Regions Bank Debuts Online Tool for Scheduling In-Person Meetings with Bankers

In a mash-up of online banking, call center customer support and old-fashioned branch visits, Regions Bank is providing customers a web tool to schedule live meetings with its bankers.

The appointment setting tool, which the bank announced Friday, lets customers and non-customers select a time, location and venue (on the phone or in a branch) to discuss products and services. The feature, which should reduce wait times, is designed to improve the customer experience.

The bank said it plans to extend the feature into mobile banking in 2014.

BMO Bank of Montreal offers a similar feature.

Banks nationwide have been upgrading their websites at a time when more consumers are taking to researching products online and expecting experiences such as those they can get on Amazon.