The Bank: A Matter of Life and Debt

We go behind the scenes of NatWest, a high street bank still recovering from the financial crash, and meet the fascinating people that work there. Documentary series filmed at a West Yorkshire branch of NatWest. Deputy bank manager Claire has got 12 weeks to improve the customer service score at Huddersfield. The first episode looks at NatWest's bid to win back its customers' trust. Clare and her team are desperate to succeed, but it is not going to be easy. Since the 2008 banking crash, faith in banks has slumped to an all-time low and some customers are quick to anger. NatWest is owned by RBS, which was bailed out by the government and is still 79 per cent owned by the taxpayer. With weekly automated phone calls asking customers how satisfied they are, staff are under pressure to get it right. Claire and her team admit that the banks have got it wrong, but they say customers have to take responsibility too. This film was first broadcast: 23 Jun 2015

We find out how High Street Banks help everyday people, from financial planning to overdrafts and mortgages. Documentary series filmed at a West Yorkshire branch of NatWest. All of life passes through the Huddersfield branch. The staff there see customers at every milestone of adult life; young love, settling down, parenthood, divorce, old age, illness and death. That's not to mention the staff themselves, who between them have clocked up one engagement, three mortgages and three divorces, just in the last year. This film was first broadcast: 30 Jun 2015

Claire needs to get her team focused on lending money to customers. Brian and Elizabeth want a loan to pay off the debt they have accumulated on seven credit cards whilst another customer wants money for a small mortgage to buy his council flat.