NAB is cutting its regional branch services, announcing that opening hours in 114 “smaller regional branches” will be from 9.30am to 12.30pm.
The bank said in a statement that outside these hours customers would be serviced via phone and online chat.
NAB group executive personal banking, Rachel Slade, said that on average a quarter of regional branch transactions take place between 9.30am and 10.30am.
Slade said more than 90 per cent of customer interactions were now online or by phone. Over-the-counter transactions are down by a quarter over 12 months.
“It is clear that the face of banking is changing, especially in the way customers want to interact with us,” she said.
Regional branch staff will be trained “to support customers in new ways”, with no jobs lost.
According to the Finance Sector Union, 270 staff work in these branches. The FSU endorsed the move, saying it was a better response to a drop in activity than closures.
NAB’s move follows Commonwealth Bank’s closure of three regional branches in March.
Earlier this month, Australian Mutual Bank Ltd told staff it would close 16 branches over two years as part of a business restructure.