Customer comes last

AFTER a massive wave of branch closures left thousands of people without a local bank, up to 5,000 towns and villages may now also lose access to a free cashpoint.

The reason is that the big banks are demanding a cut in the fee they pay when their customers draw money from an ATM owned by an independent operator – a cut the operators say would make many machines unprofitable. MPs have called for a moratorium on closures, but this may only delay the process.

So as ever with the banks, profits come first and customer service last. Less than ten years ago they were saved from bankruptcy by huge taxpayer bailouts. Is it too much to expect a little gratitude?