Our goal is to have fewer transactions in the branch and more transactions with the interactive teller machines. But we’ve got to make sure we have plenty of people in the branches because people want to bank the way they want to bank.
In a digital age, area banks still rely on brick-and-mortar operations. Patriot Bank, First County Bank and Bankwell are all expanding their branch networks in response to growing business. While customers increasingly bank online, they still want to visit establishments for a range of services. Reflecting that demand, the new branches operate with full staffs and a growing number of interactive features. "There needs to be a balance between how electronic banking interacts with physical banking," Patriot Bank President Rick Muskus Jr., said in an interview Wednesday at the bank's new flagship branch at 999 Bedford St., in Stamford. "We wanted to maintain visibility here, and this building becomes a very important part of that.