News

UK's Abbey National to test high-tech ATMs as part of network revamp

July 18, 2004

LONDON - High-tech ATMs will apparently be part of a £200 million (U.S. $374 million) revamp of Abbey National's retail delivery network over the next five years.

According to the Times,  Abbey National will test new, 10-foot-tall ATM columns equipped with a cash dispenser and two other screens, one for e-banking and the other giving local information.

The bank will announce a radical shake-up of its 741 branches alongside its interim results next week. The UK's sixth-biggest bank wants to rid itself of its past nickname "shabby Abbey."

A research specialist recently completed a nine-month study of all its branches, and the Abbey board is reviewing the recommendations to determine how extensive each branch refurbishment will be.

Abbey is proposing four different upgrades. The most expensive will involve a complete overhaul, including posting a greeter at the door. The layout will be more open, and in most branches the screens dividing customers from tellers will be removed. Some pilot branches will be opened soon in Milton Keynes and Luton.  

The bank has spent £200 million upgrading its IT and telecom systems. It has also introduced simpler products and retrained staff, according to the Times.