Singapore, 1 October 2026 – In an industry-first in Singapore, customers visiting any UOB branch in Singapore for common personal and business banking services can now book appointments for the next day till 10 days later, significantly reducing wait times as well as ensuring more streamlined and customised service experience. Launched islandwide today, UOB's online appointment booking service, accessible via the “Branches and ATMs” section of UOB’s website, is the first and only platform in Singapore that allows retail and corporate customers to book branch appointments online with instant confirmation. Customers will also receive an email confirmation on their appointments, and for more complex services requiring specific documents, branch staff will proactively call to remind them of this prior to their scheduled visit. This helps to reduce transaction times and minimise unnecessary repeat visits. Offering the industry's most comprehensive appointment booking service, UOB enables customers to schedule appointments for more than 25 services, ranging from everyday transactions to advisory and wealth services such as Banker's Guarantee applications, Cashier's Orders and updates to account particulars. For services that can be performed digitally, the appointment booking site will display the relevant link to customers so they can decide if they wish to self-serve or continue with their branch appointment. Every branch will dedicate at least two counters to customers with appointments, for faster and more predictable service. To maximise operational efficiency, these counters can be readily redeployed to serve walk-in customers as well whenever there are no scheduled appointments. "Branches remain an important touchpoint for customers seeking advice, guidance and reassurance, whether for their day-to-day banking needs or more complex wealth and financial decisions. As the first bank in Singapore to introduce instant online appointment booking across our branch network, we are making it easier for customers to plan their visits, spend less time waiting and enjoy more dedicated, personalised service. The platform also allows us to better anticipate demand and prepare for each interaction, helping us deliver a smoother experience while ensuring our branches continue to play their vital role in serving all customers, especially seniors and those who may be more vulnerable. This reflects our commitment to keep innovating and raising the standard of customer experience in Singapore," said Benny Chan, Managing Director, Group Channels and Digitalisation, UOB. The full rollout follows a successful eight-week pilot conducted across six UOB branches in July and August this year. During the pilot, customers with appointments waited an average of just around seven minutes to be served, less than half the 15-minute wait experienced by walk-in customers. By the end of the pilot, almost half of all customers who used the appointment booking service to make appointments were aged above 50 years old. Demand was evenly split between advisory and service-related appointments. Around half of the appointments made were for advisory services such as account openings, business solutions, investment-related services, highlighting the preference of customers for face-to-face conversations on wealth matters. Day-to-day banking services constituted the remaining half, with changing of account particulars and applications for cashier’s orders and demand drafts amongst the most popular transactions. Customer feedback on the appointment booking service has been very positive, with many praising the ease of booking, shorter waiting times and more personalised service. The platform also provides the Bank with better visibility of high-traffic periods for the different branches and the types of services customers are seeking assistance for, enabling better allocation of staff and resources in advance, thus enhancing the overall customer experience. Re-disseminated by The Asian Banker
