Queens Chosen To Pilot Self-Service Chase Banks

QUEENS, NY -- Three Queens neighborhoods will be among the first in the country to test out the technology featured Chase Bank's new express branches, where speed and self-service are the name of the game.

Chase Bank announced on Monday that it will launch six "Everyday Express" pilot branches on Feb. 12 in areas where customers have tended to adapt earliest to the bank technology. The research that followed landed the bank with three pilot locations in Los Angeles, and the other half in Queens, said Chase Spokesman Erich Timmerman.

"We chose the locations based on the behavior of customers, and an area's trend toward having more early adapters to technology," he said. "Our customer base in Queens has a higher rate of using technology."

More importantly, customers in Queens showed higher rates of using the bank's self-service technology - like ATMs and digital mobile apps - which is what the bank's new pilot branch revolves around, Timmerman said.

Chase's "Everyday Express" bank primarily functions as a space for customers to make basic transactions, like withdrawals and deposits, quickly and easily using what is essentially self-service technology. But unlike an ATM, the banks will have a "Digital Advice Bar" for questions, and telecommunication technology that allows customers to video chat with tellers at nearby branches for more complex issues.

“We recognized that many customers in Queens were early adopters of our technology, doing the majority of transactions digitally through our mobile app and at the ATM,” said Scott Ford, regional director for Chase. “We’re excited to give these customers the first opportunity to visit our new space which allows them to do those same transactions more efficiently while still offering the same level of service and advice.”

Chase Bank will open Everyday Express branches on Atlantic Avenue in Ozone Park, on Fresh Pond Road in Ridgewood, and on the corner of Jamaica Avenue and 89th Street in Woodhaven. The express banks will still allow customers to open saving, checking and credit card accounts. There will also be ATMs for customers to complete cash/check deposits, withdrawals and fund transfers, Timmerman said.

Lead image via Chase Bank.

Caption: A mockup of what the Chase "Everyday Express" banks in Queens will look like upon opening.