HOUSTON, July 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BBVA
USA announced today that it has
begun the process of reopening its branch lobbies, originally
closed in mid-March 2020 due to
the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although
branches continued to provide drive-thru services throughout the
pandemic, the vast majority of lobbies were closed as a proactive
measure to protect the health and well-being of customers,
employees and communities. The lobbies will begin reopening in
markets identified as "ready to reopen" based on a data-driven
proprietary model to guide decision making. The bank
will continue to monitor incoming data in the event it needs to
rescind reopening decisions for the safety of its employees and
clients.
"Recent weeks have made it clear that the pandemic is not done
with us yet," said BBVA Head of Retail Banking Larry Franco. "The
pragmatic model we're using to reopen allows us to understand this
external environment and make plans based on emerging data and
conditions. All of these decisions are being made with the utmost
care for the health and safety of our team and customers."
The proprietary model uses both internal and external data when
considering whether to reopen branch lobbies in certain areas.
External data evaluated includes the number of COVID-19 cases per
100,000 people within a county, the cases per square mile and the
new cases curve and forecast. Internal data considers the branch
employees who are available to work, the ability to socially
distance within the lobby and the risk level of interactions. Taken
together, these considerations create a ready-to-open score which
guides reopening decision-making.
"It's important that we open our branch lobbies, because we know
that customers want and need face-to-face interaction, particularly
now when they may have more questions than ever about their unique
financial situation, but we have to do it in a responsible way,"
Franco said. "Using a data-driven approach that considers internal
and external factors is the best way we can do this, particularly
as we monitor how COVID-19 numbers are rising in certain areas
across our footprint."
For those branches with lobbies that have been deemed "ready to
open," the bank is taking further steps to ensure both customer and
employee health and well-being. These include requiring masks for
all employees in the reopened branches, arranging for more frequent
cleanings, providing more health and safety supplies that include
gloves and hand sanitizer, Plexiglass installation, signage to
direct the flow of foot traffic within the branch, updating
guidelines for engaging with customers and potential customers, and
more.
"We want to make the return to more normal operations a smooth
one, for our team and for our customers," Franco said. "While we
are cognizant of their health while in the branch, we need to make
sure conditions are telling us whether it's prudent to open the
lobby at all. We are endeavoring to make responsible decisions, so
as we gradually reopen lobbies, we will revise any move-forward
decisions based on what our model is telling us."
In recent weeks, BBVA USA has
announced the launch of two new digital services - Mobile 9.0
and Expanded Transaction Detail - and its plans to open 15 new
branches in 2021 across Texas. Each initiative underscores the bank's
5-year strategic plan, launched in early 2020.
For more BBVA news visit, www.bbva.com and the U.S.
Newsroom.
Additional news updates can be found via Twitter and
Instagram.
For more financial information about BBVA in the U.S., visit
bbvausa.investorroom.com.
About BBVA
BBVA Group
BBVA (NYSE: BBVA) is a customer-centric global financial services
group founded in 1857. The Group has a strong leadership position
in the Spanish market, is the largest financial institution in
Mexico, and has leading franchises
in South America and the Sunbelt
Region of the United States. It is
also the leading shareholder in Turkey's Garanti BBVA. BBVA's purpose is to
bring the age of opportunities to customers by providing the best
solutions and helping them make the best financial decisions
through an easy and convenient experience. The institution's
responsible banking model aspires to achieve a more inclusive and
sustainable society. BBVA rests on three solid values: customer
comes first, we think big and we are one team.
BBVA USA
In the
U.S., BBVA is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that operates
641 branches, including 330 in Texas, 89 in Alabama, 63 in Arizona, 61 in California, 44 in Florida, 37 in Colorado and 17 in New Mexico. The bank ranks among the top 25
largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share and
ranks among the largest banks in Alabama (2nd), Texas (4th) and Arizona (6th). In the U.S., BBVA has been
recognized as one of the leading small business lenders by the
Small Business Administration (SBA) and ranked 14th nationally in
terms of dollar volume of SBA loans originated in fiscal year
2019.
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SOURCE BBVA USA