United Community Bank has announced they are reopening lobbies at additional branch locations across their five-state footprint, effective this week. United closed lobbies in March in response to CDC recommendations to limit the spread of COVID-19.
On Thursday, September 17, twenty branch lobbies in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia will reopen with specific safety measures in place to protect employees and customers. This is in addition to the almost 50 branch lobbies that opened for full service in June and July. Additional branch locations will follow in the weeks to come and an up-to-date list of current branch operating status is available at ucbi.com/coronavirus.
“Our employees have gone above and beyond to help our customers adjust to the new normal, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to reopen additional branches,” said Keri Wise, Head of Retail Sales. “We’ve proudly maintained safe practices in our branches that reopened a few months ago, and we’re confident that we’ll be able to lean on those same strategies as we welcome more customers into our lobbies.”
United has taken great care to gauge sentiment from employees and customers during its reopening process. The bank surveyed employees to learn of any concerns about reopening the lobbies. After reviewing feedback from both customer and employee surveys, United has taken the following precautions at all reopened lobbies:
- Installation of protective shields for desks and counters.
- Increased signage to promote physical distancing and other safety measures.
- Increased cleaning frequency and supplies at all locations.
- Limited customer capacity in lobbies.
Customers are encouraged to use drive-thru and ATM services when possible to continue practicing physical distancing.
