A Reminder: What Customers Really Want – The Definition of Top-Notch Service

Customer Experience has become a term of art in our business, as well as in many others. Banks have whole departments and senior executives dedicated to perfecting that experience from inception, the first time a prospect contacts the bank through any channel, until the relationship's conclusion, hopefully, many years later. Banks have spent billions of dollars on Customer Experience, largely on technology, in an effort to reduce friction points and make all bank interactions easier.…

20 Teachings from 20 Years

The top 20 things learned from Amitabh Bhargava when writing the Bank Brief over the past 20 years have resulted in some our most favorite sayings. 1. Management teams really matter. I contend one could have gone to our 2007 Global Financial Services Conference, ahead of the financial crisis, and seen the top 20 U.S. banks present. If I had gone long the 10 best presentations (based on company positioning, strategy, poise) and short the worst 10, I…

Taking Customer Service To The Next Level

I have long been an admirer of American Express, a financial services company that continues to innovate in a way that truly makes a difference in its customers’ lives in general, and their interactions with AMEX in particular. I can see you rolling your eyes now, thinking you bank doesn’t have the resources that AMEX has, nor can you offer the kind of experiences it can offer.  While true, the key lessons I find in…