Not good news....

[BroadScot]

Not good news for locals or holidaymakers....   http://www.edp24.co.uk/business/stalham_barclays_bank_to_close_after_more_than_100_years_1_4163173

 

 

Iain.

[ranworthbreeze]

Hi Iain,

 

Agreed not good news, I read somewhere that the Nat West bank is also closing their branch.

 

Banks I feel have lost the plot, there are not longer there to provide a service to their customers.

 

I personally would no longer trust any bank and I closely scrutinise any account that I am involved in.

 

Regards

Alan 

[BroadScot]

Hi Alan,

 

That is the first thing I do every day I log on to my Laptop. I don't use my local bank now, cannot be bothered standing waiting to be served, my old legs complain if I did   I do just about everything now online, unless its a form requiring attention. 

 

I know its a case of use it or lose it. For the likes of Stalham where they are building a lot of new homes I would have thought that having a bank would have been advantageous.

 

 

[Paul]

I'm afraid Banks are twentieth century, replaced by internet / phone banking and an ATM. Whilst this closure is sad it is good for the employees that they will have the opportunity to work at another branch. It may be sad, but alo inevitable.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

For a long time now the banks have adopted the attitude, they`re not there for the customers, more like the custumers are there for the banks. All financial institutions have lost any respect for their customers, and treat them like a nessecary evil. All they`re now there for is to make money for the shareholders, and they use the public to do it.

 

As for the closure of the Stalham banks, that will fund a few annual bonuses.

 

Theives and robbers all of them, including the Co op bank.

[BroadScot]

 

 

Theives and robbers all of them

Agreed 100% !!!

 

 

Iain

[LondonRascal]

I can't remember the last time I actually went to a physical bank - indeed for years my branch of HSBC has lost a counter service with staff replaced by machines and a couple of 'roaming' staff members to help those unfamiliar use the machines. 

 

What is soon to come along are banks with just a handfull of staff and no branches all based around a mobile App - no App no bank.

 

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d44266e4-1a60-11e5-a130-2e7db721f996.html#axzz3gqNIVSMf

 

Atom Bank will be the first but expect a lot more of these new digital only lenders.

[Soundings]

I find it hard to swallow as well. But banks really are 20th century - who really needs them.

1) You can bank online. I have been doing it for years without any real issues. Some may not like it but I am afraid we will have to get used to it. Computers have been moving our money around for years - the customers have just not had a direct interface.

2) There is a plentiful supply of cash machines so getting money out and/or checking balances is easy.

3) Cash is not required that much anymore - cash cards, credit cards, Apple Pay and the like are taking over. I do not even need cash in my local!

4) Paying in can be done at a post office (and so can withdrawals)

5) Loans can be arranged on line - it is all done via credit scoring these days anyway. Failing that there is telephone banking and the old way of completing a form and sending it off.

 

So yes it is the demise of something we have become accustomed to; that we love. But we are where we are and this trend will continue until there are but a few regional offices scattered around the country. That's my take anyway.

 

I am sadden by all this as it is another way of life that is being consigned to the ether. That, I rather suppose, is progress.

 

Speedtriple - how else can a bank make money but on the back of its customers. It is a business and, as you say, it is owned by its shareholders. We as customers are a necessary evil I guess but we have the option to go elsewhere - assuming there is anywhere structurally different to go of course

[ZimbiIV]

Let's face it banks want your money BUT do not want you to have access to it.

paul

[BroadScot]

Completely off topic, and call me old fashioned, but we use to look forward to the Tuesday Stalham Market, and a walk along the main street to look at all the different shops and pubs. I believe today its called progress! Hmmmm mutter mutter.

 

 

Iain.

[Liberty]

I was going to reply that I haven't been to a bank for years; however...

The ladies at work go to the bank to pay in work cheques and cash, also to cash petty cash cheques.

So where will local businesses pay their takings in? Granted, usually card payment but still a fair amount of cash flying about, particularly in rural parts. Bit of a hassle to bank but no credit card charges.

[CaptinDread]

 

3) Cash is not required that much anymore - cash cards, credit cards, Apple Pay and the like are taking over. I do not even need cash in my local!

 

Most of my purchases are cash based.

[Boatingman]

I thought most banks had polices of not closing branches I know Natwest ran an advertising campaign last year along those lines

Ray

[Hylander]

Well I think it is dreadful closing all these branches.    You just wait until you have to be an Attorney for someone,  all this paying in of cheques physically,  what else are you supposed to do with them.    I and many many others need our Branches of Banks.     You want to see the queue in Beccles Barclays to prove that point.      I refuse point blank to take money out of one of these holes in the walls after hearing about all these crooks stealing your money.    So no.

 

 

KEEP YOUR HAND OFF OUR BRANCHES OF THE BANKS PLEASE.   Whoever you are.    

 

 

4) Paying in can be done at a post office (and so can withdrawals)

 

 

We have a small sub post office in our corner shop.     Having queued in there behind people buying lottery tickets and a weeks worth of shopping , and  in the process , fell over a pile of toilet rolls piled up where the queue should be,  sorry I prefer the Bank.    At the Bank hopefully you have not got general shoppers all listening to your conversation either.

