Postbank
Postbank’s online banking option saw a considerable hike for yet another year in 2019, compared to 2018, 2019’s data shows. The number of consumers making online monetary transactions via the bank’s digital channels increased by 47% on an annual basis. The use of m-Postbank mobile banking app saw an even greater hike, as the number of active consumers and the total transaction amount went up by nearly 100% on an annual basis, and the total number of transactions saw an 80% hike.
As a result of the increasingly active use of digital channels by the bank’s clients, digital transactions accounted for 73% as at end-2019, compared to a 27% share of the transactions conducted in the bank’s branches. For comparison, digital transactions accounted for 57% as at end-2018.
Postbank’s innovative digital services – the EVA Postbank app and EVA chatbot on Facebook – are getting increasingly popular among customers, especially among people aged up to 45. EVA Postbank mobile app was created in September 2019 to provide the clients of Piraeus Bank fast and reliable information about the merger with Postbank. It is the first of its kind integrated chatbot which replies to customers’ questions, provides updated and useful information about products and services, and comes with an additional functionality – live chat with the bank’s experts. The chatbot has serviced over 25% of Piraeus Bank’s active clients. Over 570 conversations per hour and nearly 50 conversations per minute were carried out via EVA Postbank on the day of the merger, which contributed considerably to ease the call traffic in the bank’s Call Centre and to improve consumer experience. Following the merger, EVA Postbank is providing useful information about Postbank’s products and services, the location of the closest offices, financial advice, etc.
Bulgaria’s only banking chatbot on Facebook Messenger, EVA, also set a record in 2019. It was used by 80,000 users for one year to find a solution of their financial needs. EVA processed a total of EUR 1 million loan requests, becoming one of Postbank’s most successful "employees". The trend of nearly half of the people using it – 45% – for another conversation remained. 60% of the loan requests, processed by EVA, concern financing repair works or the purchase of automobiles and devices. In 30% of the cases, consumers sought additional resources to cover their expenses until they receive their salaries and to finance smaller purchases. There is a trend of increasing interest in studying the opportunities for financing a real estate purchase via the chatbot.
"The considerable hikes in the use of our digital channels in 2019 definitely show that customers see Postbank as an innovative company which meets their expectations for fast, reliable and favourable online services. The ratio of digital transactions to transaction in the banks’ branches has been increasing sustainably by 66% in the last two years. The number of consumers using electronic and mobile banking not only for reference and information, but also to make monetary transactions, is increasing. To meet their expectations, we are constantly building on options for remote services in order to provide the best possible consumer experience, to save customers’ time and resources", Postbank commented.
An increasing number of customers are seeking online financing, as the number of online consumer loan applications went up by 20% in 2019, compared to 2018, while the utilized loans increased by 38% on an annual basis. To provide its clients with an all-digital process of applying for and receiving consumer loans, the bank launched a pilot service for online signing of loan documents in 2019. As of 2020, the service can be used by the bank’s clients who file consumer loan requests via digital channels such as online applications. The new service includes an option for granting loans, including the utilization of the loan amount by sending it to an account in the bank, without requiring clients to visit the banks’ branches.