Putting
culture at the
FEATURES | Mental Health
HEART
of business
performance
F
“R
etailers close 14
shops a day, with
openings down by a
third,” screamed the
headlines, as a study
of 500 high streets by PwC and
the Local Data Company found that
2,692 stores had vanished in the first
six months of 2018.
Separate research by Consumer
Intelligence suggested the death of
the high street is being fast-tracked
by the growing tide of bank branch
closures. An astonishing two-thirds
have closed over the past 30 years,
reducing once-bustling shopping
streets to ghost towns as locals have
less reason to visit, and undermining
access to financial services for older
and vulnerable people.
D
Disruptive newcomer Metro Bank aims
to offer outstanding customer service
by creating a culture of community –
from the inside out.
26 //
Future Talent
isruptive newcomer
Stepping into the breach
is disruptive newcomer
Metro Bank, founded in
2010. Stubbornly opening, rather
than closing, branches, it puts its
emphasis squarely on providing
outstanding customer service.
Its ‘stores’ open seven days a
week (8am-8pm on weekdays)
and are designed to be welcoming,
complete with customer toilets
and baby-changing facilities, free
coin-counting machines, safe-
deposit boxes and even biscuits and
water bowls for man’s best friend.
Branches can be used for a variety of
community and networking events.
Times are tough in the shadow of
Brexit, but despite profit warnings
in January, Metro Bank appears
bullish, adding to its network of
UK branches and committing to
“making a difference and delivering a
different type of banking for Britain”.
“Society needs banking,” asserts
Metro Bank chief people officer
Danielle Harmer. “The high street
can add value to life. There are
digital-only players in the market,
but our view is that you need the
physical and the digital: bricks and
clicks, the two together.
“Most banks are pushing
customers away from their branches
because it’s less expensive for them
if you use the ATM and the phone
and mobile app. What we’re saying