The banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) sector in the Middle East is a critical part of the region’s economic growth and stability. As such, it is imperative that the sector is able to provide customers with a positive and engaging customer experience. To this end, there are a number of strategies that should be employed to improve the customer experience in the BFSI sector of the Middle East. These include
· The use of digital technologies and data-driven insights to better understand customer needs
· Development of more customer-focused products and services
· Implementation of customer service initiatives such as omnichannel & personalized customer loyalty programs
· Create a more seamless and integrated customer experience across different financial products including partners
By employing these strategies, the BFSI sector of the Middle East can ensure that its customers have an enjoyable and rewarding experience.
Understanding the need to improve customer experience in the BFSI sector
It is important to understand what makes the BFSI sector unique so that the need for improving customer experience can be assessed. The BFSI sector is characterized by
· High customer expectations - Customers expect to be treated with a high level of personalized service and quick response times
· There is a broad range of products and services
· The sector is highly regulated and requires a high degree of standardization and centralization across all channels thus the sector must be able to offer the same level of customer experience both online and offline
· The sector is driven by a vast amount of data allowing for more personalized and effective interactions with customers
Strategies for improving customer experience
a. Leverage digital technologies and data-driven insights
· Leverage digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic process automation (RPA), to gather behavioral data
· Offer personalized and customized customer experience across channels
· Develop new financial products and services
· Create personalized products & services
· Create omnichannel integration
· Automate and streamline processes, such as fraud detection, customer service, and credit scoring
b. Offer personalized service
· Create a more personalized and customized customer experience across channels. Customers can be given access to more self-service options, allowing them to navigate their financial journey at their own pace and in a manner that is most convenient for them
· Identify and meet customer needs, such as preferred channels, preferred contact times, and even any potential issues such as indicators of financial stress. Thus spend less time on service issues, allowing them to devote more time to helping customers
· Use chatbots and virtual assistants to provide customers with quick and convenient access to information and support. These technologies must be integrated into websites, mobile apps, and social media platforms
· Create customer loyalty programs that are customized to meet the expectations of different customers
c. Design & delivery more personalized & customer-focused financial products and services
· BFSI companies can use data analytics and customer segmentation to understand their customers better and offer more targeted products and services. Such as customized investment portfolios, personalized insurance policies, customized loan products, and credit card offers basis factors such as the customer's credit history, income, and spending habits.
· Improvise products such as mobile banking apps (with features such as budgeting tools, bill pay, and account alerts), and online account management tools (allowing customers to view their account balances, make payments, and track their spending from their computers or mobile devices, etc.
d. Create seamless and integrated customer experience across different financial products
· Leverage the power of partnerships: partnerships between BFSI companies and other organizations can help to integrate various channels, allowing customers to interact with various organizations through a single channel. For example, partnerships between insurance providers and other organizations such as healthcare providers can help ensure that customers only have to interact with one organization for all of their needs.
· With the rise of omnichannel commerce financial institutions need to create consistent digital experiences by integrating their various digital channels such that the customers can seamlessly transition between them.
Although to drive holistic engagement with the customers, BFSI companies need to make a strategic shift by restructuring their organizations around the different stages of customer interaction i.e. across —adoption, consideration, application, onboarding, and servicing. This is when the sector will be truly customer-centric and will deliver CX to its true potential.
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