Westpac to focus on localised, personalised operations

Bank managers are reinstated in Westpac South Coast to serve customers with personal touch.

"Under a program called Westpac Local - which is about getting closer to customers by investing in more branches and business banking centres as well as introducing more expertise in its network - Westpac is bringing back the Bank Manager in every branch by mid 2010," Westpac Regional General Manager for South Coast, Troy Fedder said.

"Five are already in our branches in South Coast, including Bombala, and I've also put in two Local Business Bankers this year who are small business experts based in our branches.

Under Westpac's Local initiative the role of Regional General Manager was recently created to support the grassroots model of banking.

"A key element of my role as the Regional General Manager in South Coast is to be more local in our approach and I've been given the resources to do that," Troy said in a report in Bombala Times.

Initially the biggest and busiest Westpac branches are getting a Bank Manager, which is a return to the traditional model of banking where the position has the autonomy to make decisions for customers locally and to provide personal advice.