Banks are not giving customers what they want, and risk losing an entire generation because of it.
More than half of bank customers in the U.S. — 51% — want their banks to proactively recommend services and products, according to the 2014 North America Consumer Digital Banking Survey from Accenture, which was released yesterday. Yet 70% of the more than 4,000 customers surveyed consider their bank relationship merely transactional, suggesting they are not getting the advice and guidance they would like.
Further, 55% of those surveyed that want proactive advice and recommendations say that getting this guidance would increase their loyalty to their bank.
This is loyalty banks sorely need. The new generation of bank customers is more likely to switch banks and to consider a branchless bank. 39% of customers 34 and younger would consider a branchless bank, while just 16% of those 55 and older say the same. Younger customers are also open to banking with nonbank players.
More than three-quarters of U.S. customers 34 and younger (77%) would consider banking with a nonbank player, compared to just 28% of those 55 and older.
Of those nonbank players, Square and PayPal were the most popular choices for banking services. The chart below lists the nine top choices. The telcos play a major role, as do Apple and Google.
Accenture recommends banks enhance their customer experience across all touchpoints (yes, they use the term “omnichannel”); extend their ecosystems by offering a greater range of products; and and offer digital personalized advice.
With 77% of young people willing to look at tech and telecommunication companies for their financial needs, banks will need to study those industries and see how they make themselves appealing to the coming wave of digital-first customers.