Ulster Bank : Saturday Morning Opening, no services just a receptionist

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ajapale

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I called into my local Ulster Bank yesterday morning. I was delighted at the prospect of no queue! I approached the counter manned by a rather bored looking young man and asked to lodge some cheques. He informed me that Saturday Morning the Bank was opened only as a cashless office and drew my attention to a little notice on the back wall. Moreover there was no quick lodgement facility or machine.

I could not find any thing on the internet about restrictions to the Saturday morning services and have no recollection of any communications from the Bank regarding "bank holiday" services on a Saturday.

It's a bit like opening a pub on a Good Friday only to tell customers your not selling beaverages.

Why do Ulster Bank even bother with this charade? Is it a regulatory thing?

On leaving the Bank I passed the local credit union, there were queues out the door! Ironically all the counters were operating except the enquiries / reception which is "closed on Saturdays".
 

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The cash service is gone a while, it's open for lending and investment appointments mainly. Not enough people actually wanted to transact cash on a Saturday it appears.

As for the CU being fierce busy it's the same in my town, queue out the door everyday but what good is it, they are taking in too much cash and lending out too little, work intensive but not very profitable.
 
ajapale said:
Why don't UB close the branch on Saturday mornings?
Click to expand...

Because it is a good time for mortgage sales to people who work during the week. Less and less branch work these days is cash transactions. KBC, for example, don't even accept cash in their branches.
 
Interbank Cheque clearing only runs Monday-Friday anyway. If you wanted to lodge, you could have dropped the cheques into the fast lodgement box where they would have been keyed on Monday morning.
 
Called into the branch this morning and lodged the cheques.

Since Saturday several new signs have appeared indicating to Customers that since Feb 4th there are no counter services at the Branch on Saturday Mornings.
The Signs state that Saturday morning opening is for:
  • Account enquiries
  • Appointments
  • ATM facilities
thedaddyman said:
If you wanted to lodge, you could have dropped the cheques into the fast lodgement box where they would have been keyed on Monday morning.
Click to expand...

There is a sign stating that the fast lodgement box is not availiable on Saturdays.

In contrast to some other banks there are no ATM's (or any other automated services) availiable within the branch. The branch does not have to open its doors for customers to avail of the ATM machine outside the door.
Customers can make account enquiries by phone or internet. So that really just leaves "Appointments".

There was no indications whether the doors of the Branch will be open next Saturday (Easter Holidays).

aj
 
They were never open on the Saturday's of Bank Holiday weekends so I'd say that would a no to next Saturday.

It's all about the appointments these days, staff spend a lot of time ringing customers to try and get them in for 'financial reviews', that combined with mortgage appointments is what the Saturday is really about. Machines are coming :)
 
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