Leading UK financial institution Barclays has announced thatwill be deploying face-to-face video platforms to connect customers to bankingexperts from their mobile or desktop as early as next week, ahead of a broaderroll-out in 2015.
Initially available to premier customers next week, theBarclays video service will be introduced to mortgage, business and wealthcustomers from early 2015. Later in the year, the service will be madeavailable to all retail customers, and importantly will match customers to aspecific member of staff they have spoken to previously to help build a lastingrelationship between the customer and Barcalys.
Commenting on the announcement, Steven Cooper, CEO, personalbanking, Barclays said, “This is a watershed moment for the way people do theirbanking in the UK – where we will finally be able to interact with customerscompletely on their terms, rather than ours. While many of our customers areincreasingly using digital channels to complete routine transactions, for theimportant moments, you just can’t beat face to face conversations, yettraditional branch opening hours don’t always give customers that choice.”
While the move follows successful trials of video technologyin several branches and is part of Barclays commitment to new technology tohelp manage the migration from branch to digital channel preferences amongconsumers, the announcement is nonetheless important as it highlights thatacross the US and UK retail banking landscapes, similar trends are occurringand leaders like Barclays can serve as role models for other banks seeking toboost customer satisfaction moving forward.
Overview by Tristan Hugo-Webb, Associate Director, International Advisory Service for Mercator Advisory Group
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