zimbabwe banking sector customer engagement report...turnaround (queues, notifications) is still...

Prepared by Industrial Psychology Consultants (Pvt) Ltd (C) 2014 Page 1

Industrial Psychology Consultants (Pvt) Ltd

“maximizing returns on human Capital”

Head Office: 1 Grosvenor Road, Highlands, Harare

Tel: (04) 481946-8, 481950, 2900276, 2900966

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.ipcconsultants.com

Zimbabwe Banking Sector

Customer Engagement

Report

The voice of today’s banking

customer

May 2014

http://www.ipcconsultants.com/


Contents

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 3

Summary of keys findings .................................................................................................................... 3

Background............................................................................................................................................. 4

Profile of participants ............................................................................................................................ 4

Methodology .......................................................................................................................................... 5

Results ..................................................................................................................................................... 6

Discussions and commentary ............................................................................................................ 11

Social Media Conversation Strategy ................................................................................................. 14

Global Trends: The Business case for mobile money ..................................................................... 15

Savings .................................................................................................................................................. 17

(Conclusion) ......................................................................................................................................... 18


Introduction

The survey focus was to gauge customer engagement in the banking sector in Zimbabwe.

Customer engagement is defined as the strengthening of the customer relationship across

touch points, including the internet, phone, in person, and through transactions. As reported

in this survey, the engagement levels of banking customers in Zimbabwe have changed

significantly since dollarization.

Industrial Psychology Consultants (Pvt) Ltd does not hold itself liable to any derogatory

comments and or opinions expressed as part of and through this survey. Our objective

however, is that this report may be used constructively towards creating a competitive

financial services sector that engages the support of its customer.

Summary of keys findings

This report highlights some very interesting key findings. These are listed as below:

More customers want to switch to international banks (Stanbic Bank, Standard Bank,

and Barclays Bank) today than they did in 2012. Only 24% want to stay with their

current banks.

Net engagement of 11 out of 12 banks increased by over 50%.

Since dollarization customer service expectations of the respondents (64.80%) are

higher.

44.10% of respondents regard courteous staff as good customer service as compared to

34.50% in 2012, an increase of 9.60%

Turnaround (queues, notifications) is still what most (31.20%) respondents dislike

about their banks as compared to the 20.80% in 2012

Standard Chartered Bank Zimbabwe Limited had the highest net engagement score of

88.20%, followed by NMB Bank with 88.00%, FBC Bank with 86.30%, and MBCA Bank

with 80.50%.


Background

According to an article in the Zimbabwe Independent (January 10, 2014) seven out of the 21

licensed banks excluding People’s Own Savings Banking (POSB) were facing challenges and

are the subjects of close monitoring under the Troubled and Insolvent Bank Policy.1 The

banking sector is currently confronted with liquidity challenges which are manifesting

themselves through constrained banking sector lending capabilities, high lending rates and

failure to meet customer withdrawal requirements experienced by a few banking institutions.

The few troubled banking institutions are of low systemic importance as they accounted for

less than 10% of the banking sector’s total assets, total deposits and total loans respectively,

as at 31 December 2013.2

Profile of participants

872 bank customers participated in the survey. Participants were asked whether or not they

had a bank account at the time of completing the survey. Those that responded negatively to

this question were excluded as it would be unfair to rate a bank for which you do not have a

bank account. The average age of the participants is 37 years and the average years of working

experience is 14 years.

96.90% of the respondents are currently employed, 3.10% are unemployed. 67.00% of the

respondents are males and 33.00% are females. 19.00% are non-managerial employees, 23.70%

are part of junior management, 29.10% are in middle management, 16.00% are senior managers

and 10.50% are executives. 7.40% of the respondents earn an income of US$ 500.00 and below

per month; 27.90% earn US$ 501.00 – 1000.00; 44.90% earn US$ 1001.00 – 2999.00; 11.10% earn

US$ 3000.00 – 4999.00 and 8.70% earn over US$ 5000.00 a month.

1 Zimbabwe Independent January 10, 2014. [online] Available at 2 Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. 2013. January 2014 Monetary Policy Statement. Harare. Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe


A total of 22 banks were represented in this survey as shown in table 1 below. For analysis,

banks with a sample of 30 respondents and above were used.

Table 1: Distribution of respondents by Bank.

