The Standard Chartered Bank Botswana branch at Game City mall has made banking history in Botswana by permanently extending its operating hours to the evening as well as being the only banking outlet that opens on Sundays.
From Monday to Friday, the bank opens at 830 in the morning and closes at seven in the evening; from 830 in the morning to four in the afternoon on Saturdays; and, from nine in the morning to one in the afternoon on Sundays.
The bank’s head of corporate affairs, Ithabeleng Letsunyane, says that the new operating hours are another example of Standard Chartered’s commitment to improving customer service and make it more convenient for their customers.
“We realised that the existing banking hours were inconvenient for some customers who cannot make it during normal working hours and thus had to use, for example, their lunch hour to do banking. The new extended hours give clients choice about the time to go to the bank,” Letsunyane says.
She explains further that the Game City branch was chosen because of its own operating hours.
“We wanted to align the operating hours of our branch to those of stores in the mall. Customers are already in Game City mall in the evening for shopping, dining, and entertainment, so this is the logical place to have extended hours.”
The extension of service hours has necessitated the introduction of a double shift system. The branch now has a second shift of staff that works the evening and weekend hours. Letsunyane says that the branch is fully staffed in the evening and that they are able to service as many customers as come. She adds that staffing levels will be adjusted over time to match the demand of the public.
As far as could be ascertained, this is the first time evening banking is conducted in Botswana. Letsunyane says their customers are ‘very happy’ about this development. It is also the first time that customers can do banking on Sundays.
One other first at the branch is a counter reserved for senior citizens, expectant mothers and the physically challenged.
