Health check and yoga: UOB offers free wellness services to bank customers at some branches
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Some of the services are open to walk-in customers who do not need to have an account with UOB.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
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SINGAPORE - One bank here is offering unconventional services such as health screenings and yoga classes to its customers.
At the newly renovated UOB branch in Upper Bukit Timah, there is also a booth for customers to make a custom blend of tea for themselves.
Some of the services, such as the tea booth and health screenings, are open to walk-in customers who do not need to have an account with the bank.
Other activities, such as monthly yoga workshops or talks on will writing, are available only to bank customers.
The various services were announced on Thursday (July 14) at the revamped Upper Bukit Timah branch and are part of UOB's initiative to meet the holistic wellness needs of its customers.
The range of activities was initially trialled at UOB's Orchard branch in December last year, with basic health screenings being the most popular among them.
More than 325 of the screenings, which comprise quick medical tests like measuring one's blood sugar level, blood oxygen level and blood pressure, were carried out at the outlet over the past six months.
Any member of the public could walk into the outlet for a screening, which is conducted by a medical professional.
The bank will roll out these services to several other branches, including those at Jem in Jurong, Suntec City and Tampines Centre, this year.
On Thursday, several customers like Madam Susan Lim, 72, eyed the various services - including the health screening and tea booths - at the Upper Bukit Timah branch with suspicion, expecting to have to pay a fee or sign a new agreement before they can enjoy them.
But the retiree, who has a bank account with UOB, said she was pleasantly surprised to learn that everything was free, quipping that banks usually required customers hit certain transaction amounts to receive perks.
"I've never seen all this before (at a bank), so it's a completely new experience. It makes visiting the bank seem so much more personal and welcoming," she said in Mandarin.
Retiree Susan Lim (left) receives a health screening at the newly renovated UOB branch on July 14, 2022.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
Mr Benny Chan, head of channels, group channels and digitalisation at UOB Singapore, said the decision to introduce a greater slew of activities aimed at improving well-being was motivated by the Covid-19 pandemic, which he said served as a "reminder that wellness, be it mental or physical, is priceless".
"We hope to deepen our relationship with customers through curated events and activities that will make our branches a one-stop resource for their well-being needs."
