Colombia. The Colombian bank Bancolombia wants to continue transforming the physical world of banking, and for this it launched its strategy of evolution of branches specialized in experiences, with which it seeks to deepen the expectations of its customers in their interaction with financial products and services.
This strategy was presented in Bogotá, with a specialized branch that opened to the public with a proposal that integrates self-management services and promotion of digital channels, as well as an advisory area without rows and with experiences that transcend the financial business for clients and their families. In this format there are no boxes for transactions as in the traditional branch format.
Evolution
Its construction and delivery to the public was the result of an exercise that began about two years ago in Medellín, and that led in 2018 to the opening of the first laboratory branch of Bancolombia, an environment dedicated to testing the products and services of the bank with the help of its customers. What was observed there served to further evolve the format of new branches.
"With the analysis of customer behavior, we reconfirmed that this new format should be aimed at financial education and training in the use of self-management channels because our customers are increasingly connected. Proof of this is that, for the People segment, 5.4 million are now digital customers," said Juan Carlos Mora, president of Bancolombia. He added that "during 2019, more than 3,664 million digital transactions were made through these channels of the entity." This represents 42.4% more than in the same period of 2018.
The various analyses of the entity have allowed to find that while the transactional behavior of customers migrates to digital channels, Colombians seek that expert advice be physical. A study carried out by Bancolombia's Business Intelligence area shows other aspects of the experience in which the client still prefers the direct accompaniment of an advisor.
"The consumer continues to adopt in an accelerated way the new realities of consumption thanks to the ease of access to technology, and particularly to the mobile, but even in that context there is still a profile of customers who prefer to go to the branch because they consider that there they understand them more easily," said the president. A survey carried out by the entity in conjunction with Invamer allowed to identify that, in the case of Bogotá, still 19% of customers in the People segment still prefer physical branches to access only advice.
A use for every moment of life
The branch specialized in experiences delivered in Bogotá, as well as the models that today work in Medellín, Barranquilla and Cali, have services for all types of customers and their families.
Upon arrival they find a registration area with facial recognition. They do not have to ask for an appointment and it is the professionals of the commercial team who go to where the client is.
Once they enter this laboratory office they find:
- Children's area. Where the little ones can wait while they play and learn about saving, while using the Banconautas wallet: machine in which they can consign their coins (unique in the market) encouraging children to save.
- Waiting area: in which customers and their families can use their mobile devices, work and generate relationships with other customers. It has wifi available. Likewise, while waiting, they can enjoy coffee and bakery, inside the office.
- Interaction zone: in which customers can access different content about the bank: products, rates, digital transactional channels and financial education, and have the services of:
- ATMs and multifunctional: in its two formats, today the entity has more than 5,000 throughout the national territory.
- Dispensing machines: so that customers can access the main innovations in means of payment. The dispenser delivers debit cards, prepaid cards and contactless payment handles, among others.
- Kiosk: a channel for requesting documents without the need for queues or shifts. The client can request by himself bank certifications, statements, movements and peace and save.
- Video call booth: which allows you to connect to a person who helps, for example, in the enabling of the bank's products, such as cards and handles.
- Advisory rooms: to accompany clients privately in business. One of them has the possibility of virtual advice with the specialized line and attention to people with disabilities.
- Networking and customer training room: focused on the needs of SME customers.
- Dream cabin: which allows you to know through augmented reality the most important real estate projects in the city.
- Promotional areas: for customer interaction with products and services of allies.
- Marketplace in partnership with Carulla: the customer can digitally purchase convenience products that reach the desired location.
