Called the Bankers Online App, the Facebook-based application developed by the digital marketing unit of Ayala-led Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) aims to bridge the gap between bankers and the bank’s customers.
Executives of the bank said they noticed how account holders and would-be customers are often intimidated to ask their bankers about the most basic finance questions for fear of being perceived as unknowledgeable about the matter.
“[This app] will transcend the very deep ravine between the stiff banker persona and anyone on Facebook because it’s very personalized,” claimed Virginia Brocka, digital marketing head at BPI.
Anyone with a Facebook account, even those without an account with BPI, can post questions for the bankers and receive a response for their queries by simply liking the BPI page on Facebook and accessing the Bankers Online app.
Brocka said they took pains to ensure that the profiles of the bankers — which came from various BPI units and departments and are mostly young — are available for users to see, in order to create some sort of “emotional connection” with the bankers.
“That way, people can relate to somebody who is their age, or to a woman who is also a mother. Users can see the bankers as a person they can relate to,” Brocka explained.
Users can ask questions from a range of topics such as financial wellness, responsible borrowing, and money management among others. Should the banker be unable to answer the query, Brocka said the “full force of BPI” will be behind the banker to help the customer in resolving the question.
Executives said bankers would answer questions after about 24 hours, and the service will only be available on the banks usual banking days, from Monday to Friday.
Aside from being a hub for financing advice, the app also serves other useful functions such as the ability to schedule an offline appointment with a bank employee; and a helpdesk facility that will aid users in resolving account-related questions.
Brocka said bringing such kind of service directly for Facebook is essential especially in a nation where 27 million Internet users are on Facebook, or more than 90 percent of its total Internet penetration.
“We have seen that the use of social media has become an integral part of Filipinos’ lives,” added Carmencita Gozar, vice president and Brand BPI Division Head.
Gozar said they envision the app to “democratize expert financial advice” and lead Filipinos to better financial wellness overall.
“This is the Internet age, and we (banks) should embrace it. It’s an opportunity for us to keep on learning what our customers really need,” Gozar stressed.
source: interaksyon.com
