Digitalisation Not A Cure-All For Customer Experience Shortcomings
Finweek English|18 February 2021
How can financial services companies reconnect with their customers as the world remains in lockdown?
Gareth Stokes
Digitalisation Not A Cure-All For Customer Experience Shortcomings

When you ask financial services executives about their firms’ responses to the Covid-19 pandemic, they tend to wax lyrical about their lightning-fast transition to work from home. They trumpet their ability to provide customers with seamless transactional capabilities and uninterrupted access to their digital platforms during the worst that government lockdown could throw at them. Their confidence in the innovative technologies that underpin the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) may be warranted, but it hides a sinister reality that few executives have cottoned onto.

The rapid transition to digital everything is entrenching the suboptimal customer experience that many financial services customers were exposed to before the pandemic, because new solutions depend heavily on legacy customer support infrastructure and resources. Innovations such as APIs, AI-powered chatbots and digital platforms tend to fall flat whenever a human touch is required. Another challenge facing well-established financial services brands results from dealing with customer needs “on aggregate”. This worked in the old days when paper-based systems made it impossible to tailor solutions based on an individual’s needs; nowadays a more intimate customer relationship is indicated.

Executive teams at leading financial services brands should not take to the stage to exalt their digital customer experience victories without first spending a few hours transacting on equal footing with these customers. They should be considering whether the minimal inconvenience they suffered while relocating their C-suite operations from offices to homes is like that experienced in other areas of the business.

Bu hikaye Finweek English dergisinin 18 February 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Finweek English dergisinin 18 February 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

FINWEEK ENGLISH DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
THE HEALTH OF SA'S MEDICAL SCHEMES
Finweek English

THE HEALTH OF SA'S MEDICAL SCHEMES

As the Covid-19 pandemic abates, finweek takes a look at the financial performance of some of the largest players.

time-read
7 dak  |
5 November 2021
The effect of Gilbertson's departure
Finweek English

The effect of Gilbertson's departure

With Ntsimbintle Holdings now the major shareholder of Jupiter Mines, it could change SA’s manganese industry.

time-read
3 dak  |
5 November 2021
Making money from music
Finweek English

Making money from music

Why investors are increasingly drawn to the music industry.

time-read
3 dak  |
5 November 2021
Conviction is key
Finweek English

Conviction is key

Sandy Rheeder plays a critical role in Mukuru’s mission to open up financial services to the emerging consumer market in Africa through tailor-made technology solutions and platforms.

time-read
5 dak  |
5 November 2021
The post-pandemic toolkit
Finweek English

The post-pandemic toolkit

How CFOs can use technology to support growth.

time-read
4 dak  |
5 November 2021
Big city living exodus
Finweek English

Big city living exodus

Mini cities like Waterfall City and Steyn City are redefining city-style apartment living.

time-read
3 dak  |
5 November 2021
Big compact, big value
Finweek English

Big compact, big value

Handsome, with a hefty level of standard specification, the roomy Haval Jolion compact crossover is a great value proposition.

time-read
3 dak  |
5 November 2021
On barriers to entry
Finweek English

On barriers to entry

There are various ways in which a company or sector can achieve competitive dominance. They usually make for good investments.

time-read
2 dak  |
5 November 2021
Fear and greed in one index
Finweek English

Fear and greed in one index

To buck the trend, when markets are hot or cold, is a tough thing to do. However, it can deliver solid returns.

time-read
3 dak  |
5 November 2021
Africa's largest data centre facility coming soon
Finweek English

Africa's largest data centre facility coming soon

Vantage Data Centers plans to invest over R15bn for its first African data centre facility in Attacq’s Waterfall City.

time-read
3 dak  |
5 November 2021