MIDDLESEX SAVINGS BANK’S NEW BRANCH AT WAYLAND CENTER: NO MORE DIVIDING CUSTOMER SERVICE BETWEEN TELLERS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES

Banking Specialists Speed Service by Handling All Client Requests and Transactions

Middlesex Savings Bank  held the formal opening of its branch at 1 Andrew Road on Wednesday, May 29.  The 2,400 square-foot facility is the first of Middlesex’s 30 locations to have neither tellers nor customer service representatives. Instead, it is staffed entirely by banking specialists who are trained to perform all of the customer-service functions of retail banking.

Executive Vice President Dana Neshe explained the philosophy behind the new physical design and staffing model, which reflect the changing nature of branch banking.  The counter resembling a traditional teller line is not closed off from the rest of the branch.  A cash recycling machine between two desks makes quick work of large deposits - counting, bundling, sorting, and dispatching the currency to a secure vault.

“Most of the time, there are tellers on one side and customer service reps on the other, and the two never meet.  Here, all of our banking specialists can work anywhere. Whether a customer is coming in to cash a check, to open an account, or just to ask a question, any one of our staff members can serve them at any location,” said Neshe.

CEO John Heerwagen stated that the branch was also designed to emphasize the bank’s commitment to support and involvement of all the communities it serves. The second Middlesex facility in Wayland, it features a “Community Wall,” with 13 iconic scenes from around town.  They include:

·         The stables at First Parish Church, which was founded in 1640;

·         Kirkside, a Colonial Revival home constructed in 1815;

·         Wayland Depot, the railroad station built in 1881 that now houses a charitable gift shop;

·         Trinitarian Congregational Church, founded in 1828 during the second “Great Awakening;” and

·         Broomstones Curling Club, the Boston area’s largest curling facility that was established in 1967 after the Wellesley and Weston Country Clubs had been denied permits for curling rinks.

Architect Marc Margulies pointed out that the layout and configuration aim to make the branch as welcoming to the customer as possible by maximizing the opportunity for a personal touch while taking advantage of the latest in banking technology. The Boston firm of Margulies Perruzzi designed the facility, which was built by Delphi Construction of Waltham.

The Middlesex branch is at the western end of the new Wayland Town Center on Route 20. A Stop and Shop Supermarket at the other end of the development opened in November 2012. Selectman Steve Correia noted that Wayland is celebrating its 375^th anniversary as a town in 2013-14, and remarked,

“We’re very pleased with having the bank as our second anchor tenant, and we’re excited that Phase One of the project is about 85% leased. Phase Two and the construction of the Town Green will follow.”

Anne Plaisted, a Framingham resident and 25-year Middlesex employee, has been named branch manager.  Plaisted moves to Wayland from her previous position as manager of the bank’s Sudbury branch.  Sarah Connors, assistant branch manager, and banking specialists Sisandra Castro and Val Queiroz are the other full time staff members.

Through July 27, the bank is offering several incentives for new Wayland branch customers: $50 for those who open a new primary checking account; $50 for customers who refer a friend who opens a checking account; and $50 in local charitable contributions for each new account opened: $25 each to Wayland Free Public Library and to Vokes Theatre.