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Mobile Banking Archives - Page 3 of 7 - POPi/o

Nov 05
1
Educators Credit Union Branch

Careful and Steady Wins the Tech Urgency Race

By | Blog, Video Banking | No Comments

Financial institutions have had to pivot quickly this year when it comes to delivering products and services, launching new delivery channels adding to and modifying using existing ones. Even those banks and credit unions confident in their digital delivery strategies were caught off guard by the dual challenges of operating remotely and switching to entirely digital interactions.

Andy Crisenberry, SVP of eLending Solutions at real estate lending fintech Black Knight, said his firm scrambled to provide support for its remote online notarization product after COVID-19 shuttered its clients’ real estate lending offices.

“This is a great technology solution that really helps with the challenges of COVID-19, but unless your business is ready to deploy, use and support RON, you won’t be very successful,” Crisenberry told HousingWire.

All new technology produces unexpected friction. In a normal year, launches are carefully planned and include feedback that identifies friction. Yes, COVID-19 drastically increased the urgency with which firms needed to launch technology or find new ways to use existing technology. However, increasing consumer expectations for intuitive, real-time digital service had already been pushing CX modernization forward faster than expected in all sectors well in advance of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Take, for example, the $2.5 billion Educators Credit Union in Racine, Wis. Like many community FIs, Educators had already determined smaller branches, supported by video access to centralized product specialists, was the most effective strategy to serve its market. It planned an in-branch video banking launch offering auto lending, mortgage and investment services that included training, testing and weeding out of all known friction points. On March 5, the credit union excitedly opened its first modern branch featuring video banking.

Less than two weeks later, COVID-19 closed every branch lobby in the credit union’s network. Existing online and mobile banking products handled essential transactions well on a dime, but new service friction points quickly popped up, including a hasty transition for employees to work from home.

Around this time, POPi/o reached out to Educators and asked if they would like to launch video banking digitally, through the credit union’s website. Within days, the executive team approved the initiative.

While this decision seems like a no brainer, consider that it required Educators to execute a 180-degree shift in video banking strategy. Staffing and workflows had to shift; the technology would now be used to provide branch services like cashless transactions and new accounts, not specialized lending and investments. Second, staff would have to be trained remotely and access new technology from their homes. Third, because Coronavirus had blocked access to lobby branch service, time was of the essence.

The solution to this challenge was a balance of speed and CX in the form of a measured, step-by-step rollout. To begin, Educators reviewed what it did know: how to train employees on using the technology and how to provide effective service on camera. It also had staff with video experience in its existing interactive teller machine service department, a valuable resource for the video skill set.

Within 60 days, the credit union had a team trained, staged, connected and ready to serve members via video banking. Educators was ready for the next step, a soft launch. On May 19, WeCU video banking branch was open for business. The launch was purposely limited, offering video banking via a widget button on the credit union’s website only a couple of days a week. Because there was no advertising, adoption numbers were small; on the first day, only 16 video calls were completed. However, this soft launch allowed the credit union to collect ample feedback from members and employees, and then take the time to address friction before taking the next step.

After one week, WeCU was promoted on the credit union’s website and social media accounts. Traffic climbed quickly and by the end of May, in just four total days of service, Educators had completed 193 video sessions.

Feedback and adjustments weren’t just limited to friction. From the first day, members raved about being able to see credit union employees face-to-face while in lockdown. Educators capitalized on the benefit of personalization and added the video banking representative’s branch location or department to the welcome screen.

Step by step, Educators collected feedback, made adjustments, increased service hours and carefully managed channel growth. Changes during the summer included increasing service hours to Monday through Saturday, providing staff with professional lighting, staging, and more on-camera training.

Educators launched its mobile app on August 12. After a couple of weeks to work out any bugs, a marketing campaign followed. By the end of October, ECU handled 5,278 sessions.

What began as an operational pivot during the Coronavirus pandemic has developed into a popular service delivery channel that members will continue utilizing after branches resume regular service. ECU didn’t change its original video banking strategy; it expanded it. The credit union will continue to offer video banking through digital channels, while also executing its original plan to provide specialized lending and investment services in branch from centrally located staff.

The future still isn’t clear when it comes to how COVID-19 has permanently changed consumer habits, but ECU has all its delivery bases covered with the ability to provide a branch experience in person or digitally through a virtual branch. This allows the credit union to focus on the future instead of worrying about it. ECU can instead focus on enhancing video banking to improve CX and achieve new member and loan growth goals.

Like other financial institutions, the Coronavirus shutdown turned ECU’s service delivery strategy on its head. Despite the urgency of the situation, credit union leaders calmly rolled out video banking using a carefully measured approach. The result was a new delivery channel that will pay dividends for ECU and its members long after its branch network reopens.

Interested in a deeper dive into Educators’ remarkable business pivot? Click here to download ECU’s case study and learn more about the unique way POPi/o approaches your growth and service goals.

