A north-east businessman has branded a leading lender’s mobile bank van service “a shambles” after being left out in the cold for nearly an hour.
Matthew Baxter patiently waited to be served by the tellers inside the Royal Bank of Scotland vehicle as it visited his home town of Banff on Monday.
Mr Baxter claims he was in a queue of 12 customers waiting to be seen on board the van.
The mobile service was introduced to Banff after RBS closed its High Street branch just over a year ago after first opening in 1937.
It blamed the move on a drop in customers visiting the outlet and more people turning to internet banking. Branches in Bridge of Don, Ellon, Huntly and Turriff were also closed.
The banking van was introduced to Banff by RBS shortly afterwards and it stops at Old Market Place for an hour every Monday and Wednesday afternoon.
Now Mr Baxter, 43, has hit out at the service being offered by the lender and has threatened to move his personal and business accounts elsewhere as a result.
He said he misses the old branch which closed its doors for the final time last May.
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Mr Baxter said: “Nobody wanted the branch to close anyway. It was a cracking branch and the staff were always first class.
“The other day it was freezing cold and one of the customers, who was an elderly gentleman, was in the van for 55 minutes.
“I got in as the chap came out and there were still six people behind me. It is just terrible and no use.
“It is a shambles. We have pensioners standing out in freezing gales and rain waiting to speak to somebody.
“They should have kept a branch open in Banff or at least Turriff.”
Mr Baxter runs MB blast cleaning, which specialises in cleaning and plating metals such as engine parts for cars, motorbikes and tractors.
Last night, a Royal Bank of Scotland spokesman said the mobile branch will serve every customer before moving on.
He said: “Our mobile branch visits Banff twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays.
“We would always try to serve all customers before leaving an area and also offer a number of alternative services to the mobile branch including at the local Post Office in Banff.”