[TheQ]

My Halifax credit card was stopped due to an attempted fraudulent use of its number. They asked me to report to my nearest branch.

Stalham gone, wroxham gone, north walsham gone,

So I cancelled the card and went elsewhere.

They rang me to ask why I had cancelled I said because its now a 40 mile round trip to find a branch but they said there's a branch in north walsham and gave me the address of the branch they'd closed!

I predict outside of cities everyone will end up all being members of the sole remaining bank ( nat west in the case of stalham) or the post office bank.

[Oddfellow]

Let's hope they don't turn it into a trendy wine bar...

 

WIth a number of Stalham shopkeepers voicing concerns over this year's level of business, I would be surprised if a wine bar would gather enough custom. Once upon a time, Martham had banks and a decent array of shops. The last bank was branched in Aldreds estate agent which closed about seven years ago. Today, the village has a florist, two small co-ops, newsagent, optician and a fabulous DIY store. But no bank. Stalham has a larger population, but is slowly heading the same way.

 

I have absolutely no trust in our banks or financial institutions. If the Banks see us a necessary evils, the vision is most certainly reciprocal to me. 

[ranworthbreeze]

Call me fickle (I have been called far worse) there has been a lot of talk about using the services of the Post Office, these of course have also been closed down or as already mentioned part of stores (I know of one that is in a café) etc.

 

It would seen that customer service has gone out of the window.

 

Personally:-

 

I do not want to use self service tills

 

I only use cash machines if desperate

 

If I have a meal I want it on a plate not in a cardboard box (the only exception is fish & chips and then it needs to be in paper)

 

If I go into any shop I expect the staff to know about the stock they sell rather than me having to inform them what it is, what its for and what it should really cost.

 

Car parks where the only means of paying is via credit/debit card or a mobile after of course putting in your registration number.

 

The issue with closing down any branch outlets be they Banks, Post Offices, Building Societies, Insurance Companies and offer the staff relocation eventually there will be no where for them to go.

 

Regards

Alan

[Soundings]

 

 

 

Most of my purchases are cash based.

 

There will always be exceptions,  those who do not move with the times. As for paying in cash, as I said earlier you can credit your account via a local post office. There are still plenty about (but not as many as once) - Stalham has one, Potter Heigham has one, Catfield has one, Ludham has one to name a few locally. In respect of the comment - banks have our money but do not want us to have access. How can you justify that comment when there are shed-loads of cash machines scattered around the country?

 

Are we a necessary evil to the banks. Well yes I suppose we are just as any customer is a necessary evil to any retail outlet. Just like newsagents, greengrocers, Tesco, banks need to make a profit. I am sure all businesses would like to find a way to make money without the hassle of dealing with customers! Thus the business/customer relationship is in general one of "a necessary evil", I agree.

 

Alan, you cannot be serious when you say you don't want service tills - you would rather stand in a line at a bank counter would you? I can remember trying to get cash out in London of a lunch time pre cash machines. Standing in a queue in the branch for the best part of my lunch hour and especially so on pay days. No thanks!

 

"At the Bank hopefully you have not got general shoppers all listening to your conversation either". If you believe that you will believe anything Hylander. You get all sorts of life in the branches in Stalham. They are the same people who go to the PO to buy lottery tickets.

 

​Anyway "nuff" said.

[CaptainJoshie]

Hi 

I bank mostly with Nat-West and use the Stalham branch a lot. We are going to get a 'Mobile bank' visiting us to provide a service, wow! 

Looks like the upper management don't live in the real world but as a real world user of the Stalham branch it will make a heck of a difference to me. This might be fine in a city to close, due to lack of use, the odd branch but in rural locations this is madness with the nearest bank now miles away! Lots of older customers simply don't use computers at all. Mobile banking with 'Contact less' and Apple pay would be OK but remember this is Norfolk where's there's NO mobile phone signal , in Stalham, Horning and many other places you don't have one  give me strenght, if and when we do get mobile signals are the banks et al going to provide the old and technophobic adequate training and kit to use?? 

Do I trust online banking? No I don't, yes I'll check my account online, but like to be face to face with a bank person who knows me by name and can help me. It's going to be more important as I get older, or the money my end up under the mattress  . 

Hard luck to tourists, they will have to bring money with them or use Tesco, god help us if the Stalham Post Office closes in the future. 

John.

[Soundings]

I get Vodafone on my iPhone in Stalham, Capt. My wife cannot get a signal on Tesco Mobile, even in Tesco

 

You have a fair point re people not understanding tech. But where do you draw the line? I had a pc on my desk at work over 20 years ago. At the end of the day we all have to take some responsibility for keeping up with the game. Progress will wait for no man and whilst I sympathise and will help those who are at least trying to help themselves I am not so charitable with those who have no intention of embracing change.

 

This is not going to stop...so get used to it. That is the only available advice as far as I can see. 

[Swift]

Ask NatWest or Barclays why they’re closing down their branches at Stalham and Wroxham and they’ll tell you it’s a commercial decision.  That’s exactly what it is.  The banks put dividends for their shareholders before any concept of service to the communities in which they are located. 

