Banking on the use of cunning
How far will those nice chaps at NatWest go to try to prove that it is “More than just a bank”? The answer is – very far indeed.
The latest NatWest “concept store” in Basingstoke tries to flog products to bewildered customers with comfy sofas, skylights and Van Gogh posters.
The “We are not a bank” bank has hit upon a novel way of recruiting new customers. The Basingstoke store, which opened in the town’s shopping centre at Christmas, was distributing mince pies and sweet sherry to new customers. Opposite this new “shop” was a branch of Lloyds.
As Christmas shoppers clamoured to get more cash from Lloyds, its ATMs ran out of money. An enormous queue developed at a single machine. The wily NatWest shop manager told his staff to distribute the sweet sherry to the weary Lloyds customers. The “More than just a shop” assistants invited those in the queue to open an account before last orders were called.
