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- More branches to become 'counter-less' from October
- Retrained staff to get pay rises
Barclays is taking 6,500 cashiers from its branches and retraining them as 'community bankers' who will walk around with iPads helping customers to use automated machines to carry out their everyday banking. Barclays had already begun a trial of 'counter-less' branches but the redeployment of a further 6,500 cashiers from the start of October will mark a significant expansion of the plan. Only 37 of the Barclays 1,600-strong branch network are counter-less at the moment but, following the change, staff in all remaining branches with counters will be encouraged to stay in front of the glass and point customers to machines for paying in, withdrawing and other banking tasks.
Customers will be met in the 'banking hall' of branches by 'community bankers' carrying Barclays iPads.
Community bankers will be able to help customers apply for new accounts, something that cashiers behind glass are not currently able to do, Barclays said. However, the community bankers will have no responsibility for offering customers products, the bank added. Staff numbers will not fall as a result of the change and cashiers who become community bankers will receive an average 2.8 per cent pay rise to reflect their extra training.....Read more here