Wachovia will start introducing extended hours in selected major metro markets beginning in May and will announce its first market next week. Selected Wachovia financial centers in the targeted markets will stay open until 7 p.m. on weekdays and until 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

"Wachovia has already been rated as the best customer service bank in America by a nationally recognised independent survey," Thompson said. "We want to be the most convenient bank, too. So we are responding to our customers' needs for more convenient banking hours."

Wachovia will extend hours at specific branch locations where customers most want to bank in the evenings and on weekends. For instance, extended Saturday hours will focus on destination points for consumers, such as near shopping centers and grocery stores.

"Consumers lead extremely busy lives today. Traditional bankers' hours just don't work for them anymore," said Cece Sutton, head of Wachovia's Retail Bank. "Wachovia wants to be where our customers are, when they need us."

Other ways Wachovia is working to offer more convenience to customers include:

• Building 30-50 new financial centers along the East Coast in 2005, with another 30-50 new financial centers in Texas. In addition, once the Wachovia and SouthTrust merger is complete, Wachovia customers will have access to more than 3,000 financial centers and 5,000 ATMs - hundreds more than today.
• Offering free Online BillPay to retail customers (as of Nov. 1,2004).