Bank Austria SmartBanking: Personal support around the clock
- Bank Austria launches a new innovative service for its customers who prefer conducting their banking businesses online and mobile via smart phone
- Personal consultants offer advice via online banking, phone, mail and fax
- Personal support from 8 AM to 6 PM, general support is available around the clock – independent of the customers' locations
SmartBanking is part of Bank Austria's new service and quality campaign. Customers can take advantage of personal support from 8 AM to 6 PM, far beyond the usual bank opening hours. For general support, the SmartBanking hotline is available 24/7, even on weekends. This modern, attractive and flexible customer service is the first of its kind in Austria and is independent of the customers' locations.
Rainer Hauser, Bank Austria Chairman for private customers and SMEs, said that 24/7 services were the future of the banking business and had to be complemented with personal support. "50,000 customer surveys each year have shown that most customers do no longer visit branch banks, and SmartBanking is the perfect solution for the target group of the online generation. Our customers can freely decide how and when to conduct their banking businesses, and they also can chose the channels."
Secure communication in the extended OnlineBanking system
SmartBanking customers can use the extended OnlineBanking system which enables them to communicate directly and actively with personal consultants on the internet. Customers can contact the consultant on a separate micro site in the online banking system, which, unlike e-mails, is a 100 percent secure IT environment which is protected with a username and an access code. Bank Austria thus offers a new customer service via internet, phone, mobile phone and smart phone which can be used everywhere: in the office, at home, in a park, while doing sports or at a coffee shop.
New iPhone App
Bank Austria will also offer a newly developed iPhone App which will be available at Apple's App Store in a few weeks. This App will facilitate the mobile use of SmartBanking. Bank Austria currently offers an App for Nokia smart phones at the OVI store and plans to offer an Android App soon.
It goes without saying that all SmartBanking users can still visit one of Bank Austria's almost 300 Austrian branch banks in order to settle larger and complex banking businesses such as applying for a mortgage credit. The SmartBanking consultants are still individually responsible consultants, only the communication channels have been adjusted to modern communication tools.
The SmartBanking service is complementary to the traditional consulting services in a branch bank. Customers can decide which consulting service they prefer. "We initially expect about 70,000 customers to decide to use the SmartBanking service," says Rainer Hauser, adding that the bank was targeting up to 250,000 customers in the long term.
Further inquiries: Bank Austria Press Office Austria
Matthias Raftl, Tel. +43 (0) 50505 - 52809
E-Mail: matthias.raftl@unicreditgroup.at
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