Sunday banking is around the corner

In a unique move in banking circles in South Africa, Absa opened two of its biggest and busiest branches on 4 September to see how customers responded to full-service banking on a Sunday.

Branches in Menlyn shopping centre in Pretoria and Eastgate in Bedfordview offered total banking services as part of a pilot scheme and Jaco Grobler, Managing Executive: Delivery Channel Services at Absa, says client response was overwhelming: "Customers and business owners in the shopping complexes were delighted. The initiative came about after many requests from Absa customers wanting access to financial services and products on non-traditional banking days.

"One of our stated objectives is to be a partner in growing South Africa's prosperity by being the country's leading financial services group and to do that we need to provide the service our clients want. That includes making it possible for them to bank when they need to.

"We believe by extending banking hours to Sundays we will contribute to the safety of our business customers in shopping malls. There are many enterprises, for example restaurants, that carry large amounts of cash on Sundays, that at the moment can't be banked until the next day."

Despite the fact that Sunday trading has been around for many years, Absa management are aware that it could still be a sensitive issue, says Louis von Zeuner, Absa Group Executive Director: "The initiative was preceded by consultations with a variety of stakeholders including faith-based organisations, workers' unions and businesses to see how they felt.

"Everyone we spoke to was completely comfortable about the idea. The branches concerned will open from 10 am to 2 pm on Sundays to allow clients to attend church services first, should they so wish.

"In addition, we believe the new operating hours will be more convenient to people who hold other days of the week sacred."

Absa branch staff members appear to have wholeheartedly bought into the concept, as working on Sundays will be purely voluntary.

"When it comes to customer service this initiative will give us a unique advantage over our competitors," says Hanlie Britz, Absa General Manager: Gauteng.

"It also gives us the opportunity to show how we can go above and beyond our customers' expectations."