Bank named best branch in region

BUMPER BRANCH: Jon Palmer, manager of The Co-operative Bank in Whanganui, said his team and the customers created another stand-out year for the branch.

Being named the best branch in the central region is one thing but when that region stretches from Paraparaumu in the south to Pukekohe in the north it takes on more significance.

That's what the Whanganui branch The Co-operative Bank has achieved and it's a result branch manager Jon Palmer said reflected on the staff and the customers. Mr Palmer said he and the team at the Victoria Ave branch were "absolutely stoked" with the result and it continued the status the branch achieved last year as well.

"We've also moved into the top three branches across the bank nationally, which is a fantastic result considering the size of our population and our so-called poor economy," he said.

The bank started life as the Public Service Investment Society and became established as a full banking entity in October, 2011. Its growth since then has been spectacular.

Mr Palmer said the branch's deposits grew by 30 per cent last year and attracted 664 new customers, both outcomes he said were exceptional. "The last few years we've been getting well over 600 new customers each year. It doesn't sound a lot but again this branch continues to be one of the top in the country where The Co-operative Bank has 34 branches."

He said the result could be sheeted home to the "outstanding" team in the branch. He said in latest customer promotion scores, 70 per cent of the people using the Whanganui branch were telling others about their experiences "which is an exceptional result".

"For a small bank we're doing exceptionally well, but a lot of it comes down to the team I have here. I can't praise them enough. And we've got a very strong and loyal customer base we've got to acknowledge as well."

The next issue for the bank was the announcement of the payout customers will get from its annual rebate scheme.

"We know the bank has increased the pool this year so it means the rebates will increase this year."

That announcement was expected in a few months.

Last year Whanganui customers shared $72,279 of the $1.8million made available nationally with rebates for individual customers between $10 and $500.