Preserving the human touch in banking in the digital age

Facing a technology-intense future of redistributed roles, banks will, in coming years, have to meet the crucial challenge of striking the right balance between human and digital input.

Customer experience, innovation, teamwork and sustainability are the four pillars upon which rests the long-term strategy adopted by AfrAsia Bank to continually reinvent itself in a constantly evolving banking landscape. Customer experience is at the heart of the crisis that has been reshaping the world since 2020, challenging banks everywhere to expedite their digital transformation. New requirements in terms of accessibility, proximity and autonomy, and an increasing number of digital tools, have led to the bank-customer relationship taking on another dimension.

However, traditional establishments could fall into the trap of going too far down the digital road. Digital initiatives? By all means yes, but not to the detriment of the human factor which determines value in banking service. This is the very foundation of AfrAsia Bank's customer experience strategy.

Innovation driven by customer expectations

Customer focus must be maintained and remain a development priority in this digital age. This is why Maryline Lo, AfrAsia Bank's Head of Personal & Business Banking, believes customer expectation awareness to be now fundamental. “It is imperative that we have a 360° view of each profile, and handle every request in a customised way, she explains. And this has been our biggest strength since the bank's creation in 2007.”

Fruitful relationships demand that we meet expectations with precision and finesse, as confirmed by Vishal Cooshna, Operations Manager at Manser Saxon and customer of AfrAsia Bank (Personal Banking): “The brand has remained true to its "Bank Different" slogan, as evidenced by its high service quality,” he confides. “My account manager is proactive, responsive, reliable and trustworthy, which are key assets in this changing environment. The "Doorstep banking" facility has been instrumental in my decision to entrust my needs to this bank since 2014.”

Deep-rooted commitment

In order to strengthen its position within IBL Group, AfrAsia Bank launched AfrAsia Loyalty in 2013. A loyalty programme created to meet the banking expectations of the Group's executives and other senior staff. Spearheaded by Relationship Manager, Roufaida Oozeerally, and her assistant, Nishaat Lallmamode, AfrAsia Loyalty's portfolio of some 300 customers continues to grow. The programme not only provides bespoke support and assigns a dedicated contact person to customers, but also offers a wide range of banking services including financing, multi-currency cards, deposits, investment solutions and delivers benefits such as favourable loan rates and reduced fees.

With digital services on the rise, the value of human contribution to bank-customer relationships will become a key differentiator thanks to which institutions like AfrAsia Bank will always find themselves one step ahead.