The branch’s function is similar to a post office. Like a post office, nobody is at the branch because he wants to be. Customers go to branches because that’s where they have to go to get what they need done. And they’re usually far from thrilled about it.
There are certainly many reasons customers/members go to a bank or credit union branch, but the number is dwindling every day. People who are willing to accept the reasons are dwindling every day too. There are people who will not accept "Just come on in and we'll get you set up" in response to a telephone or email inquiry. I'm not sure if this should stop institutions from building branches in the short term, but I think they should give serious thought to minimizing the expense and look for ways to make smaller, more focused, branches. Rather than building a new, stand-alone, branch that tries to emulate a Starbucks, why not just rent some space next to Starbucks and let people kill two birds with one stone on morning coffee stop.
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