Every NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland branch is to get a specialist 'TechXpert' who will help customers use online and mobile banking and raise awareness of other non-branch alternatives.
By the end of April 2017, more than 1000 NatWest TechXperts and 200 Royal Bank of Scotland TechXperts will be in post, one for every branch in England, Scotland and Wales.
In addition, the bank has committed to a digital skills training programme for almost 10,000 NatWest branch staff and more than 1500 Royal Bank of Scotland branch staff.
Like many of its peers, RBS has been shutting branches across the nation as more customers bank online. In April last year it reported a 50% drop in footfall over the previous six years, while the number of people transacting online had grown fourfold.
Jane Howard, managing director of NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland Personal Banking, says that more than four million NatWest customers and 1.25 million Royal Bank of Scotland customers already regularly use online banking
“Banking is almost unrecognisable from what it was when I started my career in a branch 36 years ago," she says. "While more customers than ever before are taking advantage of the convenience and simplicity of mobile and online banking some people need further support. Our TechXperts will help make sure our customers are confident to make the most of the new technology, features and services we are offering them.”
The initiative is similar to Barclays' Digital Eagle's programme, in which specially-trained staff armed with iPads roam the branch to chat with customers about online banking services.