To learn how POPi/o Video Banking can help your financial institutions maintain relevance and personal service, request a FREE demo.

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Aug 27
0
POPi/o Video Banking webinar

POPwelcome | The Newest Way to Engage Your Consumer

By | Webinar

POPwelcome is the best way to engage with your consumer through the digital channel of their choice, chat, voice, or video. Customer Service Representatives can then answer questions, co-browse webpages, and seamlessly transition the call to voice or video to elaborate on available products and services. See a demonstration and learn how this new feature can help you.

For more information about video banking, request a free demonstration.

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Aug 18
1
InRoads Credit Union branch

Does Video Banking Create Relevance? InRoads Credit Union Thinks So

By | Blog, Video Banking | No Comments

Remember back before the pandemic, when traditional financial institutions’ greatest concern was relevance? Today with Covid-19 concerns, FI executives are consumed by the need to deliver touchless service while managing new concerns about employee safety, dwindling earnings, loan losses, and capital.

As a result, relevance has moved down on the priority list. While relevance may not be an immediate priority, the need for it remains high. Consumers understand or perhaps don’t care if an organization struggles with financial or regulatory concerns, they just want a relevant provider to serve their needs.

InRoads Credit Union is a $288 million community-chartered institution headquartered in St. Helens, Ore., a town of approximately 13,000 people. In St. Helens, $288 million in assets buys a lot more relevance than in nearby Portland. Still, President/CEO Brooke Van Vleet, who began her credit union career in the marketing discipline, recognizes the value of continuing to evolve that strong brand with the times. She and the InRoads team knew the credit union needed to continue investment into their digital services to remain relevant in their marketplace and ensure a sustainable future.

In 2019, InRoads went all-in on ITM drive-thru service for teller services and POPi/o’s Video Banking solutions for both mobile and in-branch video consultations.  The goal was to provide members with a combination of digital convenience and face-to-face service to meet member’s needs. In the very early stages, members’ response to the new technology was lukewarm, that is until COVID-19 shuttered the community and InRoads closed all of its branches. Suddenly, video became the only way to get face-to-face service and adoption quickly grew four times over.

InRoads LIVE Manager Kim Preston said response to the new video-branching normal has been very well received, even by members who previously rejected digital delivery. She recalled one grandmother and grandson duo who used video banking to open the boy’s first account. The young saver didn’t appear to be thrilled about his first credit union experience until the video representative appeared on the screen. “I can’t believe this, Grandma! Wells Fargo has nothing like this,” the boy exclaimed. And just like that, InRoads Credit Union gained Gen Z relevance.

Preston recalled another member who refused to use video banking, loudly demanding that he sit across the table from a live human being. A branch employee eventually convinced him to just give the service a try. As he emerged from the video banking office and headed for the lobby door, the teller said, “Bye, see you later!”  “No you won’t,” he said, “I’m using this from now on.” And just like that, InRoads gained relevance from a member who was perfectly happy with the status quo.

Chief Experience Officer, Ron Winter, explained that rolling out new technology and asking a small town community to adopt it isn’t always well-received. However, when the pandemic hit and InRoads already had a solution that was not only safe, but also maintained face-to-face service, perception of the credit union shifted in Columbia County. InRoads became the most relevant game in town. “It certainly positions us differently than six months ago,” Winter said. Video banking was a perfect complement to the new branding initiative the credit union began in 2018, in conjunction with its name change. In fact, video banking has become a cornerstone of how InRoads plans to serve members in the future. “We’ve talked a lot about what traditional used to mean, and I don’t think we’ll ever build another branch the way we used to,” he said. “Yes, we will have brick and mortar, but it will be different. Video banking will allow members to speak with a subject matter expert from anywhere. Even if you visit a small location, we can connect you to a commercial mortgage loan officer or whomever you need. That’s the vision.”

To learn how POPi/o Video Banking can help your financial institutions maintain relevance and personal service, request a FREE demo.

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Oct 09
7
Young people sitting on floor against wall looking at electronic devices

Omnichannel ROI? Look For Insights Not Common Metrics

By | Blog, Video Banking | No Comments

It’s been nearly a decade since omnichannel became the go-to digital transformation buzzword, and organizations have worked hard to upgrade their consumer experience accordingly. According to the Aberdeen Group, between 2012 and 2017, the average company doubled the number of channels it uses to interact with consumers.

Omnichannel is a simple concept: increase convenience by offering a choice of access channels. If those new channels are digital, and they usually are, the consumer experience will improve. In turn, efficiencies will increase, costs will shrink and revenue will grow.

Young people sitting on floor against wall looking at electronic devices

Oh, if only omnichannel were that simple. For most organizations, the reality of offering additional access channels has been quite different.

