BNZ New Lynn
Warren and Mahoney's journey with BNZ began in 2009 with design thinking supported by customer experience principles that reversed the banking chamber trend of ‘milk at the back of the store’ by transforming the layout and placing the tellers front and centre. This enabled open conversations, expedient transactions and unexpected interaction. The resulting design was heavily tested and refined with customers and staff in a prototype lab environment before the experience was rolled out nationally to 160 branches over a 36-month project timeline.
There has been exponential change in the way customers interact with their bank over the last five years which affects the physical design footprint. Omni-channel connectivity, digital self-service and less need for teller-based transactions has enabled the bank to reinterpret the customer journey to include more flexibility. This includes digital education front and centre supported by multiple types of interaction from casual to closed door. Transactional capability is delivered by autonomous smart technology in a 24/7 environment adjacent to the collaboration zones.
BNZ New Lynn is the first branch to introduce an authentic lounge experience to invite quality dialogue between customers and staff. There are flexible meeting rooms and seminar zones that seamlessly engage with BNZ’s partner business integrating the BNZ experience as one bank.
The lounge area has straight forward materials with warm timber and planting coupled with residential accent lighting to encourage human connection; creating an inviting environment without barriers where both customers and staff gain the benefits of nature and conversation.
Digital is ubiquitous throughout, but not overpowering and helps inform and educate customers about the benefits of the latest personalised apps and virtual connectivity. ‘Touch down’ zones are located at the front entry area for customers to connect to the free Wi-Fi and work remotely.
BNZ now has a banking environment that reflects the business’s aspirations to “help customers be good with money, so they can do great things with it”.
