Royal Bank of Scotland : Blackpool branch gets a makeover as part of £450m investment in branches

The NatWest Corporation St branch in Blackpool held a relaunch event last week to introduce customers to a completely new refurbished branch.

The branch, which was last upgraded in 2002, has been given a makeover as part of a £450m investment into upgrading RBS and NatWest branches across the UK.

The branch has a completely new look and feel - the 'traditional' bank counter has been removed so customers no longer have to queue to speak to a member of staff, and the branch now features photographs of famous landmarks from the local area.

It has also been fitted with new, modern technology such as upgraded ATMs and Cash and Deposit machines, which customers can use to pay-in coins free of charge without having to bundle coins into individual bags, or wait for staff to count them.

It also offers free Wi-Fi for customers and iPads so customers can register and access Online Banking services, with staff on hand to provide demonstrations and help where required.

Staff and customers were joined at the launch event by local celebrity Bobby Ball (of Cannon and Ball fame) and the Town Crier. Staff were on hand to give customers a tour of the new branch and to help them with the new facilities available.

Commenting on the new look branch, Lisa Campbell LCEO, said:

"Although an increasing number of our customers are choosing to bank with us over the phone, online or on their mobile, our branches are an extremely important part of the service we're providing to customers. The investment we've made in the Blackpool Corporation St branch shows we are committed to providing the best service and want to be a central part of the local communities where our branches are based. Our customers are really pleased with their new branch and really enjoyed the launch event."

This investment into upgrading branches is part of an overall £1bn being spent across the UK on both branch refurbishment and state-of-the-art banking technology. Whether it's in a branch, over the telephone, online, mobile banking, mobile branches, ATMs, CDMs and in any one of the 11,500 Post Offices across the UK, customers of RBS and NatWest can now choose to do their banking where and when it suits them.