The imminent closing of two Capital One Bank branches on Friday, November 17, at Throggs Neck and Westchester Square, will reroute customers to the Pelham Bay branch.
“It’s a shame but it goes to show you the sign of the times,” said Bob Jaen, president, Throggs Neck Merchants Association. “Everybody says the economy is doing so well and even though I believe it’s coming back on an upswing, some of the big companies are starting to feel the heat.”
When the branches at 3780 East Tremont Avenue and 35 Westchester Square close, the branch at 3049 Buhre Avenue in Pelham Bay will be servicing the three neighborhoods, according to Amanda Landers, spokeswoman for Capital One Corporate Communications.
“We began notifying customers in mid-August that the Westchester Square and Tremont Avenue branches would be closing,” Landers said. “The decision to close these branches was difficult and one that our bank leaders did not take lightly.”
Jaen said corporations such as Capital One Bank are consolidating to tighten their budgets.
“Imagine what the medium and small business people are doing,” Jaen said. “Some of them go week to week and month to month, but they still stay strong and they still try to keep their businesses open.”
Meanwhile, banks’ board of directors negotiate what they want to do to make their bank more beneficial to the stockholders, according to Jaen.
He praised Capital One as being a “good service bank to the community in Throggs Neck for a lot of years, and I’m sure they’re going to survive.”
Landers said the closings occur “as Capital One continues to evolve and optimize our branch network in response to changing customer preferences and to ensure we’re operating as efficiently and effectively as possible.”
“We recognize the effect that this decision will have on our customers and associates,” Landers said. “We’ve been encouraging customers to give us a call or stop by before their branch closes to ask us any questions.”
Customers will be shown options to bank through online banking, bill pay, and mobile banking, according to Landers. They are encouraged to try different ways of banking, such as using the ATM to make withdrawals or deposits, and using their smartphones to deposit a check.
The Tremont branch closing will affect two Capital One associates, who will receive career transition support, and eligibility for a severance package, including retraining assistance and outplacement services, according to Landers.
The associates at the Westchester branch will relocate to other branches.
