INTERVIEW: Aozora Bank to Extend Consulting Hours to 8 P.M.

August 23, 2018

Tokyo- Aozora Bank will extend its weekday service hours for customer consultations to 8 p.m. from February next year, in order to cater to growing needs from customers, the bank's president, Shinsuke Baba, has said.

Currently, Aozora Bank's weekday consulting hours for asset management and inheritance, among other services, are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The bank hopes the extension will help it tap into people of working age.

"Many customers want to have consultations on asset management face-to-face and take a plenty of time," Baba said in a recent interview. "By extending service hours, we'll make it easier for customers to come."

Customers will need to make reservations for consultations after 3 p.m. The extension will be implemented at the bank's 19 offices that are attended by employees, except for the Kansai branch in the western city of Osaka, which specializes in services for businesses.

Baba also said the bank will replace the automated teller machines at its offices with those of Japan Post Bank, the banking arm of Japan Post Holdings Co. from Monday in stages. Jiji Press