On the 31st of March. HSBC announced that it is rolling out a number of new services which aim to offer transgender customers a better, more personal banking experience. These include allowing customers to choose from ten different gender neutral titles as well as simplifying and streamlining the experience of those who wish to change their gender on their bank account.
The announcement coincided with International Transgender Day of Visibility (Friday 31st March 2017), which HSBC UK celebrated with a video (shown below) telling the story of Stuart Barette, the Trans Lead for the HSBC UK Pride Network. Stuart reflects upon some of the big and small moments that have marked his transition to highlight the importance of inclusive banking.
Ten new gender neutral titles are being made available to new and existing HSBC UK customers. Gender neutral titles allow people who don’t identify as a particular gender, or who don’t want to be identified by gender, to choose the title that works for them. These include Mx, Ind, M, Mre, Msr, Myr, Pr, Sai, Ser and Misc. The titles will be applied across a customer’s account including bank cards and correspondence.
HSBC UK has also introduced a process which makes it simpler for customers who are transitioning to change their gender on their bank account. Customers simply need to bring a passport, driving licence or birth certificate that supports the change of gender to update their details in branch. This has been supported by training for all branch and contact centre staff that aims at helping HSBC UK employees understand the issues experienced by transgender customers.
The changes were developed in tandem with HSBC Pride, the bank’s LGBT+ employee network, which played a key advisory role in ensuring the new services reflect the financial needs of the trans community.
Stuart Barette, Senior Project Manager and Trans Lead of HSBC UK Pride Network said: “On the day that I went into the branch to change my name and my gender I was terrified to be honest. Coming out to anyone is difficult, as you don’t know people are going to react. That’s why the changes we’ve been making are so important, so that our trans customers can feel confident that they’re going to have a good experience and be speaking with someone who has been trained to better understand them.”
Stuart Haire, HSBC’s Head of Retail, UK commented: “The changes announced today are part of a broader priority for us to ensure our products and services are relevant for the unique financial needs of all of our customers. We want everyone to be able to access simple and smart banking solutions that work for them, and we will continue working with our LGBT+ colleagues and customers to ensure we’re getting it right.”
For more information, customers can visit www.hsbc.co.uk/changeofgender.
