The vast majority of my banking customer experiences happen outside of a bank. And if I think about it, I would find it rather disconcerting if I found myself in a bank.
Why am I here? I would think.
Is something wrong with my account? Why is it so quiet in here? Do you think the cashier will give me a lollipop?
As it is wont to do, technology has spurred the evolution of personal banking into new and surprising forms. It’s also creating vast differences between the banks that have embraced change and those that have failed to keep up.
If you’re thinking about how to improve your banking customer experience in this new age, here are three big thoughts to consider.
1. Consider the possibility your online banking customer experience is the main experience for many customers.
If your bank’s customer experience were flooded with a sudden rush of digital natives, how do you suppose would it fare? Are you well aware of their needs? Are you consistently measuring and updating your online banking customer experience?
Customers no longer judge technology solely by specifications or what’s behind the scenes. They judge technology on function and emotion—in other words, how it makes their lives easier, and how it feels when they use it. If your digital presence is dated, it will likely fail to resonate functionally or emotionally.
Take time to compare your bank’s customer experience against popular websites and digital interfaces. What makes those other media compelling, modern, or unique?
More importantly, what can you do to make your own online presence measure up?
2. Look at your banking customer experience through a mobile lens.
Technology has not only become more prevalent, but also portable. Banking can be done on the move, in ones and zeros digitally beamed from one device to another.
So if your banking customer experience hasn’t changed since the last time you wrote a check to yourself, then it’s time to think about changing it.
Imagine a customer needs to perform a banking task in an airport. How would they experience your bank through their mobile device? Would they curse their small screen and fat fingers? Would they find the actions they need easily? Would they have to call you after a few frustrating minutes?
3. Focus your bank’s customer experience strategy on removing friction.
The customer experience starts the instant a customer first interacts with you, it continues in your prospect experience and in interactions with service teams, and it extends until the moment they leave your bank for good.
With a strong online banking customer experience, you can serve customers in all stages of your experience—you can both improve the experience for current customers and make it easier to attract new ones.
If you’re struggling with how to get started, then try targeting sticking points. Aim to improve elements of the experience that create friction between customers and their goals. You can safely assume that a customer navigating an online banking customer experience is after convenience. So focus on making their experience as convenient and fluid as possible.
Want More?
Then check out our Growth Banking e-learning course by clicking on the image below. It covers basic tenets of banking customer experience, and also includes a variety of helpful resources. You can also subscribe to our blog to receive updates when we publish new posts.
