Age of new technologies
Over the past years, the number of bank branches in Russia has steadily decreased. Statistics The central bank. Thus, in the first nine months of 2023, the number of physical bank branches decreased by 356; The regulator explained this trend by the increasing popularity of digital services and the desire of credit institutions to reduce costs.
“There are tectonic changes in the financial system, because in terms of competition, not only the financial stability of banks and financial institutions, but also how high technology they have and how long they live in the digital world are becoming important.” – spoke Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina at the Information Society marathon in early November.
However, digitalization does not necessarily mean a complete transition to virtual reality. Banks are looking for ways to combine the advantages of physical and digital offices by redesigning their branches and offering new service options to customers. Experts note that digital offices have emerged in response to customer demands and are therefore now a way to attract a new audience.
According to Yulia Vdovina, BSS product director for digitalization of customer services in remote channels nail According to “Kommersant”, the transition to digital offices requires the bank to restructure its internal work, review business processes and introduce new technologies, “and innovative technologies must adapt to the process without being ergonomically noticeable for the client.”
Therefore, we are talking not only about convenient offices, but also about the introduction of electronic document management, which makes it possible, for example, to free up space from paper cash registers, the use of artificial intelligence and other digital innovations that make life easier. Easier.
Many banks follow this path and prefer the new office format, which is more popular and promising. For example, large-scale transformation of an office network to start Gazprombank – in 2024, the financial institution plans to open 30 flagship branches of the new format in 14 cities and more than 50 micro-format branches throughout Russia. In Moscow, where a new format office opened on Rusakovskaya Street on December 11, you can already see the differences between the updated branches and the old ones.
“The new office format is a logical continuation of the development of Gazprombank’s offline services. We believe that the era of new technologies has arrived, where comfort begins with choice. Creating a comfortable space to serve its customers is a priority for any company that wants to thrive in a competitive environment. Therefore, being a highly competitive and innovative business sector, banks aim to develop a customer-oriented approach,” said Dmitry Sauers, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gazprombank.
The main and most important innovation is the rethinking of the customer area, which currently occupies 70% of the space, including the creation of a barrier-free environment for groups of citizens with limited mobility. Customers can independently choose where exactly they want to discuss the products or services they need with bank employees, and meeting rooms are provided for confidential meetings.
Office design is based on the concept of five senses: bright colors and decorations made of different materials are used in the interior, pleasant music plays in the office, and there is also the possibility of drinking coffee. In addition, the office space is filled with interior scents specially selected for Gazprombank.
Focus on the customer
Physical office space is complemented by digital capabilities such as digital signature or the ability to pre-schedule your visit in a mobile app. In addition, all services of the Gazprom group and its partners are available at the bank branch, allowing you to purchase any ecosystem product.
“The office in the new format will become a symbol of the unconditional consensus between total digitalization and vibrant, high-quality customer service. “We believe that the trend in the retail business is now only customer experience, speed and quality of customer service,” said First Deputy Chairman Alexey Popovich, Member of the Board of Directors of Gazprombank.
Financial services expert Andrei Barkhota says the transformation of the banking network is of fundamental importance for retail customers. According to him, Gazprombank has historically had a distinct corporate profile: a large part of its loan and deposit portfolio belonged to large corporate clients.
“At this stage the bank has clearly decided to diversify its activities into retail segments. We’re talking credit cards, cash loans, deposits and savings accounts. Gazprombank expects to attract new customers and increase the intensity of interaction with existing customers through the high-quality offline format. It is easy to notice that orange colors have recently dominated the bank’s communications; The bank actively employs ambassadors who are selected based on personal and professional success. We see the introduction of the Gazprom Pay payment system, which emphasizes the bank’s close partnership with its shareholder structures,” says Barhota.
The expert believes that Gazprombank chose the right time to transform its branches. Firstly, many banks are moving towards digital communication with customers, while the latter require physical contact. Secondly, the expert continues that in the banking market of the Russian Federation there is an outflow of retail customers from the largest banks with non-resident capital.
“With the new high-quality service and sales offices, Gazprombank expects to attract new high-quality customers,” he concluded.
RegBlok chief analyst Anna Avakimyan, Candidate of Economic Sciences, also stated that the new branches are designed to attract new customers to the bank.
“The new network format in combination with an effective advertising campaign can help the bank achieve its goals in the field of new customers and corresponding business volumes,” believes Avakimyan. Formerly First Deputy Chairman of Gazprombank, Member of the Board of Directors Alexey Popovich declarationIt was stated that the bank plans to double its retail customer base in the next three years.
Therefore, Gazprombank follows a trend towards combining the achievements of advanced technologies with human communication, which remains an important part of establishing a trusting relationship with the customer.