Exploring the touchpoints that influence a customer's experience in Gauteng branches of a South African retail bank

Abstract

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.