Barclays Ghana now absa Bank Ghana officially…powered by innovative digital services
Adnan Adams Mohammed
Barclays Bank Ghana has officially rebranded its corporate
image and operations as Absa Bank Ghana as a member of the Absa Group based in
South Africa at an assuring grand event, last week, in Accra.
Absa Group is one of Africa’s largest diversified financial
services groups, offering an integrated set of products and services across
personal and business banking, corporate and investment banking, wealth and
investment management, and insurance.
The Group has a presence in several African countries with
representative international offices in London and New York. They have
approximately 40,000 employees, more than 1,000 branches, and nearly 10,000
ATMs.
“Once the transition is complete, our customers can look
forward to the following innovative products that leverage the Absa Group’s
investment in technology”, Ebo Richardson, the Change Enablement Lead in charge
of the transition project at the bank assured.
“Previously, bank cards were designed for a time when
paper-based machines that took an imprint of the card and the transaction were
still used. In those days, the horizontal orientation made sense,” Mr
Richardson said.
“Today we use cards differently. Vertical cards are designed
to be better suited to how customers actually use them these days, whether in
the ATM, swiping, tapping or safely stored in their wallet or purse. These
cards are designed to be as future-proof as possible, so all new Absa cards
will soon be tap-and-pay enabled.”
The new vertical cards reflect Absa’s vibrant red colour
palette and take an unconventional approach to status. “We did extensive
research,” Mr Richardson explained. “People across all our segments – from
youth to premier and wealth customers – loved the energetic and youthful
approach.”
Over and above this, Mr Richardson added, “Smart design
elements help you easily distinguish your card in your wallet or purse.”
All cards come with an array of benefits, making it easier
for customers to bank and earn rewards. In the next couple of months, our new
vertical cards will provide access to nearly 1,000 thousand airport lounges
around the world with Dragon pass. Our cards come with an array of benefits
including discount packages of up to 40% from our Alliance Partners, 2percent
cashback rewards on purchases made with your Absa Platinum Credit Cards and
many more.
The Absa ChatBot, when launched, will be available all hours
of the day, every day, to answer customers’ questions. Powered by artificial
intelligence, the Bot becomes smarter the more questions are asked of it.
Explaining the rationale behind this innovation, Mr
Richardson had this to say: “Some people will always prefer to come into a
branch to ask questions, others prefer the call centre, but many others are
beginning to embrace a more digital way of life. By using the Bot, customers
can find answers to their questions – in their own time and at their
convenience.”
The Absa app allows customers to pay bills, transact, buy
airtime and more. According to Mr Richardson, “Biometric access offers an added
layer of protection as customers can use their fingerprints or facial
recognition technology to access their app.” Mr Richardson further advised that
this is “device-dependent” and the feature can only be used if the customer’s
mobile device has this capability.
“We are rolling out family banking to enable us to serve the
next generation of our customers.” Our Premier customers will be able to have
their family members signed on to the Absa Premier banking offering, with one
Relationship Manager for the whole family, providing a comprehensive and
convenient banking experience for the entire family.
“Entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are
key drivers of economic activity and growth in our country. Absa’s digital
toolkit enables SME businesses to perform certain functions online,” Mr Ebo
Richardson said.
Customer innovation lies at the heart of Absa’s strategy.
The group continues to invest in the sorts of technologies that will lead to
improved experience and convenience, as it works toward becoming a scalable
digitally-led bank.
“With the underlying improvements in technological
capabilities and connectivity and the proliferation of mobile devices, we
anticipate exciting times ahead as our market gets progressively digitally
transformed. You can expect more digital innovations from us that will enhance
our customers’ banking experiences!” Mr Richardson said.
“Under Absa, customers can expect a forward-looking bank
that is still very cognizant of our role in society,” he added.
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