Bank customers are being short-changed

I was sorry to read that Barclays Bank in Thrapston is set to close.  It's always sad to hear that the last bank in a community is to go.

Naively, I thought that the major banks had come to some sort of 'gentlemen's agreement' about not shutting the last bank branch in a town, but it appears that's not the case - at least not here in Northamptonshire.

The same lines are always trotted out by the spokesperson too about the branches not being used as much, the growth in online and mobile banking etc.

But this is forgetting that some people don't do online and mobile banking - some because they don't trust it (that's me), some because they have really poor mobile and internet connections (me sometimes), and some because they prefer to deal with actual human beings (definitely me).

What about small businesses needing change for their tills and to bank their takings?

What about the elderly who like to pop in and pay their bills, get out what cash they need and exchange pleasantries with the cashiers?

Banks seem to be forgetting that we are their customers and they should be there to serve us and our communities - we entrust them with our money, and expect to be able to easily visit a branch and see them when we need to.

Let's not forget that when the Visa system crashed so spectacularly the other week, all those reliant on cards alone were stuck, unable to pay for goods and services.

When the TSB computer system left people unable to access their accounts, wouldn't it have been good if their customers could have headed into a branch and sorted out their problems instead of spending huge chunks of their lives on the phone being repeatedly cut off?

The banks need to remember that not everybody is a young, tech-savvy urban dweller with the latest smartphone and no cash in their pockets - and indeed it's very insulting that's what the major banks seem to think makes up the bulk of their customer profile these days!