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Why Banks struggle to meet the customer expectations?

 
Author mks_krish
Member 
#1 | Posted: 7 Jul 2007 10:55 
Dear All,

I am just dropping a point to all to discuss on:

Why the Banks struggle to meet customer expectations? Predominantly many banks have one or other problems with customers? Have anybody got points to talk about this?

with regards

Author Lucy Sleigh
Member 
#2 | Posted: 10 Jul 2007 01:06 
Hello
I wonder if it is all an image problem? In retail things have moved on very quickly. E.G. Supermarkets are opening 24 hours, constantly promote their good value prices and will readily open more checkouts if a queue is forming. However, in my opinion banks haven't moved on in the same way.
People generally judge the two by the same measure and the banks are found wanting.
Lucy

Author mks_krish
Member 
#3 | Posted: 16 Jul 2007 18:34 
Hi Lucy

Very nice and interesting point.

If this is the case What measures banks must take in line with the retail business?

With regards

Author ayaree
Member 
#4 | Posted: 18 Jul 2007 17:33 
I agree, Lucy put some feet on this topic. Initially I didn't necessarily find the two customer zones to be so similar and with similar expectations, but then I thought: in one context (supermarkets, grocery) we are looking at food we are putting in our stomach, and in the other we are also looking at food we are putting in our stomach--among a lot of other things. this has got me thinking, and I am not a banking professional.

There is a bank in Canada (TD Canada Trust) that offers service hours that rival other banks and I have noticed they make an effort to create exposure to that through their marketing. SO the remark about availability makes sense to me.

I think there could be a tendency to over-compartmentalize customer needs in banking. Automated frontline compartmentalization is something that exasperates me as a customer, as I don't like having to listen to a device prompting me to make selections. I think there is an organizational value to menus, but they really mean to the customer that there is a lack of desire to go to the trouble of ascertaining just what someone needs and channeling it into the best place for help. Ideally there would be human voices that triage and sort needs, but I think the default reaction within organizations would be to create a segment of people that form a lesser rank and these people would probably be paid less, paid less attention, pay less attention to the triage needs, and find fewer reasons to stay. There's a dignity to a work place where a person picks up a cellophane wrapper/trash from the company floor, whether they are earning $10/hr or $200,000 per year. I think that kind of mindset (pride in appearance and service) should be applied wherever it can. Over the years I have seen managers in retail environments tend to customer needs as though they had no concerns over how their rank was perceived. Also in grocery stores, you can often count on someone in a baker uniform walking through canned fruits or lightbulbs willing to answer a question or finding someone who will--on something that has NOTHING to do with his baker uniform; it's "just" someone who works at the brand where you are shopping. I wouldn't say this with a broad brush, but maybe there is a tendency in banks (in person) to compartmentalize in-house responsibilities? I don't really know (as I am not in person at banks a lot), but Lucy got me speculating.

From a business perspective, I think it would be more difficult for banks to customize the behaviors of their frontline people, as this is dealing with the business of money and how it is applied, and it's not the same kind of commodity (it doesn't seem reasonable to offer a no-fee bank account if you wait in line too long, like it's a pizza you want in under 30 minutes). But there is still the same stomach in the person that was at the grocery store, or wherever else waiting was involved, and the money spent in banks is of the same dimension to the customer who spent it in other places.

Another thing worth pointing out is I think that I have felt pressed to get in and out of a bank more than in a grocery store. There might be something wrong with my customer behavior--or my wealth management.

This topic is about marketing as well as service and what the point behind either should be. And what effort.

No idea if I had a single insight, but it would be nice to see if I prompted any dialogue from people with relevant experience.

Author mks_krish
Member 
#5 | Posted: 23 Jul 2007 09:08 
Hi ayaree!

Thanks! for your inputs. Few points you mentioned even i could relate!

Nicely articuated!

With best of my regards

mks_krish

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 Why Banks struggle to meet the customer expectations?

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