South Shore Bank Opens New Kind of Banking in Hingham Square

South Shore Bank opened its first location in Hingham last Friday, one without the traditional line of teller windows – instead a "Financial Center" that the bank calls "a significant departure from traditional bank branches in both form and function."

The center is located at 99 South St. in Hingham Square and represents the first "next generation" banking facility on the South Shore, the bank said in a statement.

“We are excited and proud to introduce our new Financial Center in Hingham,” South Shore Bank President and CEO John C. Boucher said. “It is a unique and innovative facility that has been designed with the customers’ needs and preferences as the primary focus, in order to provide them with the best tools, expertise and modern banking solutions available.”

Rather than teller windows, the Financial Center offers interactive personal teller machines (PTM) for simple transactions. They allow customers to communicate remotely through a videoconference with a live teller. Customers can also use a centralized “teller pod” to speak with a staff member.

There are also individual offices for more private matters.

"The Financial Center contains a technology bar that not only gives customers Internet access, but also features many different devices, including laptops, mobile phones, and tablet computers, so customers can see how they can interact with the Bank through online and mobile banking," the bank said in the statement. "There is also a gourmet coffee bar to give customers an extra boost if they want it.

"In addition, the Hingham offices of South Shore Bank’s lending subsidiary, Cambridge Mortgage Group, will move from their current location at 50 South Street to the new Financial Center.

"Founded in 1996 by longtime Hingham resident John Battaglia, Cambridge Mortgage Group has been located in Hingham Square for more than seven years and is a leading residential lender on the South Shore."