According to a study by Onepoint, carried out by the Harris Interactive institute, one in five French people have increased their use of their banking app since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The acceleration of digitalization has also had an impact on the relationship customers have with their bank.
Greater customer autonomy
According to a study published by Onepoint, a consultancy specializing in the digital transformation of companies, and carried out by the Harris Interactive polling institute, the pandemic and the digitization of services have changed the relationship between the French and their bank.
22% of those surveyed said they were using their banking app more often, applying the famous "self-care" advocated by banks since the start of the health crisis.
This practice of self-care, which accelerated with the pandemic, consists of giving customers the means to manage their accounts autonomously, while obtaining the desired information themselves, via the bank's application, its website or even a chatbot.
20% of customers surveyed by Harris said they never visit a branch, and 28% visit less often, carrying out the majority of their transactions themselves.
Traditional banks: towards alternative models?
This accelerated digitalization is also having an impact on the relationship between the French and their bank. Indeed, 30% of them feel that digital technology is weakening this relationship, particularly among the over-50s, who are between 35% and 37% to share this feeling.
22% of customers surveyed were considering or had decided to change their main bank in 2021. At a time when neobanks represent increasingly important competition, when GAFAs have already invested in the payments sector and are planning to develop other financial services, traditional banks need to be particularly vigilant.
Some of them are developing alternative solutions, such as Bred, which only welcomes customers who have made an appointment. 61% of customers question ed in the Onepoint study said they would be interested in a bank where the advisor could only be seen by appointment, 55% were in favor of remote appointments, while 41% agreed to meet their advisor in a place other than the branch.
Whatever the case, the French still need banks: 61% of them ask for an appointment or use their bank's app or website to find out about a new project. The challenge now is for banks to find the best model for meeting these expectations, while taking into account the transformation in usage brought about by digitalization.