The use of cash-recycling machines has enabled banking group Absa to remove the glass partitions between customers and personnel, while ensuring cash remains secure, and matches customer transactional requirements to multiskilled staff to shorten queues, says Absa Group CE Maria Ramos.

“Most financial transactions at the branch are paperless. Quick-service kiosks enable customers to perform complex banking activities without the need to queue, while the bank’s Qmatic ticketing system matches a customer’s transactional requirements with the best skilled consultant who can provide the service.”

Multiskilled consultants handle the various queries and transactional needs quickly and efficiently at the same counter.

Teller cash-recycling machines enable quick and accurate counting of cash, while a highly secure environment is maintained, which has resulted in the removal of the glass barriers.

These banking innovations have been designed to appeal to a spectrum of cus- tomers across all segments, she says.

“The new branch represents the new face of traditional banking. The result is that we can deliver outstanding service to our customers, offering them an engage- ment that is faster and more efficient,” adds Ramos.

The implementation of these innovations follows Absa’s research and development approach at several branches countrywide, where various concepts were tested and fine-tuned during actual transactional environments.

The Hyde Park branch is the first branch where the results from the research have been implemented, with a roll-out plan for other branches across the country to follow soon, she adds.

“The move towards a more technological branch augments self-service banking, which we introduced to support a 24-hour banking service. “Customers can deposit cash and transact across our automatic teller machine network or they can access their banking using a cellphone, our online banking platforms and banking applications,” says Ramos.

“The Hyde Park branch complements our digital offering, simplifies the customer’s relationship with the bank and makes banking easier and more enjoyable.”