U.K. online, mobile banking more popular than call centers or branches
Personal banking preferences in Britain are moving away from branches and call centers and toward customer self-directed services, according to a survey from the business process management firm Genpact. The move is led by Gen Y consumers, aged 25-34, who want instant service without having to wait in line at a branch or on hold.
The U.K.-based market research firm YouGov interviewed 2,337 U.K. adults in August for Genpact's "Changing customer expectations and the demand for new service models in banking" report.
Two-thirds of British bank account-holders would prefer to conduct their banking online or through a mobile device, compared to just 29 percent who prefer to use branches or call center-based telephone banking. The figures are starker for Gen Y consumers, with 75 percent preferring to bank online or via a mobile application and only 11 percent preferring to visit a branch.
Genpact's survey also found that 29 percent of respondents had not used their bank's call center service, underlining the rising importance of direct access for personal banking.
"This survey is a clear signal that the industry must change its approach and begin to direct resources away from call centers and branches and toward better, more effective facilities for customers to do their own banking," Hugh Morris, Genpact's vice president of Banking, Financial Services and Insurance in Europe, said in a statement.
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