A DECISION by NAB to close its Beaudesert bank branch for lunch has irritated customers.
They say the branch should be open at lunchtime, an important period in which customers sought to do their banking.
NAB has drawn criticism over its decision to close the Beaudesert branch for one hour during lunch which has left customers shocked and seeking answers.
Jimboomba resident Mary Kurinnyi said she spent half an hour waiting for staff to open the doors.
“I came two weeks ago and didn’t know they were shut for lunch,” she said. “It was inconvenient having to wait and it would have been nice to be informed.”
Ms Kurinnyi said she was surprised and was left wondering why the bank changed their trading hours during the day. “I don’t see any of the other banks closing for lunch,” she said.
Rathdowney resident Christine Franklin said she was disappointed and baffled by the sign on the door notifying her of the changed operation times.
“It’s a shame that they make such a profit and don’t want to employ staff,” she said. “I feel sorry for them, it’s not their fault.
“So many people are out looking for jobs and a company that makes billions of dollars can close for lunch – it just amazes me.”
A NAB spokesperson said customers were being notified the bank would close between 12.30pm and 1.30pm when they arrived at the branch.
The changes to operating hours began on February 5.
“We continually review our network to ensure we have the right services in the right locations according to how our customers are banking,” she said. “This decision was made to ensure we can continue to provide a strong service within the Beaudesert community.
“Customers continue to have 24/7 access to our smart automatic teller machine for most transactions.”
A transcript from the company’s 2017 results media conference stated chief executive officer Andrew Thorburn said NAB made a $6.6 billion profit and changes would be made to simplify the bank.
He said with automated processes and services moving to digital channels, NAB would need fewer staff.