NatWest to lose 245 branch managers

[Michael Browne]

NatWest Bank has announced that it is to lose up to 361 branch managers as part of a programme of cut-backs.

 

 

But 116 new - more senior roles - are to be created, leaving a net loss of 245 jobs.

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-27911215

[Conniff]

More moving away from what gave them a good name and good customer services at the start. Take away the branch manager and what have you left, a bunch of nobodies behind glass who haven't a clue what to do.

[unclebulgaria67]

Most bank managers these days are not actually of managerial grade, as they once were. Go back 10 years or more and the manager was someone who had worked their way up through the grades, eventually getting an M1 or whatever grade, with a salary from about £32k +, car allowance, free private healthcare, final salary pension etc. Now many branch managers are actually what were assistant or team managers, with salaries starting about £18k, with no car allowance or many other benefits.

 

My local branch manager was at one time responsible for 2 branches and they were on a really good salary, with a nice car and all the perks. They were replaced with a much cheaper replacement, who is probably on circa £20k, with not much in the way of employment benefits. As a consequence, with the pressures they are on to hit targets, they have a new manager about every 6 months. They can earn more working as managers of fast food outlets or supermarkets.

[Klandestine]

Most bank managers these days are not actually of managerial grade, as they once were. Go back 10 years or more and the manager was someone who had worked their way up through the grades, eventually getting an M1 or whatever grade, with a salary from about £32k +, car allowance, free private healthcare, final salary pension etc. Now many branch managers are actually what were assistant or team managers, with salaries starting about £18k, with no car allowance or many other benefits.

 

My local branch manager was at one time responsible for 2 branches and they were on a really good salary, with a nice car and all the perks. They were replaced with a much cheaper replacement, who is probably on circa £20k, with not much in the way of employment benefits. As a consequence, with the pressures they are on to hit targets, they have a new manager about every 6 months. They can earn more working as managers of fast food outlets or supermarkets.

 

Do you have any sources for that?

 

I really can't see it being true, you can earn 18k being a cashier.

[unclebulgaria67]

Do you have any sources for that?

 

I really can't see it being true, you can earn 18k being a cashier.

 

Yes, I know many people who work for RBS group.

 

It is true that you can earn £18k as a cashier if you are towards the top of the salary range. I don't think there is much difference between some cashiers pay and some managers who are at the low end of their salary band. It also depends on whether you work in the London area or outside.

 

I don't know whether they still do this, but the only way they get a pay rise is to hit all the relevant performance targets and this is apparently not that easy. So quite often they don't get a pay rise every year. They used to get performance bonuses as well, but few now get these.

[Klandestine]

Very interesting.

 

Branch Manager salaries will also depend on the branch itself. A BM for a busy town centre branch won't have the same salary as a BM in a rural, relatively quiet one. Even then though 20k is a little unbelievable.

[skeggysteve]

I used to work for a small company that turned over £1m+ they banked with Nat West.

 

I needed to transfer just over £100 to a French company and the manager refused to help.

 

His reason was that if he got it wrong he would be in trouble but if I got it wrong it would be my fault.

 

Happy to take a lot of bank fees but not happy to help - suppose that applies to all banks!

[Guest funforus]

Natwest is going the way of the Post Office. I received a letter this week telling me that my branch is closing . . . This is the second time. First my suburban branch that I could walk to closed and I was transferred to a district centre branch. Too far to walk but I could drive to it and it had a car park. Now I'm being transferred to a city centre branch whit a long drive, expensive parking and long queues for a cashier and even longer for anyone who knows what they are doing . . . Time to consider whether the local mutual building society can do everything that Natwest used to do or, perhaps, to go entirely electronic and online.

 

The 'manager' in recent years has only been a senior clerk with no authority of any significance. Everything had to be referred to 'Region', not even to 'District' . . . The fallacy is always that systems can do the things that decently trained and experienced people can do. In reality systems divert staff from focus on the customer and then absorb all their time coping with the deficiencies and failures of the system!

[Tartan Giant]

I have experience of NatWest and the domino effect of these branch closures and BM's losing their jobs. Long story short, I've left this sinking ship and "switched". They have lost the plot and how to treat customers.

[Conniff]

I have experience of NatWest and the domino effect of these branch closures and BM's losing their jobs. Long story short, I've left this sinking ship and "switched". They have lost the plot and how to treat customers.

 

This isn't just NW, the same can be said of all Banks, the most hated of all companies.