For example, your financial institution probably invested significant resources in your mobile banking app, and even though you’ve met your adoption and rating goals, costs keep going up, not down. Or maybe you’ve added texting, online chat or social media messaging, but in some cases, they have created friction instead of streamlining your workflow by not delivering a seamless experience that meets the needs of the agent and the consumer.

If your bank or credit union is missing the return on investment that digital service channels were supposed to bring, you’re not alone. Many financial institutions struggle to effectively satisfy the needs of today’s demanding consumers while reducing costs and driving revenue.

Where’s the digital disconnect?

The problem lies in financial institutions using common metrics to measure omnichannel ROI, instead of tracking metrics that measure consumer engagement. Moneythor, a digital banking firm based in Singapore, uncovered this common error while researching how financial institutions track ROI earlier this year.

After analyzing annual reports and investor reports of 24 banks around the world, the fintech was able to divide digital metrics into two categories: common metrics and insightful metrics. Common metrics only report usage of digital channels. Insightful metrics, on the other hand, report engagement measures that allow financial institutions to measure how each digital channel contributes to financial success.

Common metrics like adoption rates are important, but the truth is they don’t add much value to your bottom line. To accurately measure ROI, you must instead measure digital engagement and digital users’ activities on each platform. For example, don’t base your success on how many times your digital banking app has been downloaded or how many logins you get each month. Instead, track average session time, number of monthly digital sessions per user, click-through rates, response to digital marketing campaigns, satisfaction ratings after digital channel use and how each digital channel generates revenue-producing activities like loan applications or new accounts compared to transactions.

Using these advanced metrics, financial institutions can then determine how and even why their consumers use each digital channel. Digitizing and automating operational processes won’t automatically deliver ROI. Financial institutions must also develop ways to measure, track and report the actual value generated by each digital channel. This holistic view will allow them to focus on the functions that deliver the most value, and prioritize optimization that reduces friction, improves the consumer experience and drives even more revenue.

Sep 24
7
Old fashioned alarm clock against a pink and teal background

Quantitative vs. Qualitative: How Technological Innovation has Changed

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Bigger, better, faster, more. These uniquely American values, along with healthy dose of creativity, have been the driving force behind some of the world’s best innovations. Electric light bulbs, airplanes, skyscrapers, microwaves, credit cards, the internet, Google, wi-fi and even the Fitbit are all technological breakthroughs made in America that have fed our appetite for more.

There’s no limit to how much more we can achieve; and yet, it feels like we’ve reached a tipping point in our culture as it applies to innovation. The primary driver of new technology isn’t just about delivering more in a quantitative sense. We’re seeking a better quality of life, too.

Old fashioned alarm clock against a pink and teal background

Microsoft CEO Bill Gates made a case for that shift earlier this year in MIT Technology Review, when he guest curated a list of 10 breakthrough technologies. While it’s true that technology still seeks to deliver more, Gates’ observed that his list included an equal number of innovations that primarily serve to improve quality of life.

He used cultured meat, one of the innovations he selected, as an example. There is more than enough livestock to feed the world, even as the human population grows and the demand for meat increases. Instead, cultured meat is about making the world a better place by reducing the rate of deforestation, reducing methane that contributes to climate change, and allowing those who oppose killing animals to still enjoy the taste of a hamburger.

The demand for innovation in financial services is experiencing this same shift. Today’s fintech buzzwords – friction, engagement, functionality, AI – all support consumer demand for qualitative improvements. We’re also focusing on technology that can improve our employees’ quality of life, from tools that help people work remotely to machine-based learning that eliminates mind-numbing repetitive task work.

Gates stressed that technology’s shift from quantity to quality isn’t going to happen overnight. In fact, he said we’ve only now reached a midpoint where we are considering both ideas at once.

However, Gates predicted that 20 years from now, the brilliant minds of the world will focus less on how to achieve more, and instead consider metaphysical questions such as how they can find ways to help people can live happier, more fulfilling lives and create more meaningful connections with each other.

How does your financial institution’s long-term technology strategy align with this notion? Are you focused primarily on implementing new technology that will grow your consumer base, generate more revenue and increase your outstanding loan balances? Or, are you equally seeking solutions that will optimize technology to make life easier and more rewarding for your consumers and staff?

The Financial Brand recently released a new study, Digital Banking Consumer Engagement, that details how community financial institutions are falling further behind big banks when it comes to using technology to increase engagement. The big banks aren’t using expensive, cutting edge strategies – the report tracked readily available technologies like mobile new account opening, online applications that take less than 5 minutes to complete and digital funding options.

Despite demand from consumers and ample supply from fintechs, the adoption rates for these tools was low. Only one-third of financial institutions that participated in the study allow consumers to open a new checking account using a mobile app. A staggering 39% require an in-person trip to a branch to complete that process. Only 18% say their online account opening process takes less than five minutes. Nearly half don’t allow consumers to stop and save the account opening process in one channel and continue using another channel.

