How one bank has gone the extra mile…

HELPING CUSTOMERS THROUGH THE PANDEMIC IS KEY FOR LLOYDS BANK SAYS MANAGER RICK MULLIN

MANCHESTER has faced a lot of challenges since the first lockdown in March, but throughout that time banks have adapted to keep their services available to all. Lloyds Bank, for example, has offered special services for those who can’t get out to do their banking as usual.

“Some customers are finding it harder than others, so we work with them to help them understand their options,” says Rick Mullin, manager at Lloyds Bank’s flagship Market Street branch. He’s seen a lot of changes in his 35 years with the bank, but the pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges that it has done its best to meet.

DEDICATED SERVICES

Rick’s team have regularly phoned customers who’ve had to stay at home, to check they’re getting what they need and don’t feel isolated.

“I spoke to one elderly lady who hadn’t left the house or seen anyone apart from her neighbour who was dropping off shopping,” says Rick. “She was feeling stressed and scared about all the uncertainty.

“I talked her through what the bank could offer her, including the option of a trusted person withdrawing money on her behalf. To have someone to talk to and get support meant so much to her, and it goes to show the value of these wellbeing calls.”

Since the start of the pandemic, Lloyds Bank has offered dedicated services for customers who most need them, with dedicated priority telephone numbers for both

NHS workers and those aged over 70. For the latter, the bank also shared guidance on staying safe from fraud and getting the support of a trusted friend or family member to help with their everyday banking, as well as how to get online, with help from the bank’s digital inclusion team.

In addition to providing hundreds of thousands of customers with breathing space and payment holidays if facing reduced income or financial insecurity, the bank has also shared tailored advice stemming from its partnership with Mental Health UK to help customers manage the stress and anxiety caused by money worries. “We’ve been supporting local charities and case workers,” says Rick. “One project has been helping homeless people receive their benefits and take responsibility for their finances – we got them set up with accounts and helped them get used to the benefits system.” Providing more bespoke support to customers is something the bank has done more of in recent months. This has included contacting local customers who have worked for companies that have announced mass redundancies and also people whose income has dropped by 20 per cent or more about the specific help and support available for their circumstances.

Lloyds Bank also has an online information service for the many people and businesses hit by the pandemic, to help them identify what support they can access.

OPEN-MINDED

Rick believes it’s essential for the bank to keep open-minded and find new ways to help customers at a time like this.

“We’re doing new things that we’ll probably continue to do after the pandemic,” he explains. “We’re there for our customers and we will help them as best we can in whichever way is most convenient to them. My message to our customers is, if you have any concerns, just talk to us.”

We’re there for our customers and will help them as best we can in whichever way is most convenient to them Rick Mullin