CIBC To Open Three Busy Branches On Sundays
Posted September 17, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Call it a deposit of faith. For the first time in the country’s history, a Canadian bank will open some of its busier branches on a regular basis on Sundays. The CIBC has decided to test the idea of opening a few outlets on the one day of the week when they’ve always been shut tight.
The experiment begins at three branches in Toronto and another trio in Vancouver this fall, although the bank wasn’t able to supply a specific date. But spokesman Doug Maybee confirms it will happen in time for the busy Christmas shopping season. “This will be a full service offering … with a full range of transactional services,” he tells CityNews.ca. But the initial hours won’t be the same as those during the week – at least at the start.
The first local locations that will see tellers manning the counters on Sunday will be at:
- Bathurst and Lawrence,
- Dundas and Spadina and
- Bayview Village.
Could there be more to come? Maybee says maybe. “We’re starting with these six because they are high traffic, high density areas and we fully expect they’ll be wildly successful. And if it bodes well, then we’ll be doing more.”
The bank is taking the unusual step despite the fact most transactions can be performed at ABMs, using an access card. But some seniors still aren’t comfortable around them and a number of clients have specific needs the machines can’t address.
Maybee refuses to get into the issue of whether the new opening day will force the competition to take similar steps, beyond saying, “This is a leadership position by CIBC,” that will give its clients greater flexibility and choice.
If it works, you can expect it won’t be long before there’s a whole new meaning to the term ‘banker’s hours’.
