Alongside the opening of a new branch in Donegal Town, Ireland, Royal Bank of Scotland subsidiary Ulster Bank has appointed the first of a team of multilingual employees dedicated to servicing Northern Ireland's growing migrant worker population. The bank has revealed plans to position a dedicated customer service representative with relevant language skills at branches across the province in the coming months.
As part of the strategy, the bank recently introduced current account brochures and application forms in Polish, Chinese, Lithuanian and Portuguese, to ensure the provision of background materials for migrant customers. According to the bank, the initiative is intended to help make the banking experience of these customers more straightforward.
Richard Donnan managing director of retail banking in Northern Ireland at Ulster Bank, said: Our research showed that for many migrant workers the experience of opening a new bank account in Northern Ireland was difficult and complex, due to a number of factors; in particular the language barrier.
He commented that, having introduced the translated materials, We are now taking the initiative to the next level by aiming to provide migrant workers with a dedicated customer service representative at their local branch, beginning with Dungannon where we have a large migrant worker customer-base.
He concluded that, with the growing migrant worker population playing an increaslingly important role in Northern Ireland’s economy and society, Ulster Bank remains committed to ensuring that the migrant population has access to the same banking facilities as the bank’s domestic customers.
The move comes in the same week that Mary Coughlan, Ireland’s minister for agriculture and food, officially opened the new Ulster Bank branch in Donegal Town, Ireland. The new Main Street branch replaces the Ulster Bank branch that had operated in the town since 1851.
Mike Bamber, chief executive of Ulster Bank, said: This is a great day for Ulster Bank and Donegal Town. The opening of these fine new premises demonstrates our commitment to our branch network, especially in the North West Region, and is an important part of our expansion plans for Ulster Bank.
He added that the new branch, which comes as part of Ulster Bank’s E73 million three-year branch improvement plan, will have three dedicated staff for business and commercial customers, in addition to the 11 staff serving retail customers.