RBS boss Stephen Hester apologises for NatWest banking chaos

The Chief Executive of NatWest owner RBS stephen Hester has apologised for the technical problems which left customers unable to pay bills or access their money.

The bank will open 1,200 branches nationwide on Sunday to clear the backlog of issues after the computer software glitch was finally fixed.

Payments to and from NatWest, RBS and Ulster Bank accounts have been affected since Thursday, leaving hundreds of customers without their salaries and facing missed bill payments.

In a statement released on Saturday evening, Mr Hester said: ‘I am very sorry for the difficulties people are experiencing.

‘Our customers rely on us day in and day out to get things right, and on this occasion we have let them down. This should not have happened.

‘Right now my top priority, and the priority of the entire RBS Group, is to fix these problems and put things right for our customers.

‘This is taking time, but I want to reassure people that we are working around the clock to resolve these problems as quickly as we are able.’

Over 1,000 NatWest branches will open between 9am and noon Sunday for the first time ever as the bank continues to processes the large build-up of transactions which have not yet been processed.

Mr Hester added in his statement: ‘I also want to be clear that where our customers are facing hardship or difficulty we can and will help them.

‘Our staff have already helped thousands of customers to access cash and we will continue to provide this service on a 24 hour basis while we work to resolve the problems.

‘I also want to reassure customers that no one will be left permanently out of pocket as a result of this, and again, they should contact us directly about this.

‘We have double the usual number of staff in our call centres, and for the first time ever we will open 1,200 branches across the country on a Sunday from 9am to 12pm.

‘Once again I am very sorry for the inconvenience.’

Earlier, Susan Allen, director of customer services at the RBS Group, said the original problem – which was caused by a computer error – had been resolved and stressed that no one will be left out of pocket.

She urged customers to call the bank or visit its branches to seek help, as she promised they will be able to provide funds if required.

A message on the NatWest website said the banking group apologised to anyone who has been hit by the technical problems and admitted that the fault has led to ‘an unacceptable level of inconvenience’.

Tags: apologises, boss, for NatWest banking chaos, Hester, RBS, Stephen

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