OCBC launches secure chat service to minimise physical interactions at branches
KUALA LUMPUR: OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Bhd (OCBC Bank) has launched the country’s first secure chat service, OCBC RM Chat.
The service enables the bank’s Premier Banking and Premier Private Client (PPC) customers to communicate and place daily banking instructions securely with their Relationship Managers (RMs) via its Internet and mobile banking platforms.
They will also be able to place trade instructions when the service is made available in the near future.
OCBC RM Chat operates like popular chat services such as WhatsApp and WeChat and comes with the level of cybersecurity expected bank.
According to OCBC Bank head of Consumer Financial Services Anne Leh this means that with OCBC RM Chat customers can complete their daily banking transactions and (when made available) investment trades without having to call or meet their RMs face-to-face or to visit the branch as they did in the past, all the more necessary due to the pandemic.
“The launch of OCBC RM Chat is timely considering more than half of our Premier Banking and PPC customers are already interacting with us digitally,” Leh said.
“This was always the natural of a next step for us and represents an outworking of our value proposition to these segments.
“In fact, we began piloting this service long before Covid-19 hit and are pleased to be able to formally roll it out as the latest innovation under our multiplechannel strategy, which aims to deliver banking services not just through conventional platforms but also across our many digital capabilities including Internet and mobile banking, video call, and our virtual relationship manager model so that customers can connect with us safely and securely from wherever they are.
“From back then we were guided by the need to provide greater security to our customers, especially active investors, to ensure their data remain safe and secure whilst removing the pain points and hassles that come with the conventional brick and mortar banking model.
“We kick-started the initiative alongside the rise in phone scams where the perpetrators disguised themselves as legitimate officials to phish for customer information.
“Being a significant player in the wealth segment, innovation is key to delivering an engaging multichannel experience to our discerning customers and availing to them the flexibility to choose the way they want to do banking.
“We see their preferences as integral as we seek to scale up digitally.”
She added that OCBC RM Chat will be rolled out in stages to all the bank’s Premier Banking and PPC customers over the course of the year.