How the Bernerland Bank is to receive its clients in future: from vision to reality

With our support, the Bernerland Bank has successfully implemented its vision of being “the branch of the future” in its newly refurbished and extended branch in Hasle-Rüegsau.

After almost five months of building work, the Hasle-Rüegsau branch of the Bernerland Bank has now re-opened. For a long time now, the bank has been considering its vision of “the branch of the future”. Bernerland Bank’s private customers process 85 % of their payment transactions using cashless systems. Half of the remaining 15 % cash-based transactions are withdrawals from cash machines. The general trend in business is more and more towards cashless transactions. Although the cash withdrawal counter is no longer the focus in the newly refurbished branch, the Bernerland Bank in Hasle-Rüegsau has not yet dispensed with cash transactions completely, so that even after the refurbishment, it is still possible to make cash withdrawals in the only bank on the square.

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Wall structure

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Consulting room with wall structure details

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Wall structure with seating detail

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Customer zone at the Bernerland Bank

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Customer zone with reception desk / consulting lounge / cash desk

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Staircase with lighting

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Waiting area detail

The Hasle-Rüegsau branch is the first to have been refurbished; according to managing director Peter Ritter, others are follow in the not too distant future. Customers are greeted in the generously spaced new customer area. Depending on their requirements, they are still served at the counter, or can discuss matters with their customer advisor in the consulting area.

The newly refurbished and extended Hasle-Rüegsau branch now has just one counter for withdrawing and depositing cash, as opposed to the two that were available previously. There are now also two additional cash machines in operation. One cash dispenser is actually inside the bank, so that customers can immediately seek help from the staff if a problem arises. In the 24-hour zone there is a bank telling machine at which it is possible to withdraw bank notes and deposit both coins and notes. Thanks to the extension of the space available (by incorporating rooms from the former police station), two individual offices, a team office and a break room for staff have also been created. This has allowed the bank to increase the number of staff, so that with immediate effect, a trainee can now benefit from the wealth of experience of the customer advisers.

The modular approach to the design of furniture and adaptable components makes it possible to create a coherent concept for different floor plans, without compromising the character or atmosphere of the branch.