
    Who did they buy post 2008?

  13. #12
    Coaching Staff hibsbollah's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by johnbc70 View Post
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    Who did they buy post 2008?
    The Williams and Glyn farce represents an acquisition? It certainly represents the kind of reckless behaviour that was supposed to be a thing of the past.

  14. #13
    @hibs.net private member snooky's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MB Crunch View Post
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    It's that an 11% drop is a directional change (presumably 2016 compared to 2015) whereas you've linked that to 89% of customers use branches & 11% don't.

    Edit: The point on bonuses also doesn't correlate. If a branch (or any other part of a business) is losing money it doesn't matter how many 'fat cat' bonuses would keep it open - why would you want to if it continues to generate a loss?
    Why would you want to throw cash at one person as opposed to keeping open a branch that serves a community and provides jobs.
    I suppose it depends on your point of view. FWIW, I know what my choice would be from 'bonus' or 'branch'.

  15. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by hibsbollah View Post
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    The Williams and Glyn farce represents an acquisition? It certainly represents the kind of reckless behaviour that was supposed to be a thing of the past.
    Actually this represents the fact that lots of people have an opinion without understanding what they are on about!

  16. #15
    @hibs.net private member CropleyWasGod's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by snooky View Post
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    Why would you want to throw cash at one person as opposed to keeping open a branch that serves a community and provides jobs.
    I suppose it depends on your point of view. FWIW, I know what my choice would be from 'bonus' or 'branch'.
    If you were a shareholder (and you are, like it or not ), giving someone a bonus of £50k, say, for saving the company, say, £500k pa, would be a reasonable deal, no?
    Last edited by CropleyWasGod; 02-12-2016 at 03:48 PM.

  17. #16
    Coaching Staff hibsbollah's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andy74 View Post
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    Actually this represents the fact that lots of people have an opinion without understanding what they are on about!
    I am more familiar with it than I'd like to be, frankly. RBS are in a pickle.

  18. #17
    johnbc70
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    Quote Originally Posted by hibsbollah View Post
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    The Williams and Glyn farce represents an acquisition? It certainly represents the kind of reckless behaviour that was supposed to be a thing of the past.
    Williams and Glyn are existing RBS England and Wales branches and NatWest Scotland branches. So absolutely no acquisition at all, they already owned them. As far as I know there has been no acquisitions since ABN.

  19. #18
    @hibs.net private member Speedy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hibsbollah View Post
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    The Williams and Glyn farce represents an acquisition? It certainly represents the kind of reckless behaviour that was supposed to be a thing of the past.
    Williams and Glyn (and TSB in the case of Lloyds) is a mandated disposal.

    I agree it's reckless but in this case it's not the banks' fault.

    Incidentally, the amount wasted on W&G could have resolved the capital gap.

  20. #19
    @hibs.net private member Speedy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by CropleyWasGod View Post
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    If you were a shareholder (and you are, like it or not ), giving someone a bonus of £50k, say, for saving the company, say, £500k pa, would be a reasonable deal, no?
    Exactly.

    It's funny because we (joe public) complain with our shareholder hat on when RBS make a loss but also complain with our customer hat on when they take cost saving measures.

  21. #20
    As a straw poll, how many on here still use branches? I seldom do and only for paying in money for work which can't be banked any other way.

    The days of needing one on every corner is long gone with the age of mobiles and internet banking.

  22. #21
    Coaching Staff hibsbollah's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by johnbc70 View Post
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    Williams and Glyn are existing RBS England and Wales branches and NatWest Scotland branches. So absolutely no acquisition at all, they already owned them. As far as I know there has been no acquisitions since ABN.
    I suppose technically that's true but the W&G IT contract represented an 'acquisition' of a new enormous piece of work that was always fraught with risk. We're getting into the grounds of in-the-knowery at this point but suffice it to say things are likely to get worse before they get better.

  23. #22
    @hibs.net private member Colr's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by snooky View Post
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    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...-fife-38170966

    Anybody else think that RBS are using the online banking as a convenient excuse?

    They closed a branch near me saying that walk-in customers were down 11%.
    What about the rest? Did someone at a management meeting ask, "How can we pi$$ off 89% of our customers in one locality in one stroke?"

    I find their partronising adverts galling now. "We're with you every day, We're the Royal Bank for Scotland" - eh, no you're not.
    Can't remember the last time I had to go into a bank branch. It must have been some 15years ago.

  24. #23
    johnbc70
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    Quote Originally Posted by hibsbollah View Post
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    I suppose technically that's true but the W&G IT contract represented an 'acquisition' of a new enormous piece of work that was always fraught with risk. We're getting into the grounds of in-the-knowery at this point but suffice it to say things are likely to get worse before they get better.
    It was not a contract, it was mandated by the EU.

    But we probably both agree it is a mess, sooner it's sorted the better.

  25. #24
    @hibs.net private member Speedy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by beensaidbefore View Post
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    As a straw poll, how many on here still use branches? I seldom do and only for paying in money for work which can't be banked any other way.

    The days of needing one on every corner is long gone with the age of mobiles and internet banking.
    Very rarely. Annually at most.

  26. #25
    Coaching Staff PeeJay's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by beensaidbefore View Post
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    As a straw poll, how many on here still use branches? I seldom do and only for paying in money for work which can't be banked any other way.

    The days of needing one on every corner is long gone with the age of mobiles and internet banking.
    I imagine lots of "elderly" people go to branches still - and not everybody has a mobile phone or does online banking ... so the need must still be there, I would think?

  27. #26
    Quote Originally Posted by PeeJay View Post
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    I imagine lots of "elderly" people go to branches still - and not everybody has a mobile phone or does online banking ... so the need must still be there, I would think?
    You're right, I think with branches being closed there will be more travelling banks that visit a certain area on a certain day. They can go to outlying places like fairmilehead, crammond, gilmerton etc and set up for the day. People who needed to would know when to go and make the time to do so. Total pain but you can understand why. You could effectively close 5 branches for each van/bus/truck and visit those areas once a week. Would save a fortune.

  28. #27
    johnbc70
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    The busiest branch in the UK? The 0729 train from Brighton to London. More people do their banking at that time in the morning than at any other time.

    Yes branches will be needed but the days of having a large branch network has gone.

  29. #28
    Coaching Staff heretoday's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by johnbc70 View Post
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    The busiest branch in the UK? The 0729 train from Brighton to London. More people do their banking at that time in the morning than at any other time.

    Yes branches will be needed but the days of having a large branch network has gone.
    That's an impressive stat.

    It's bad news for older folk who don't trust the Internet with their hard - earned.

  30. #29
    @hibs.net private member Speedy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PeeJay View Post
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    I imagine lots of "elderly" people go to branches still - and not everybody has a mobile phone or does online banking ... so the need must still be there, I would think?
    You can pay cash/cheques in at the post office and can take cash out there or at an atm.

    That probably covers the bulk of the need.

  31. #30
    Coaching Staff PeeJay's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MB Crunch View Post
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    You can pay cash/cheques in at the post office and can take cash out there or at an atm.

    That probably covers the bulk of the need.
    Sure, but if I need a new account, a debit card, etc, or if I change my location, need a loan, lose my card, need some financial/banking advice, want to exchange money will the PO help me, can the ATM help me?

    Another aspect worthy of consideration is the atrocious level of IT security at banks in general with regard to the obsolete online processes/systems/infrastructure in place - how soon before that system breaks down: what then? Here in Germany most systems are roughly 20 years old and the people capable of servicing/maintaining such "old" systems are retiring or have retired .... is it any different in the UK I wonder?

    ... you guys still use "cheques"???



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