Nine months after PNC Financial Services Group announced it would be acquiring Colorado-based FirstBank — one of its many efforts toward westward expansion — the bank faced droves of inquiries from Western Slope customers encountering challenges with their new accounts.

PNC Bank completed its conversion of roughly 780,000 former FirstBank accounts across Colorado and Arizona on Monday, June 22. Over 1,600 employees and 95 branches were also converted in the acquisition — including several located throughout the Western Slope.

PNC Bank, based in Pennsylvania and operating in 27 states, acquired FirstBank in January for $4.1 billion. Prior to the conversion, FirstBank held the title of the largest locally-owned, homegrown bank in Colorado.

Not everyone experienced a smooth transition. In a Monday Facebook post from PNC Bank, former FirstBank customers took to the comments section to air frustrations over account access issues and trouble reaching support staff.

“We’re aware that some customers are experiencing intermittent issues with individual accounts and are working to support them,” PNC Bank said in a statement to The Aspen Times. “At this time, we are not seeing evidence of a broader system issue. Our teams are assisting customers in person, by phone, and online, and additional information is available at PNC FirstBank support page.”

Branch locations in Silverthorne, Breckenridge, Avon, Vail and towns across the Roaring Fork Valley reported increased visits on Monday, resulting in long lines and wait times. Chandra Brin, PNC’s head of communications for the western region, said wait times at those branches have largely returned to normal as of Thursday, June 26.

The Silverthorne location saw the largest rise in activity, which the bank credited to its proximity to nearby communities and Interstate 70.

“While we don’t have specific figures to share, the majority of customer inquiries and interactions have been related to the conversion. That’s to be expected with a change of this scale,” Brin said.

Having undergone several acquisitions over the decades to expand its national footprint, Brin said PNC Bank had anticipated the possibility of increased branch traffic and call volume following the conversion of FirstBank accounts. To prepare, the bank deployed over 600 ambassadors to its care center and branch locations earlier in the week, including several on the Western Slope.

Some of the commenters on social media, disappointed to no longer be part of a Colorado-based bank, announced their intentions to close their accounts and switch to a different bank.

As of Thursday, Brin said the company hasn’t seen account attrition outside of typical historical ranges.

New PNC Bank customers experiencing difficulties navigating their converted accounts are encouraged to visit a local branch or call the bank’s customer service line. PNC Bank also has a welcome page with resources for former FirstBank customers: PNC.com/en/Welcome/First-Bank.html

“We know some customers are experiencing longer-than-usual wait times, and we appreciate their patience,” Brin said.