Credit institutions have been thinning out their branch networks for years, thereby reducing their local presence.

Last year, Deutsche Bank announced that it would close a fifth or around 100 branches and want to keep around 400.

The trend towards online and mobile banking, i.e. banking transactions via the Internet, which can be carried out conveniently at any time from home or on the go, regardless of opening hours, seems unstoppable.

Kerstin Papon

Editor in Business.

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Nevertheless, many, not only older customers in this country are obviously not indifferent to a branch that you can visit in person if the worst comes to the worst.

Some reject banking transactions over the Internet anyway, for example for security reasons.

And especially when choosing their house bank, many bank customers pay attention to whether it also has a local branch.

This is the result of a survey by the software provider and IT service provider Epam among 3,000 bank customers in Germany, part of an international survey of around 26,000 people aged 18 and over.

According to this, almost half of those surveyed in Germany attach importance to personal branch contact.

The branch around the corner remains surprisingly popular, according to Epam.

Once you have found the money house you trust, there is a lot to be said for a long-term relationship if both business partners behave accordingly.

From the customer's point of view, it is also associated with some effort, for example changing a main account, simply because of the often numerous standing orders and direct debits for rent, insurance or club contributions.

84 percent of respondents in Germany are satisfied with their bank.

Customers of ING are the most satisfied, those of Deutsche Bank the most dissatisfied.

Particularly important for trust in the bank: money and personal data should be safe.

Almost two-thirds of customers use other providers for financial services in addition to their house bank.

On average, they do this with 1.8 other service providers.

Then it is mainly about credit cards (27 percent),

A good three quarters of those surveyed can basically imagine changing banks.

The most frequently mentioned reasons are: lower costs or free new account facilities and high interest rates.

No-fee account management is important to just over half, followed by an easy-to-use online banking app.

Almost half of the survey participants in Germany would primarily turn to their own financial institution for financial advice, with the family taking second place with a share of one third.

The tendency to be close is also evident here: Many Germans prefer to talk about banking transactions in person and appreciate the service in the branch, say the Epam experts.

This was said by 36 percent.

Two fifths (42 percent) would also pay for individual financial advice on site and help with managing the finances.

The branch of the future should therefore be less about transactions and more about high-quality support, according to Epam, and not just.

Many institutes are therefore already relying on special advice centers.