Customers can vote with fingers as well

When the Royal Bank of Scotland announced it will slash the number of rural branches servicing the needs of remote customers, it did so with the same justification as that used for urban banking centres.

The banking behemoth insists its customers are more interested in using online facilities than speaking to a banker face-to-face when it comes to arranging their finances.

With a plethora of technological facilities placed at customers’ fingertips, it is more convenient to tap a screen or click a mouse than travel to a branch — but only if the supporting technology is available.

Two of the targeted branches in Tayside are in Highland Perthshire, where internet coverage is patchy at best and slow as a rule.

Were customers surveyed about their preferences before the axe fell or is there a presumption in the well-connected capitals that behaviours are similar across different locales?

It is not a situation that will last forever. Internet connectivity is improving all the time and online banking will become a way of life for everyone.

But banks involved in the removal of lifeline local services before their communities are ready should remember it is all too easy for people to vote with their feet — or their fingers — and their loyalty should never be taken for granted.