COVID-19 and our New Normal

Imagine, it’s 2019. Some tells you, “Next year, people with masks will walk into banks and they won’t be a threat.” Would you believe them?

The world has changed so much in a few months.

As we adjust to the post-pandemic world, Republic Bank is doing what we’ve done for 183 years: looking after the needs of our customers and our communities. But how we do that has changed dramatically. We’ve always understood that our responsibilities to you transcends banking. We want to do our best to keep our customers and staff safe, to support our communities and yes, to ensure that you can access our banking services to meet their daily needs.

We hope you will see all of this at work when interacting with our Brand. This blog will focus on one interaction – what if you have to visit one of our branches?

But first… do you really have to visit a branch? In banking, we’ve been asking this question for quite a while. However, it’s become much more urgent now that the world is fighting a pandemic. We’ve been asking you to minimize branch visits to diminish the spread of the virus and keep our communities safe. We’ve also been educating you on the digital and electronic channels like RepublicOnline, RepublicMobile and ATMs, which can all be used to perform many banking functions.

We know that this may mean a big adjustment to how you usually bank, but on the positive side, we’re grateful that these technologies exist and that we invested in them early on so that now we can continue to serve our customers even under extraordinary circumstances.

Of course, we also understand that there are times when you must visit a branch and we have put protocols to keep you safe during these visits. When you walk into one of our branches, you can expect that all high-traffic touch points have been sanitized and sanitizing agents will be provided in our customer areas. You can also expect us to observe the social distancing guidelines recommended by our public health authorities. Out of an abundance of concern for our customers, our teams and the most vulnerable people in our communities, the number of customers allowed inside our branches are being limited and we’re also encouraging you to maintain a distance of at least six feet from one another when inside and outside a branch.

These changes can be difficult at times. They can be inconvenient. But they are also our new normal; it’s simply what we must do to protect each other. Still, even as so many things have changed, I can assure you that our commitment to satisfying you has not waned. Our teams are as dedicated as ever and a customer first focus is even more prevalent. We’re reaching out to you individually, keeping the communication lines open and doing our best to help however we can.

Wherever this note finds you, I hope you’re staying safe and adjusting to the new normal as best as you can. I know many have suggested that we’ll emerge from this experience with better banking practices and more efficient ways of working together. I’m all for that, of course, but I also think it’s important for us to emerge knowing that we supported one another at the times when we needed it most. Whether it’s through the services you provide or the good that you do, showing care and concern for others has never been more important. I believe it’s what will get us through to the other side.