‘No instant solutions’ to improving customer experience, says BOV Chief Digital Officer

Bank of Valletta plc (BOV) Chief Digital Officer Theodoros Papadopoulos has emphasised that improving customer experience requires time and can be done gradually through various small changes.

This came after the bank on Tuesday announced that it has upgraded over 650 ATM screens, displaying a new and updated interface. BOV stated that the upgrades were made to enhance the usability of ATMs, increase accessibility, and to make it easier to carry out the transactions customers are familiar with.

“Customer experience is key for the bank. We continually strive to improve our channels and continue to invest in making the customer experience memorable,” Mr Papadopoulos said.

“Listening to customers on a daily basis helps us in carrying out such enhancements,” he added.

The upgrade includes changes to screens for foreign cards, credit cards, and local cards, thus ensuring that “customer interactions develop into a more modern and seamless experience”. BOV added that the flow from one screen to the next was retained so that customers continue to use ATMs as they are accustomed to.

BOV noted that customer service has “always been a key ingredient” in the provision of financial services, and as banks continue to improve and upgrade their service channels through the introduction of self-service and digital solutions, “the right balance between digital and physical channels” needs to be maintained.

Mr Papadopoulos acknowledged that BOV recognises that there are “no instant solutions”, as improving the customer experience is a “continuous journey” that the bank has embarked on, “one step at a time, small changes that together can result in a markedly improved experience”.

“We are confident that this latest enhancement will continue in our efforts to position BOV as the bank of choice for all our clients,” he concluded.

The bank added that it has invested in improving its service offering across its channels over the past months, particularly through its Voice of the Customer programme which provides feedback on the service offered. The latest feedback on its ATM fleet prompted the bank to change the servicing time of its ATM network, introduce the recycling of deposits for improved cash withdrawals, and also send SMS messages to users alerting them when an ATM they frequently use is out of service.