Barclays to pioneer residence banking with ‘Skype-like’ movie technique
Bank becomes 1st in the Uk to start on-line movie chat program enabling buyers to chat by means of problems, as it tries to lessen reliance on branch community 
Photo: AP
Barclays customers will be in a position to chat to lender workers from their properties above a “Skype-like” video calling program, in the most recent attempt by Britain’s massive loan providers to grow to be considerably less reliant on their department networks.
The Information Company understands that the bank’s chief govt, Antony Jenkins, plans to introduce the support in the coming months.
It will be the initial time a British financial institution has introduced a house-based mostly system, which will allow clients to discuss by way of matters that typically call for a confront to face job interview, and is observed by numerous as an crucial subsequent action as Barclays tries to reduce expenses by reducing the quantity of branches.
Nationwide launched a branch-based mostly movie chat service before this 12 months that back links buyers to house loan advisers based at the creating society’s Northampton place of work, but Barclays is the 1st to bring the support into the property.
Clients will be able to established up a video clip chat with Barclays employees from their very own computers to elevate problems or discuss their economic affairs.
The method will be obtainable outside common bank opening moments, generating it simpler for consumers who uncover it hard to get to a branch throughout working hrs.
Britain’s large road banks are grappling with how to keep buyers pleased as they shut hundreds of branches and cut down on staff in an attempt to help save cash, amid the climbing cost of capital and other regulatory burdens.
Visits to branches have fallen substantially as consumers shift to on the internet and cellular companies. Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) said visits to bodily spots has fallen by 30pc in the previous 4 years, but substantial avenue spots are nevertheless necessary for certain companies, such as talking about personal savings alternatives or conducting home loan interviews.
Barclays had 1,546 branches at the stop of June , in comparison with far more than 2,000 a decade ago, and like the other main banks, it is anticipated to close a lot more.
Analysts at Deutsche Financial institution estimate that inside of a ten years, banking companies will be in a position to provide the British isles with just five hundred branches.
Lloyds, which has about 2,two hundred branches, strategies to close 200 in excess of the subsequent a few many years , while RBS states it will also carry on to shut substantial road places.
Mr Jenkins, who arrived from Barclays’ retail banking division, is a committed advocate of technological innovation, having pioneered the use of contactless credit rating cards when he ran Barclaycard.
Nationwide introduced a video clip provider in branches this yr
As properly as replacing many of the cashiers at its branches with iPad-wielding assistants, Barclays plans to introduce voice recognition software to retail consumers next calendar year to make it simpler to access information, and has created an at-house fingerprint scanner to exchange passwords.
As nicely as saving fees, the use of technological innovation is also witnessed as an important fraud-avoidance measure by the lender.
A Barclays spokesman did not comment.