Lloyds likes customer care

Banks are not exactly favourite businesses in the UK, even though it is five years since the major financial crisis which triggered today’s unpleasant austerity policies. However, Lloyds is trying to rescue its reputation by setting itself the goal of becoming the Best Bank for Customers.

Its latest step in that respect is to introduce talking ATMs to make it easier for blind and partially sighted customers to withdraw cash and check balances. There will be nearly 1,300 talking machines at Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland outlets by the end of the year. That’s nearly one machine for each year since the first millennium.

Lloyds has worked closely with the Royal National Institute of Blind People to ensure that the machines serve the needs of those who are visually impaired. Nor are the needs of the general public overlooked: there will be no noise pollution around the machines and no chance to eavesdrop on others’ business transactions, because the visually impaired customers who use them will have to plug in earphones to do so. As well as those with visual difficulties, the machines can also be used by those with literacy issues and/or dyslexia.

Lloyds is asking customers who use the machines to let them know if the bank has got them right or if any further improvements are needed.

Good for Lloyds. We hope that other banks follow suit. Now there’s just the little matter of the global financial crisis to make amends for….