Wondering what technological advances will mean for the future of banking? Take a glimpse at Malvern’s new high-tech and no-teller-line branch of PNC Bank in the Uptown Worthington development, whose new model meets you at the intersection of self-service and personal touch.

You get free Wi-Fi and discovery zones for learning the latest ATM or online bill pay features, credit card programs, checking accounts, etc. — with an iPad-equipped staff member to greet and guide you, American Banker reports.

It “looks different than a traditional branch,” Malvern Retail Branch Manager Dan Bishop said in the article. “Our role is to walk them into the future.”

Kind of like the experience you get from a hotel concierge or, increasingly, with the self-check-in at an airport. That means the skills demanded of tellers is different too.

“The role of traditional teller — counting coins and dollars — is changing for individuals who are aces at bank product knowledge (including digital features) and who aren’t shy to approach customers rather than wait for someone to come to him,” the article explained. “The more encompassing role matters a lot to the bank and customer.”

As Bishop put it, “Without the staff I have here, the tech means nothing.”

Read more about other banks experimenting with futuristic branches that act more like retail stores in American Banker here.

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All photos courtesy of American Banker.