Meet Gillian
The Cumberland is getting personal- reminding customers that face-to-face mortgage appointments are available in their Dumfries branch.
For mortgage and protection advisor Gillian Houston, it’s a chance to raise their profile as one of the few banks in the area offering face-to-face appointments.
“I think many people are fed up with telephone and Zoom calls and things like that. Getting in, speaking to somebody and seeing them face to face, I tend to work better that way,” she says.
With around 85 per cent of her working day spent speaking to customers face to face, that can mean three or four appointments per day for a variety of discussions.
“A lot of our appointments are new business, which is the main part that we do –people moving home, looking for additional borrowing or remortgaging – but we also deal with existing customers, if they want to change their rate or do something different with their mortgage.
“I love helping people to buy a home. I get quite involved looking at new houses online.
“And if you make a good impression and everything goes well with the moving in, these same people come back to you in a year or two’s time when they need to look at the rate again or if they're looking to move home or do some additional borrowing.”
While phone appointments are still an option, The Cumberland says the availability of in-person appointments reflects a wider shift in customer preferences.
They also reflect The Cumberland's commitment to providing a physical presence in the form of branches on high streets in their operating area.
For those who begin their mortgage process with a face-to-face meeting there’s the added advantage of being able to see the same advisor from start through to completion, something that Gillian, who has worked at The Cumberland for 12 years, highlights.
She says: "The customers coming in to see me, most of them are from Dumfries and Galloway, so I know the area. That’s quite helpful when somebody's moving home – I can help them through which estate agents to contact, are there local social media groups that they could be looking at to get house ideas?
“If they're looking for that personal service, somebody that really cares, then that's what I do, that's why I'm here. I'm quite happy to walk you through the whole thing from start to finish.”
Appointments can be booked by visiting any branch, not just Dumfries, online, or by contacting the customer care team.