Saudi customers prefer mobile banking: Avaya survey
Banking customers in the Kingdom are increasingly using digital channels to conduct their transactions, with mobile banking leading the way, according to a new survey from Avaya. The findings reveal that Saudi customers’ most-preferred channel for accessing banking services is via a mobile app, while 40 percent of respondents said it was a priority to have everything on their mobile device — the highest out of nine countries surveyed.
The Customer Experience in Banking Survey, conducted with YouGov, queried more than 10,000 banking customers in two waves — the first covering the UK, UAE, India and Australia, and the second France, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia and South Africa. Almost a quarter (24 percent) of respondents in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia said a mobile app was their preferred channel, behind only India and South Africa, and much higher compared to just 8 percent in Germany and 10 percent in France.
Saudi banking customers are also more likely to change their banks because of poor customer service — and less likely to give the bank a chance to do something about it. While more than half (52 percent) would change banks — the highest out of all nine countries — only 37 percent would lodge a complaint, the lowest of the countries surveyed. When asked to assess what was important to them in interacting with their bank, top asks from Saudi banking customers include wanting to have the same level of experience and service across all channels, and for their problems to be resolved on the first point of contact, all regardless of which contact channel they used.
“Getting customer experience right is vital for banks in Saudi Arabia, and it is clear that delivering a superior customer experience requires coordination across all touchpoints — whether online or offline,” said Yaser Alzubaidi, engagement solutions sales leader for Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (AMEA) at Avaya.
He added: “Banks in the region are increasingly investing in digital transformation to deliver the right customer experience. However, it really comes down to personal autonomy and giving consumers the opportunity to choose the way they interact with their bank.
“That is where new technologies can really make a difference. Moreover, these new technologies help customers to do what they want to do as fast and effectively as possible.”