Six out of ten financial executives admit that there is a greater willingness on the part of customers to change entity, explains the report, "Excellence in customer management. Global study of executives in financial institutions, 2010 edition”, prepared by everis. This data is linked to the perception that institutions have of their customer orientation degree, which has fallen 50% since the previous report of everis, in 2008.
Currently, executives say that in order to improve the degree of orientation, is necessary to enhance both the management of your channels (branches, internet, ATMs, etc..), and those initiatives that are likely to improve the knowledge available for its customers. Thus, the everis partner responsible for this study, David Sanz, states that "improve customer relationship will only be possible by placing, again, the latter in the heart of value creation process of the body, restoring a level of knowledge of it that existed when the bank was a more personal and direct service, and rebuilding a more intimate level of relationship to facilitate the capacity of limitation of the entity".
The objective of the study, which examines in depth the level of information available of customers, computer applications for relationship processes, product sales and operations, customer services and the level of use of different channels, is to evaluate the effectiveness of the bank orientation to the customer.
In addition, the study shows that only 30% of the institutions were satisfied with their calculation of the potential client’s value (present and future), being 67% of those that consider critical to improve information on attitudes, emotions and customers complete patrimonial situation, to get an accurate estimate. Thus, the executives surveyed see a need to evolve to a new bank in which to increase customer value, will require a deeper understanding of the person behind.
On the analytical models that generate the areas of business intelligence of the institutions, executives say it is necessary to improve all aspects related to the prevention of business losses (60%), customer churn (56%) and success measurement in campaigns (52%). The problems these models currently face are caused, in some cases, by an integration level below that required with other business processes and existing relationship, and in others by increasing the number of variables of customer information considered in their calculation.
The investment destination, more customer-oriented institutions in Latin American than in Europe
everis study highlights a fundamental difference in the destination of investments in aspects of customer relationship, financial institutions. Thus, while 75% of Latin American banks have specific initiatives to improve the customer experience during his contact with the institution, 60% of investments in European institutions (Italy, Portugal and Spain in the study) are aimed at reducing costs of the customer relationship.
These differences are also noted as the budgets for the areas of business innovation. Thus, although these areas will be essential to redefine the relationship model of the institution in a context in which customers increasingly use the Internet and go to a lesser extent to the bank office, this item has only been increased by 25% of European institutions compared to 50% of Latin America.
According to executives who have worked on the everis report, the process of redefining the new future relationship model with customers involves improving the ability of institutions for the current management of their channels -Internet, ATM, telephone services- in a coordinated way. Thus, improvements in aspects related to the multi-channel have specific investments in 75% of American institutions and 47% of Europeans.
The evolution of the office channel
The satisfaction of European managers with the availability of commercial tools in the offices is significantly higher, as is clear from this analysis that shows that 55% of executives believe the development of such tools as 'excellent' or 'advanced'. The greatest consensus regarding possible opportunities for improvement, focuses on achieving a higher degree of automation of business processes and develop new pricing tools and advice to retail banking customers.
These improvements respond to the need to redefine the office channel as a sales and customer relations center, in which managers should build advised business proposals, through their direct involvement in the phases of analysis and interpretation of the current situation and customer needs. This new dynamic of interaction will result not only in benefits to customers -in the availability of deals aimed at finding solutions to their needs-, but fundamentally will enhance products cross-selling. Also, for 78%, this move will allow enrich customer information and determine its true value, which will facilitate the implementation of those strategies and business guidelines that best suit it.
Similarly, the study shows that 38% of European institutions and 8% of the American cover all business and relation processes with any application or system. Institutions only use the information they have available about the client by 25% of the interactions that occur between the client and the bank.
The cost-to-quality relationship is top priority in service to customer
The study also devotes a section to customer service, on which 53% of European banks considered more relevant to undertake improvements to enhance the service provided to customers. About 47% of institutions have, likewise, launched initiatives to optimize the cost of customer service. In this sense, the executives highlighted in the first place, the importance of properly managing the human element, followed by the impact they have on the same processes, and finally, the technological aspects.
The everis study also describes some of the key points to achieve this objective, as the availability of a specific segment of customer service, proper management of offshoring processes, the systematic collection of feedback from clients or the strategic use of the customer automatic channels.
For the preparation of this report, nearly 100 interviews have been carried to executives in 33 of the main institutions in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Colombia.
Those interested in applying for the study, please contact by e-mail: all.banking@everis.com.