Deep-dive into the digital era

The official opening of the new conceptual branch was held on 24^th October at NeXTeracom, Ebene, which also features the display of an 84” inch multi-touch digital wall, a first in Sub-Saharan Africa, where clients and visitors have the opportunity to navigate through the screens to discover the bank’s services and explore more about the brand.

Customers visiting the Ebene branch are presented with the opportunity of using state-of-the-art technology, such as interactive walls with touch screen functionality or receiving full-service banking from our branch staff, making AfrAsia Bank a hub where technology meets human interaction.

With the trend in digitisation, AfrAsia Bank has designed this flagship branch, with pioneering digital features, enhancing thus the customer experience journey, through:

• An 84-inch LG multi-touch digital wall (The I-Wall), a first in Mauritius and Sub-Saharan Africa, with easy access to market news, FX rates, updates, an overview of the bank’s offerings and discovering more about the AfrAsia brand

 

• Three 32-inch LG table displays (The I-Table), providing navigation through the bank’s website and microsites, a one-stop shop from product presentations to using an interactive financial calculator for loan amortisation

 

• Three 55-inch LG interactive displays (The I-Display), two of which representing digital notice boards showcasing Bank Of Mauritius mandatory documents, and another displaying similar information to the I-Wall

The I-Wall serves as an interactive touch-point with customers, with the aim of deepening its engagement with the bank’s clients and visitors, also allowing them to print any application document and fill in contact forms. The screen is complemented by the use of I-Displays in the waiting area that customers can use to obtain additional product information as well as details of promotions, rewards, latest news about the brand among others. The Ebene branch also sets out consulting meeting pods dedicated to private bankers and their clients for comfort and privacy, in line with assisting them to navigate through the I-Tables.

“We continue to put technology at the heart of our business strategy. The bank has recently redesigned its website, with dedicated microsites to its business lines to offer a seamless experience across devices like desktops, mobiles and tablets. Transforming the branch to create a more interactive experience and giving clients the freedom to choose their own content when it suits them are in line with our disruptive innovation philosophy where technology adds another dimension to our communication with customers and simultaneously shows our commitment to develop as their lifestyles evolve,” says James Benoit, CEO of AfrAsia Bank.

Inside the branch also features a dedicated space for AfrAsia World of Art with overhead lighting to illuminate each painting to maximum effect, bringing to life contemporary arts amid business.

AfrAsia Bank launched its operations in 2007 with its headquarters in Port Louis, followed by its representative offices in South Africa in 2010, and most recently in London in March 2014.  This new state-of-the-art branch is of vital strategic importance to AfrAsia Bank and is regarded as an integral part of its multi-channel approach to serving its customers, adding to offering them a unique and unparalleled experience in their interactions with the bank.

“Seven years after inception, AfrAsia Bank remains an important domestic lender, with its niche market still growing strongly. With clients in more than 105 countries and representative offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town and London, the bank is as active as any domestic or international bank in the market. As the bank keeps on expanding, we have had to take the opportunity to build a robust and complete business continuity capability at Ebene and pursue thus our disruptive journey,” commented Arnaud Lagesse, Chairman of AfrAsia Bank.

This flagship branch offers an important signal of the continued growth and development of the AfrAsia brand, delivering simultaneously an experience where visitors are encouraged to explore and learn. The focus is on enhancing AfrAsia customer experience and transforming how the bank engages with both new and existing customers. Using the active waiting area shows the advantage of integrating technology with the customer journey in line with an exciting vision of the global digital revolution that is transforming banking as well as identifying opportunities to make further advancements in customer-facing products.