Barbados Consumer Empowerment Network Survey Urges Public Feedback on Bank Opening Hours

The Barbados Consumer Empowerment Network (BCEN) is not sitting idly by as commercial banks reduce opening hours.

Instead, the advocacy group is conducting a survey urging members of the public to describe their experience with banks in Barbados.

The aim, it says, is to ensure they offer “fair and reasonable opening hours that meet the needs of the public”.

“Your feedback is essential in helping BCEN advocate for meaningful change. We want to ensure that the voices of consumers are heard and that banking services remain accessible to everyone,” the organisation said in a release.

CIBC recently announced all branches, with the exception of one which closes at 3 p.m., will shut their doors an hour earlier. This follows a move by Republic Bank last year.

At the time, BCEN executive director Maureen Holder called the move unfair and inconsiderate.

“This decision disproportionately affects the elderly, low-income individuals and working professionals, many of whom already struggle to access essential banking services within traditional hours,” she said.

Holder also criticised the foreign-owned commercial banks for what she called a decade of declining customer service.

“Customers have endured poor service, exorbitant fees and inflexible policies with little regard for their needs. The decision is just the latest example of this troubling trend,” she noted.

Another criticism was that these decisions were made with little communication and seemed to prioritise making operations more efficient at the expense of customer convenience.

The BCEN survey is available on its Facebook page. (SAT/PR)