On Wednesday 10th April 2019, Santander UK will officially open its newly designed and refurbished branch on 1 Hockliffe Street, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 1HG. It is the latest of Santander’s branches to be re-designed as part of a programme to deliver even better customer service and community-friendly banking.
To mark the occasion, hot drinks and treats will be served throughout the afternoon and staff in branch will be running a Scam Avoidance School for customers. A children’s colouring competition will be run throughout the day and a Police liaison officer will also be in attendance to give customers tips on staying safe from fraud.
Work on the new branch design took five weeks to complete and facilities include digital workstations with tablets for online banking, Express Banking with a new ATM wall, counter services for more secure transactions as well as private interview rooms for anyone who might need additional time or privacy to discuss their financial affairs. The new branch will, like all of Santander’s branches, be equipped with talking ATMs giving customers the option to plug in headphones and be guided through their transaction by voice assistance, with or without the use of the ATM screen.
Customers visiting the branch will be greeted in a reception area and directed to a range of tailored services depending on how they want to bank.
The branch, which employs six staff and is managed by Daniel Hackett, will also feature a picture wall to display local community initiatives such as Santander Foundation grants.
Santander’s Head of Branches, Adam Bishop said: “Banking is changing at a rapid pace and we wanted to create a branch that can accommodate the needs of all our local customers. That means combining traditional banking facilities, and a focus on delivering great customer service, with modern, digital services including free Wi-Fi, customer tablets and digital ATMs.
“Santander branches are an important part of many communities and our investment in this branch reflects our commitment to Leighton Buzzard.”
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Notes to Editors
1 Photos available on request.
Santander UK is a financial services provider in the UK that offers a wide range of personal and commercial financial products and services. It has brought real competition to the UK, through its innovative products for retail customers and relationship banking model for UK SMEs. At 30 June 2018, the bank has c24,200 employees. It serves around 15 million active customers, via a nationwide branch network, telephone, mobile and online banking; and 64 regional Corporate Business Centres. Santander UK is subject to the full supervision of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) in the UK. Santander UK plc customers are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) in the UK.
About Us
Banco Santander (SAN SM, STD US, BNC LN) is a leading retail and commercial bank, founded in 1857 and headquartered in Spain. It has a meaningful market share in 10 core markets in Europe and the Americas, and is the largest bank in the euro zone by market capitalization. At the end of June 2018, Banco Santander had EUR 981 billion in customer funds (deposits and mutual funds), 140 million customers, 13,500 branches and 200,000 employees. Banco Santander made attributable profit of EUR 3,752 million in the first half of 2018, an increase of 4% compared to the same period last year.
Media Enquiries
Miranda Seymour T: 020 7756 4189 M: 07860 857 999 E: miranda.seymour@santander.co.uk
Samantha Wrench T: 020 7756 4209 M: 07544 158 565 E: samantha.wrench@santander.co.uk
The press office operates from 8.00am to 6.00pm. Outside of these hours please call 0800 5877708.