Governor Eugene Holiday (centre), RBC officials and other dignitaries at the opening ceremony.
~ Focuses on digital experience amongst others ~
PHILIPSBURG–RBC Royal Bank officially opened the doors of its renovated office in Philipsburg on Wednesday, which it calls the “digital branch of the future.”
To celebrate the official reopening, two foundations, Dow’s Musical Foundation and the St. Maarten Little League Association, received a digital donation in recognition of the important work they do for the development of the youth in St. Maarten.
The renovated branch is equipped with more traditional personal and business banking services, renewed meeting rooms, RBC’s mobile “Specialized Sales Force,” in-house “Discovery Zone,” which gives customers access to mobile and online banking and “full-service” ATMs, where clients can deposit money 24/7.
RBC Country Manager for St. Maarten and Saba Cheryl Pantophlet-Valies said the new Philipsburg branch is a reflection of “reimagined banking” – RBC’s vision of future banking. In addition, the bank actually takes concrete innovative steps to define this vision.
“Our branch design is different from traditional branches. At our branch, we are providing clients with multi-channel transactional service options, through a fully digital banking experience. At the same time, we will still interact with clients in ways that add value and provide support for more complex financial solutions. In simple words: old and new come together here in our RBC flagship branch,” she said.
“We are very proud to offer in-house online banking options and three full-service ATM’s, with non-stop depository facility. If you are yet unfamiliar with our digital channels, check out the Discovery Zone for hands-on access to our Online and Mobile banking services.”
The bank will be using convenient meeting rooms to work with clients who prefer to visit the branch for complex financial solutions. “Our branch represents trust and confidence, where we want to build relationships with new and expand relationships with existing clients. Clients that are looking for advice on mortgages or car loans, can meet with our Mobile, Specialized Sales professionals, at a time and place that fits their schedule; who can meet clients where financial decisions are made, whether it is at a realtors’ office, at the client’s kitchen table, car dealerships, or in their business office.”
She continued: “Our personal, business banking services and specialized sales force, our renewed meeting rooms, self-serve channels, digital options. This is reimagined banking in our branch. This is bringing the RBC vision to life. It’s the model we believe is a roadmap to the future.”
She was “proud” to be at the opening just a few months after the bank first started construction activities. “To those of you who frequently visited our branch: your patience has been genuinely appreciated. We certainly did not want to inconvenience our clients and our staff during the construction activities, but we decided it was our first priority to offer uninterrupted banking service to our clients.”
She said the bank needs to be agile so that it can evolve as the bank of the future and deliver services and experience that clients expect, today and tomorrow.
“We are willing to imagine what the bank of the future will look like and are taking steps to define it by evolving our physical footprint,” she said. “RBC is confident in the sustainable and impactful long-term growth of St. Maarten despite the challenges our country and industry are facing. Our decision to reimagining our bank is our commitment to the economic and financial development of St. Maarten. To give some perspective, the realization of our branch of the future comes with a significant investment. An investment that created opportunities for businesses in the construction sector, importers and other service providers in St. Maarten, contributing directly to our overall economy.”
During the actual construction work, the branch has been operational uninterruptedly and its trained staff has been providing the “reimagined banking” client experience for a while now.
Regional Vice President of Retail Stores RBC Caribbean Banking Roger Cogle said that the bank was not celebrating because it has a remodelled branch to show off, but rather this is the bank’s demonstration of banking reimagined.
“Because of global digital disruption, we are preparing our bank and our communities for the 2020s and a digitally-driven decade of mobility. I know our future success, as a company, as a society – including here in St. Maarten – will depend on how we prepare for and engage with this new age. As RBC moves into the next decade and beyond, we are reimagining the role we play in clients’ lives,” said Cogle.
“Our vision of the bank of the future is one where our clients have the opportunity to sit with RBC team members wherever decisions are being made for financial advice and assistance for life events – big or small – like owning a home, buying a car, educating children, learning more about services and solutions for a business and helping to finance dreams. We are on a quest to finally simplify and enhance your banking experience even as we meet your ever-evolving financial needs,” he added.
Cogle said the bank wants to be available to our clients 24/7. “We continue to make it easier by empowering you to manage everyday banking in a way that best meets your needs – through our mobile app, our online banking platform and our full-service ATMs. We create alternatives for our clients on how you can interact with RBC. At the same time, we’re investing in the capabilities of our sales team who continue to be at the heart of our trusted client relationships. Change can sometimes be uncomfortable, but more worrying is not having the confidence and capability to evolve as times evolve and to change as our customers change. RBC Philipsburg is yet another of the reimagined branches we have opened in the Caribbean and it’s the result of our vision. Our branch design here in St. Maarten showcases who we are as a digitally enabled relationship bank. A place where there is a dedicated focus on helping our clients find the solutions that work for them.”
Cogle said he is excited by the transformational journey that RBC is on and the many opportunities it will create to help clients thrive and communities prosper.
The renovated office was formally opened in the presence of Governor Eugene Holiday; Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI Christopher Wever and Director of the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten Raquel Lo Fo Wong. Invitees were warmly welcomed by the bank staff after the official opening and were given a tour to experience the new branch of the future.
RBC Country Manager for St. Maarten and Saba Cheryl Pantophlet-Valies (on stage) gives an applause during the digital donation to one of the foundations on Wednesday.
RBC staffers in the refurbished Philipsburg branch.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/92644-rbc-royal-bank-opens-branch-of-the-future
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