TSB grows lending team ahead of opening new Customer Lending Hub in New Plymouth

The new Hub is expected to open around September this year. Photo/ Supplied

TSB is opening a new Customer Lending Hub in New Plymouth's CBD as part of its investment to enhance TSB's customer care experience.

Construction has just got underway for the modern hub, which will be located on the ground floor of the bank's glass building at TSB Centre, accessed via the Courtenay St carpark.

CEO Donna Cooper says TSB is incredibly proud of its long history of delivering outstanding customer care and is committed to continuously improving this as customers' needs change.

"Recently we asked our customers what they wanted from their bank when it came to lending, and they told us they wanted to have access to experienced lenders for more complex loans, to primarily deal with one person and a more private and welcoming environment. We've taken that feedback on board and as a result we've recently employed several additional people to join our new specialist lending team to support people with more complex residential needs. We've also created a new team to support small to medium sized businesses."

She says the new Customer Lending Hub is the next part of the investment.

"These teams will operate from the space, working collaboratively with our fantastic branch and contact centre lenders, so our customers receive proactive, consistent and quality support for all their different lending needs. In the hub our customers will feel like they're being welcomed into the TSB home. It will be the perfect place for us to provide personalised service for people's banking needs in the moments that really matter."

The $1.5 million TSB Customer Lending Hub features modern meeting spaces, a seating arena for community events and seminars, and purpose-built areas for hosting video call appointments, so customers can also be brought into the hub virtually from anywhere across Taranaki and New Zealand.

"We're incredibly excited to be making this investment and creating more employment opportunities right here in our home base of Taranaki," says Donna.

"The Customer Lending Hub will help us deliver more of the personalised customer care that makes TSB special. That in turn will support our Taranaki community because the more TSB grows, the more profit we can put to purpose via our owner Toi Foundation. We can't wait to have you visit us when it's open."

The innovative new hub has been designed in partnership with one of Taranaki's leading architecture firms, BOON.

Design director Murali Bhaskar says BOON has been working with TSB since 1985 and the hub is a continuation of the bank's desire to invest in modern, flexible, and forward-thinking spaces.

"It's a pleasure to help TSB achieve their vision of providing unparalleled customer care through a supportive and unparalleled environment," says Murali.

"By putting people at the heart of our process, together we've designed a space that will provide a unique and welcoming customer experience. We've used a natural material palette designed to be warm and comforting, with space thoughtfully divided to create a mix of public and private meeting areas, that offer flexibility for both customers and employees. Once complete the hub will be an inviting space for customers that supports the personalised touch and customer focused approach that TSB has been awarded for."

Construction of the hub is being led by Livingstone Building Limited, who will be working closely with the project team, including contractors from locally based Jones and Sandford, BCD Group and HelRimu Electrical. The new Hub is expected to open around September this year.