Three side-by-side photos show Wells Fargo employees assisting customers at a branch in Folsom, California.
Wells Fargo’s branch employees, such as those in Folsom, California (pictured), are more prepared than ever to help customers meet their financial goals thanks to an effort to refurbish branches nationwide. Wells Fargo employees pictured from left to right: William Britt, Isabel Redmon, and Connie Chung.
Three side-by-side photos show Wells Fargo employees assisting customers at a branch in Folsom, California.
Wells Fargo’s branch employees, such as those in Folsom, California (pictured), are more prepared than ever to help customers meet their financial goals thanks to an effort to refurbish branches nationwide. Wells Fargo employees pictured from left to right: William Britt, Isabel Redmon, and Connie Chung.
Financial Health
May 9, 2023

Better banking is coming to a Wells Fargo branch near you

Wells Fargo is evolving the in-person banking experience to help you meet your financial goals. Here’s how branches are changing across the country.

Bright lights, contemporary furniture, a new conference room, and a splash of color are turning heads in a Wells Fargo branch in Folsom, California.

“The color makes everything pop,” said Forrest MacNeil, a senior branch Premier banker who has worked in nearly a dozen Wells Fargo branches over 18 years. “It’s night and day.”

The branch was recently refurbished as part of an unprecedented investment Wells Fargo is making over five years to modernize the company’s entire branch network. These overhauls are bringing a fresh in-person banking experience to customers at thousands of branches across the country.

set of before and after photos of customers at a Wells Fargo branch show a teller line with new wood flooring, brighter lighting, and updated desks. set of before and after photos of customers at a Wells Fargo branch show a teller line with new wood flooring, brighter lighting, and updated desks.
Wells Fargo’s refurbished branches have more open, simplified floorplans with fewer teller lines.

More than just places to make transactions, Wells Fargo branches are increasingly becoming advice centers: a place where customers can have conversations about how they can make progress on their financial goals like paying off debt, managing spending, boosting their credit score, or planning for retirement.

For the Folsom branch, those in-depth conversations can happen in a newly built office space, so customers can share their personal goals one-on-one with their banker.

“Every single banker has a private space where customers can feel comfortable sharing their hopes and dreams,” MacNeil said.

A set of before and after photos show a row of chairs has been replaced with an informal seating area consisting of brighter gray sofas and chairs. A set of before and after photos show a row of chairs has been replaced with an informal seating area consisting of brighter gray sofas and chairs.
New flexible seating areas welcome Wells Fargo customers who want a one-on-one conversation with their banker or need a demonstration of the mobile app.

More options to bank how you want

Wells Fargo regularly updates branches to reflect the latest needs of customers, but this wave of refurbishing projects brings this work to the next level. In fact, compared with previous updates, the company is investing almost twice as much into each branch. And that investment is happening at hundreds of branches each year.

Jon Voorhees, who leads physical distribution strategies at Wells Fargo, said this massive undertaking will touch every aspect of your local Wells Fargo branch, from the sign out front to the tools behind the teller desk.

“From a logistics perspective, it’s incredibly complex,” he said. “The whole process for each branch takes about a year of planning.”

This investment is evolving customers’ experiences when they do their banking in person. “Branches are shifting from transactional to relationship banking and guidance, and that’s how we aim to earn your trust,” said Eddie Queen, head of financial health at Wells Fargo. “We want to be a key source of guidance for you, a trusted partner.”

“Branches are shifting from transactional to relationship banking and guidance, and that’s how we aim to earn your trust.” — Eddie Queen, head of Financial Health

That’s why refurbished branches are getting fresh touches like cozy seating spaces, private offices, new digital screens for demonstrating in-app transactions, and family workstations. Conference rooms create spaces where teams of bankers and specialists can come together to meet client needs. “We’re redesigning the footprint of our branches to be more open and digitally engaged,” said Shaun McDougall, head of growth and branch administration at Wells Fargo.

A set of before and after photos show an abbreviated teller line and updated offices with partial walls. A set of before and after photos show an abbreviated teller line and updated offices with partial walls.
"I hear from customers just how modern our branch looks,” said Forrest MacNeil, a senior branch Premier banker who previously managed a Wells Fargo location in Folsom, California.

Some branches are also becoming homebases for HOPE Inside Centers — a nationwide program connecting unbanked and underbanked people with financial coaches through Operation HOPE — while other branches have a focus on Wells Fargo Premier for affluent clients. When those clients come to their local branch, they’ll have a tailored banking experience that aligns with their needs.

Adding to the mobile and digital banking options available today, along with updated ATMs rolling out with newer features like cardless access and more cash withdrawal denominations, refurbished branches will give customers even more options to bank how they want.

The latest vision for Wells Fargo branches is already being realized in locations across the country. At the Folsom branch, more has changed beyond a fresh coat of paint.

“When a customer walks in and sees our new, refreshed look, it’s exciting for them,” MacNeil said. “There are a lot more conversations happening about what Wells Fargo can do for our customers.”
 

An open office space with bright yellow seating and a desk with large dual monitors.
An office with Wells Fargo Premier signage has TV screens for presentations between Premier teams and their clients.
Customers are more often coming into branches seeking advice and financial guidance from their local Wells Fargo teams, who now have more spaces to meet and chat.
Wells Fargo Premier teams are using new private office spaces to give presentations and walk customers through benefits of Wells Fargo Premier, a banking and investing offering that began rolling out last year.

CAR-0423-03049

Written by : Eric Best