Santander Bank, N.A. (“Santander” or “the Bank”) announced today the introduction of Financial Centers, a new banking format that provides customers with in-person support and assistance on digital transactions. The format responds to customer preferences for a digital-first experience with enhanced onsite personal engagement. The new format is being offered as part of the Bank’s multiyear strategy to transform into a digital bank with branches.
Santander selected five branches from across the retail network to test and refine its vision of in-person banking, with the goal of helping customers be prepared to bank anywhere, anytime. Currently, Financial Center locations include:
- Hoboken – Hoboken, NJ
- Rodin Square – Philadelphia, PA
- Boston-Seaport – Boston, MA
- Madison Ave – New York, NY
- Providence College – Providence, RI
“We have prioritized the regional bank’s modernization in the Northeast, while investing in our digital capabilities, simplifying our processes and integrating new tools and resources. More customers are choosing to bank with us online and through mobile apps, which has fueled our journey to meet them where they are.”
Yajaira Lopez, Head of Branch Banking at Santander
According to Santander’s recent Paths to Prosperity research, 92% of middle-income Americans say that being able to control when, where, and how they access their bank accounts and services is important to them, and 86% of middle-income Americans are completing at least half their banking transactions digitally.
With mobile and online banking continuing to be the channel of choice for customers, Santander is focused on providing a reliable, convenient and secure way for them to bank digitally, complemented with personalized in-person support. In Financial Centers, team members are focused on offering side-by-side assistance when utilizing mobile and ATM capabilities for everyday deposits and withdrawals, spending more time providing customers with personal assistance and guidance.
“We continue to better understand our customers’ evolving needs every day to help our team reimagine how we serve them,” Lopez added. “The work we are doing in our physical locations to educate customers on taking advantage of all we offer, including the digital channels that allow them to engage with us more efficiently, is critically important.”
Santander is committed to implementing the most up-to-date design, format and digital enhancements within its physical locations to better serve customers based on their needs and location. In Financial Centers, the teller and help bar spaces are repurposed to enable team members to engage with customers, offices are video conference equipped and seating areas are designed to accommodate side-by-side mobile support.
