为什么人类对零售银行的成功至关重要

© Oliver Wyman“The branch is dead” they cried in 1980 as ATMs and telephone banking took off. “The branchis dead” they cried in 2000, when internet banking started. “The branch dead” they criedin 2020 as COVID shut-down in person interactions. But like Mark Twain, reports of thebranches’ death have been greatlyexaggerated.It is true that more and more people do more and more of their banking through self-service (digital or ATM) channels. It is true that customers go to branches less often thanever before. But it is also true that branches — and the chance for human interaction inbanking — still matter. According to research from theOliver WymanForum, 43% of Gen-Zthink branches are important — whether or not they actually use them. More generally,according to data from PayUK, the UK switching service, less than 0.1% of UK bankcustomers chose to switch their main checking account to a digital-only provider last year.Just as importantly, our analysis shows that when banks close branches, customers leaveand keep leaving — with attrition increasing by 30% for the following threeyears.Exhibit 1:Why people are an essential ingredient in youroperationsof Gen-Z say physical bankbranches are important tothem because they provide“peace of mind”43%0.1%of UK bank customersswitched main account toa digital-only bank in 202230%increase in customerattrition over next 3 yearswhen local branch closesSource:Oliver Wymananalysis, PayUKCombining a seamless digital experience with a great set of person-to-personinteractions has the potential to be a game-changer. The trouble is, most branchesare not fit-for-purpose. Beyond a few shiny flagship outlets, branches are designedaround volume interactions, and miss the opportunity to help customers with themoments thatmatter.There are typically three main reasons why customers go to see someone in a branch:to get cash our should be out or pay it in, to execute a specific requirement like pay abill and, crucially, to receivesupport. © Oliver WymanCash and Execute account for 95%+ interactions, so it is unsurprising branches are designedand managed to provide this efficiently. Cash and Execute are also declining at the fastestrate as customers self-serve for these elements of their banking, so it is unsurprising thatmany banks are continuing to close branches. But Support are the moments that reallymatter, and this is where access to expert, empathetic and empowered people can makea difference. That access can be in a branch or over video call, and getting it right can be atransformational moment in a customer’s relationship with theirbank.Leading banks all over the world are changing the way they position their people andbranches to provide a better, distinctive, experience for their customers — not just for thosecustomers who live close to a Flagship branch, but for all customers and all contact-points.Examplesinclude:•The Australian bank that recognized that it is the variance in customer service-level acrossthe network — rather than the average service level — that really matters, investingin state-of-the-art technology to allow them to apply call-center discipline to theirbranchnetwork.•The Dutch banks that realized that cash provision and distribution was an expensivedistraction — not where they truly add value for their customers. They have effectivelybanished it from their branches, setting up a jointly-owned utilityinstead.•The UK bank that identified empathy as the key difference between people anddigital and is redefining its culture, the role of its people and the shape of thenetwork around thatinsight.•The French bank that understood that while customers valued personalized expertise,they could not always get to a branch to meet an adviser. The bank has developed adigitally-enabled remote model to give customers universal face-to-face access to realexperts at a fraction of the cost of a traditionalmodel.•The Italian bank that embraced modular architecture. Each self-contained modulefulfills a different customer need — and modules slot together across the networkto optimize thefootprint. © Oliver WymanWhile each of these cases is different, they all fit into three basic categories: the first isaround making Cash and Execute interactions painless both for customers and the bank;the second is about delivering a truly distinctive experience to all customers when theyneed Support; the third relates to making sure customers have access to the right people,infrastructure and services in a way that is cost-effective for thebank.Exhibit 3:Making the most of yourpeopleMinimizepainfromcash and executeMaximizegainfrom SupportOptimizechannelsand resourcesSource:Oliver WymananalysisMore broadly, they are all underpinned by a single guiding thought: your people ARE yourdifference. To misquote John Lennon — it is the “Power OF your People” thatcounts. Oliver Wymanis a global leader in management consulting. With offices in more than 70 cities across30 countries,Oliver Wymancombines dee