Regardless of the rapid proliferation of digital technologies within the banking industry in recent
years, the sustained importance of bank branches as a channel that offers retail banks an
opportunity to interact with customers face-to-face cannot be ignored. In a highly competitive
environment such as the retail banking industry, it is imperative that retail banks understand
how their customers’ interactions in bank branches influence their experiences to develop and
maintain competitive advantages. This study aimed to explore the touchpoints that influence a
customer’s experience in Gauteng branches of a South African retail bank and to use the
identified touchpoints to map the customer’s experience journey. The study followed a
qualitative research design utilising semi-structured interviews conducted on Microsoft Teams
to identify customer perceptions of touchpoints during a retail bank branch visit, interrogate the
perceived influence of the identified touchpoints and painpoints on the customer’s experience,
and identify the most important touchpoints as perceived by customers.
The findings identified 15 unique touchpoints, including staff, servicescape, advertising, and
automated teller machines. The 15 touchpoints were further categorised into five main themes:
human interactions, servicescape, bank processes, services offered by the bank, and bank
systems, with human interactions being revealed as the most important theme. Several
recommendations are made to the banking industry, including improving staff training and
knowledge, improving customer service, and increasing security and privacy during a branch visit.
Ngaphandle kokusabalala okusheshayo okusheshayo kobuchwepheshe bedijithali embonini
yamabhange eminyakeni yamuva nje, ukubaluleka okuqhubekayo kwamagatsha amabhange
njengesiteshi esinikeza amabhange ezitolo ithuba lokuxhumana namakhasimende ubuso
nobuso angeke kushaywe indiva. Esimeni esincintisana kakhulu njengemboni yamabhange
ezitolo, kubalulekile ukuthi amabhange adayisayo aqonde ukuthi ukusebenzisana
kwamakhasimende awo emagatsheni asebhange kuthonya kanjani ulwazi lwawo
ukuthuthukisa nokugcina izinzuzo zokuncintisana. Lolu cwaningo luhlose ukuhlola izindawo
zokuthintwa ezithonya ulwazi lwekhasimende emagatsheni ase- Gauteng ebhange lokudayisa
laseNingizimu Afrika kanye nokusebenzisa izindawo zokuthinta ezihlonziwe ukuze kumephu
uhambo lokuhlangenwe nakho kwekhasimende. Ucwaningo lulandele idizayini yocwaningo
olusezingeni eliphezulu olusebenzisa ingxoxo ezihlelwe kancane ezenziwa ku-Microsoft
Teams ukuze kuhlonzwe imibono yamakhasimende mayelana nezindawo zokuthintwa
ngesikhathi sokuvakasha kwegatsha lebhange lezitolo, kuphenywe ngethonya
elicatshangelwayo lezindawo ezibuhlungu kulwazi lwekhasimende, nokuhlonza izindawo
zokuthinta ezibalulekile kakhulu, njengoba kubonwa amakhasimende.
Okutholakele kuhlonzwe izindawo zokuthinta eziyi-15 ezihlukile, okufaka phakathi
abasebenzi, i-servicescape, ukukhangisa, nemishini yokukhipha imali ezenzakalelayo.
Izindawo zokuthinta eziyi- 15 ziphinde zahlukaniswa zaba izindikimba ezinhlanu ezibalulekile:
ukusebenzelana kwabantu, i-servicescape, izinqubo zamabhange, izinsiza ezihlinzekwa
yibhange, kanye nezinhlelo zamabhange, lapho ukuxhumana kwabantu kwembulwa
njengendikimba ebaluleke kakhulu. Izincomo eziningi zenziwe embonini yamabhange,
okuhlanganisa ukuthuthukisa ukuqeqeshwa nolwazi lwabasebenzi, ukuthuthukisa isevisi
yamakhasimende, nokwandisa ukuphepha kanye nobumfihlo ngesikhathi sokuvakashela
igatsha.