This isn’t just a strategy to increase market share among millennials because they are lazy or softer than previous generations. This is a long-term, groundbreaking change in our approach to technology according to Bill Gates, the second richest man in the world. And the richest man in the world – Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos – is undoubtedly on board with the idea of using technology to improve our quality of life. Nearly every successful Amazon innovation, from free shipping to Alexa, has focused on finding ways to make our modern life easier.

Like the saying goes, it’s not the number of years in your life that matters, it’s the life in your years. What was true in simpler times is even more important in our modern, digital world. And for community financial institutions, technology that improves consumers’ quality of life could very well be the key to their survival.

Aug 13
7
Attractive man leaning against short wall with body of water behind

Four New Service Standards to Keep Your Eye On in 2020

By | Blog, Video Banking | No Comments

We all know what the Amazon effect is, right? That’s when your consumers expect you to offer digital service and delivery on par with the $178B retail and tech giant.

That’s why it’s crucial you make the most of every single penny allotted to your 2020 tech budget. It’s not enough to compare your service to the other community FI across town. You need to measure up to the general service standard consumers expect across all industries.

According to consumer service experts, here are four service standards American consumers will expect from all retail firms in 2020.

African American parents with children on their backs taking a walk

Consumer-centric attitude

We’ve all heard the statistics about how it costs five times more to acquire a new consumer than it does to keep an existing one. So if consumers expect Amazonian digital service and experts call for a possible recession in 2020, you’d better believe successful firms will put more emphasis on retaining consumers next year than acquiring new ones.

Those digital channels that make product and service delivery so efficient can be your best friend and worst enemy when it comes to word-of-mouth referrals. How often do you see posts on social media from friends who are delighted with a product or company? Probably just as often as you see posts from those who are furious with poor service and exacting revenge.

Word of mouth has expanded exponentially from yesterday’s one-on-one friendly chats. Your consumers can share their service experience with hundreds or thousands of people (or millions, if it goes viral) just by pressing enter. It only takes one bad experience to wipe out the gains from an entire marketing campaign, which is a sobering thought during budget season.

You absolutely must prioritize providing your existing consumers with the very best service you can provide, whether it’s face-to-face or through digital channels.

Personalized service

If you’re in marketing, you’ve probably already heard of “a market of one.” Your consumers expect you to know which products and services they’re interested in and which ones they aren’t. How in the world can they expect such a thing? Because these days, most people – especially young adults – have a general understanding of big data and how it can be used to personalize the consumer experience. They know that as their financial institution, you have a lot of data at your disposal.

The days of “do you want fries with that” sales pitches are over. Studies have shown that young adults aren’t weirded out seeing auto loan ads pop up in their social media newsfeeds after researching new cars online. In fact, they expect it. They aren’t going to waste their time searching for financial services when your competitors make it so easy they don’t have to.

And even if your credit union or community bank provides a better deal, your consumers will never know about it.

Life moves quickly these days, and consumers don’t have much tolerance for organizations that waste their time. A 2020 budget priority should be providing personalized service that leverages consumer data across multiple touch points that include your website, call center, branches and mobile app.

Secure concierge

Speaking of not wasting consumers’ time, another service expectation in 2020 will be the ability to perform tasks on behalf of consumers. Don’t tell a consumer to go do something when your call center rep or even your systems could do it for them. For example, don’t ask a borrower for a copy of their paystub to verify income if you have been receiving their direct deposit for two years.

Consumers don’t care that your core system lacks functionality or your service reps aren’t authorized to perform the task they need. They just want you to help them be more efficient with their time, and they’ll go somewhere else if you can’t deliver.

Here’s an important part of concierge service that could give your community financial institution an edge over fintechs and big banks: yes, consumers want you to perform tasks for them, but not at the expense of data security. Make sure your systems and workflows are secure so you’re not the subject of the next data breach story in the news.

One and done

Centralizing your operations is a big trend these days, but if you make your consumers wander through the maze of your organization chart to find the right person to solve their problem, you’ll lose them. In fact, consumers today expect firms to resolve questions and issues with just one point of contact and in real time.

That’s one reason why chatbots have been more popular than expected. Spending a few seconds answering some questions that route the caller to the right place is much better than sitting on hold, waiting for help … only to find out they need to be transferred to another department.

While chatbots work well for simple questions and call routing, they don’t replace consumer service with a live person who can provide reassurance and problem solving skills. The key to a successful centralized operations team is both technology and face-to-face consumer service representatives who resolve issues efficiently and effectively.

Service standards are a very important part of your 2020 budget planning, but they aren’t everything. To learn more about the economy, a new operational trend, and how the continued challenge to remain relevant will impact your financial institution, your consumers and your 2020 budget, click here to download our new white paper, “3 trends that will drive your 2020 budget.”