 

As a pensioner, I have almost kept up with computer technology since the long distant days of dial-up and floppy discs.Two weeks ago I spent very many hours helping an eighty-seven year old come to terms with his first ever use of broadband internet.  He was concerned that when he is no longer with us, his wife will be able to order her weekly groceries online – she doesn’t drive. 

 

For those of who take on-line services for granted, please spare a thought for those who have been left behind in the race for ever more sophisticated technology.  They haven’t all chosen not to embrace change.  If you haven’t been to a bank recently, give it a go.  Have a look round at the people in the queue.  They're not there because they enjoy queuing – although for some it may be their only social interaction of the week - they’re there because they have no choice.

 

I don’t berate the banks for shutting down uneconomical branches – the overheads can be breathtaking. Instead, I just wish local communities would come together to find creative solutions to these and similar sorts of problems.  In my opinion, every village and small town should have a central building run on a not-for-profit basis by the community for the community.  All the essential services should be housed within that one building.  Every village and small town already has just such a redundant or semi-redundant large, easily accessible property.  It’s the parish church or local chapel.  These buildings are perfect for conversion to multipurpose use.  Many such redundant city churches have been successfully re-used, why not in villages and small towns where the need is often even greater?  Instead of moaning about what THEY do to US, why don’t WE take control of our own destinies.

[CaptainJoshie]

Soundings

 

I live in Stalham, near the Junior School/Police Station so am a local and love the area .

 

I've worked in computers for years as an engineer (hardware and peripherals), service and data cabling manager and support person (software), so I do understand computers, but still don't trust them cynic that I am  .

 

Loads of people don't understand them and are not helped by the complex ways in which almost every application is different to use and even different across different platforms (types) of phone, tablet or laptop for the same application!.

 

Having worked with computers for so long (back to the late 70's !!) I know how flaky they can be. Look how many time of late the banking systems have screwed up payments etc.

 

No, invest in people (staff) in branches to make access easier for all, wishful thinking I know, after all the managers only seem to care about their big bonuses.

 

As for mobile phone signals I'm on 3 Network, no signal in Stalham and the wife is on Vodafone again no signal, we both have iPhones 4s and 5s !! Coverage is pretty poor across Norfolk and you can't rely on it for everyday use.

 

If I was in Norwich or London I could rely on the Mobile networks, but here no.

 

Perhaps we could get up to date with boating on the Norfolk Broads and only allow 'virtual cruising' on computer, no need to actually go to the place just do it on screen or view just webcams. That by the way is very much 'tongue on cheek'    , I love my boat to much for that.

 

John.

[Soundings]

You are indeed a cynic Capt I am sure the banks would let you have branches if you were prepared to pay for them (everyone wants free banking). I for one am  happy to rely on technology which I do not and have not found overly flakey (have used internet banking for years). As far as mobile signals are concerned I agree Norfolk is not good but I still manage with Vodafone fairly well - that though is a network provider issue and I agree it needs sorting. But the internet is good in this area (I live in Potter) and is in course of being upgraded to fibre. In fact the work at the Potter exchange is now complete so it will not be too long in being offered.

 

Your assessment of the banks is made on the back of the recent crisis. There is a word of difference between investment banking and domestic (High Street) banking but it is highly likely that domestic banking is not as profitable as one might think (or as shareholders want). That is why there are so few banks outside the biggies and those that do exist (Tesco for instance) are basically internet based.

 

We can like it or hate it (or treat it with indifference). But the certainty is that it will not change. There will be no reversal and no white night will come along and start a business that gives rise to a local branch based banking network. Associated property costs alone would be staggering.

 

You make mention of screwed up payments. But how many instances of that have there really been as a percentage of the whole? I do not know the answer, but I bet it is very low. This is life an there will always be mistakes and breakdowns - there were plenty when we had the old branches and I can remember mates of mine working until past midnight to balance the tills. I can also remember debits (and credits) going through my account erroneously.

 

I am happy on this one to go with progress. In any event there is no option so we are all going to have to get used to the idea. The fact that many businesses now work through overseas call centres makes a reversal even more difficult - but that is another "can of worms" that is best left alone

[BroadScot]

Soundings said.....

 

 

The fact that many businesses now work through overseas call centres makes a reversal even more difficult - but that is another "can of worms" that is best left alone 

Correct!!!  I really must brush up on my ...well you know what its like on call centres abroad. My consistent reply all the the time is, pardon or what!

 

 

Iain.

[marshman]

Soundings - the voice of some sense. Shame no one believes you!!

 

Bank services are not free yet everyone thinks the Banks should give us money.

 

If you want branches pay for them - realistically why should Banks offer a free service?. You don't get owt for nowt elsewhere - branches have been loss leaders for years Elsewhere you pay for bank services- here we expect the banks to pay us!!  Really??

 

Use them or lose them and the fact that many of you have not been near a branch for years just proves the point.

 

Sorry guys - its a real world in which we live and why oh why should not shareholders get paid - its called risk/reward. The shareholder takes the risk he may lose his money ( like Northern Rock ) and the reward is dividends.

 

Dont like it? Would you prefer a State run Bank? Hardly - even I can spell capitalism!!!