We started our day in the central city area walking around looking for branches to visit. What a challenge that turned out to be- we had read about how the Dutch were active users of self-service channels, but still expected to see branches on every block like we've seen in London and large U.S. cities. It was even hard to find an ATM!

The first branch we visited was actually in a post office. It wasn't a branch in the same sense as what we're accustomed to seeing in the U.S. Instead, it consisted of a small counter (that wasn't very well marked) at the back of the building where people could get information on financial products and services and open new accounts. Surrounding the branch space was a number of merchandising displays with brochures on financial products. The only place where customers could perform transactions was at the ATM near the branch.

Much more interesting was a new branch recently opened by what we understand to be one of the more innovative banks in the Netherlands. Upon entering the building, we were immediately welcomed by one of several greeters roaming the lobby to answer questions and direct traffic. There were so many greeters around that we felt like we had to run a gauntlet to get to the second floor where the personal bankers were located.

In the lobby was a towering fake tree with signs dangling from its branches promoting the bank's loan specials. The tree was part of the bank's spring promotion called "Grow with Green." We were told by one of the greeters that the bank planned to change out the displays throughout the year. The lobby had a large self-service area that was being actively used during our visit.

One of the devices in this area was an ATM with a bulk note acceptor for cash deposits. We asked one of the greeters if a customer could deposit a check at the ATM; he replied, rather condescendingly, that "Checks are old-fashioned! Only people in the U.S. and the U.K. still use checks!"

Another device in this self-service area we haven't seen elsewhere is a rolled coin dispensing unit designed for small business customers. What a great way to service the needs of local merchants in a cost-effective manner!

The most unique part of our visit was the sensory experience in the branch. The scent of fresh flowers permeated the first floor, thanks to several 'smell' machines located discreetly in the corners of the self-service area. And while some branches we've seen pipe in music, this one had the sound of birds chirping in the elevator, which was wallpapered to reflect a pastoral scene. You could have taken the roof off the building and moved the branch into the countryside!

The second and third floors of the branch were dedicated to sales, with the top floor restricted to private banking and business customers. We weren't able to visit this area since we would have needed an escort to be able to get onto that floor.

While the sales floor was fairly similar to what we've seen elsewhere, one thing that stood out was a display promoting the bank's partnership with a cellular provider. The bank is the first in the Netherlands to offer its customers mobile banking services, including funds transfers between accounts. The bank offers a calling plan with no minimum contract length and customers can choose from a wide range of phone models, several of which were on display in the branch. This partnership has been around for about six months now and we'll be interested to hear how many customers sign up for service through the bank.