LUCEA, Hanover – A meeting called by Scotiabank to discuss their decision to close the Lucea branch, ended abruptly on Wednesday after customers became angry and walked out of the gathering.

During the lengthy meeting which was held in the church hall of the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Island in Lucea, customers were handed letters advising them of the planned closure of the facility.

“Scotia Jamaica has undertaken a review of our service delivery network to ensure long term viability through heightened operational efficiency. As a result of this review we advise that effective May 22, 2015, we will be closing our branch at Lucea and your account(s) will automatically be transferred to the Negril branch located in Westmoreland,” the letters stated.

And in his address Scotiabank’s District Vice President Michael Shaw said “We have undertaken a review of our operating model and retail distribution network and identified opportunities to streamline our operations and improve efficiency.”

However, this did not go down well with angry customers present.

“My advice to all of us here, since we are no longer valued customers, we should take our money go where we want to go and not only that, since you [Scotibank] have no interest in Hanover to provide the services that we need, take you machines and go as well, take your machines and go,” said one of the roughly 100 customers in attendance at the meeting.

 “I am also advising you all [customers], when you have friends and families who are outside of Hanover, who are Hanoverians, encourage then to withdraw their money from Scotia.”

But Executive Vice President for Retail Banking Patsy Latchman-Atterbury in a bid to appease the boisterous customers, said in the upcoming days the company will be demonstrating to customers how much they means to the bank.

She said employees would be put in place to assist customers during the transition period.

Her remarks however, did not prevent the scores of customers from storming out of the meeting.

The company has had a presence in Hanover for more than 60 years and is presently location on Willie DeLisser Blvd in Lucea.

ANTHONY LEWIS