Bank Frequency

Standard Chartered Bank Zimbabwe Limited 16%

Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe Limited 11%

CBZ Bank Limited 10%

Barclays Bank of Zimbabwe Limited 10%

NMB Bank Limited 10%

FBC Bank Limited 7%

BancABC 6%

Central Africa Building Society (CABS) 6%

MBCA Bank Limited 6%

Afrasia Kingdom Bank Limited 6%

ZB Bank Limited 4%

Ecobank Zimbabwe Limited 2%

Steward Bank 2%

FBC Building Society 1%

People's Own Savings Bank (POSB) 1%

Metropolitan Bank of Zimbabwe Limited 1%

Agricultural Development Bank of Zimbabwe (Agribank) 1%

Allied Bank 0.5%

ZB Building Society 0.3%

Tetrad Investment Bank (Tetrad Securities Limited) 0.2%

Capital Bank 0.1%

CBZ Building Society 0.1%

Methodology

This survey was conducted via an online survey tool called Survey Monkey. The survey

instrument had a total of 15 questions. Participants were not randomly selected therefore

results cannot be generalized. Responses reflect customer engagement levels during the period

November 2013 to March 2014, the period in which data was collected.


Short comings

1. The participants in this survey were not randomly selected hence generalizing the

results will not be possible.

2. Some bank customers do not have access to the internet, considering this research was

done via survey monkey which is an online tool.

When interpreting the results, the above points need to be considered.

Results

Net engagement is calculated by subtracting the percentage of customers who are disengaged

from the percentage of the engaged. Compared to the 2012 results, the highest increases in Net

engagement were recorded in Standard Chartered Bank (88.20%), MBCA Bank Limited

(84.20%), and NMB (82.60%) as shown in the table below:

Table 2: Ranking of Banks by Net engagement score

Rank Bank3

Net

Engagement

Score 2012

Net

Engagement

Score 2013

1 Standard Chartered Bank Zimbabwe Limited 0.00% 88.20%

2 NMB Bank Limited 5.40% 88.00%

3 FBC Bank Limited 34.20% 86.30%

4 MBCA Bank Limited -3.70% 80.50%

5 CBZ Bank Limited 0.00% 76.70%

6 ZB Bank Limited 11.60% 72.90%

7 Barclays Bank of Zimbabwe Limited -6.70% 66.30%

8 Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe Limited 16.30% 66.30%

9 BancABC -3.30% 64.60%

10 Central Africa Building Society (CABS) 5.20% 56.00%

11 Afrasia Kingdom Bank Limited -13.50% 27.60%

3 Though there were respondents from the following banks/ building societies, these are not stated above because

they had insufficient sample: Allied Bank, CBZ Building Society, Metropolitan Bank of Zimbabwe Limited, People's

Own Savings Bank (POSB), Steward Bank, Tetrad Investment Bank (Tetrad Securities Limited), ZB Building Society


The customer engagement levels were categorized into four groups, namely Actively

Disengaged, Disengaged, Engaged, and Actively Engaged. Customer engagement levels have

increased compared to the 2012 results. Disengaged customers decreased by 32% whilst

engaged customers also increased by 32%. Since dollarization, customer service expectations

have changed, with 64.80% having higher expectations (despite a 2.10% drop from the 2012

results).

Table 3: Net Engagement Score By Bank

The net engagement score helps an institution determine how many more engaged customers

it has over those that are disengaged. From the comparison between the 2012 and 2013 results,

most banks seem to have improved by over 50% in engaging their customers, which is a

positive result.

Customers still put convenience as top priority when it comes to good customer service. 35.00%

of respondents need quality services delivered in the shortest time possible. Accessibility also

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Afrasia Kingdom Bank Limited

BancABC

Barclays Bank of Zimbabwe Limited

CBZ Bank Limited

Central Africa Building Society (CABS)

FBC Bank Limited

MBCA Bank Limited

NMB Bank Limited

Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe Limited

Standard Chartered Bank Zimbabwe Limited

ZB Bank Limited

Customer Engagaement by Bank

Actively Disengaged Disengaged Engaged Actively Engaged


falls under the convenience umbrella. Customers (8.80%) need their banks to be accessible

through the wide branch network, internet, ATMs, and customer hotlines that actually work.

Table 4: What do you like about the service at your bank?

Bank

Most Frequently appearing

response Second most appearing response

Afrasia Kingdom Bank Limited

Good Customer Service4

(29.30%) Turnaround Time5 (19.50%)

BancABC Turnaround Time (20.80%) Good Customer Service (14.60%)

Barclays Bank of Zimbabwe Limited Turnaround Time (28.20%) Availability of money (15.40%)

CBZ Bank Limited Good Customer Service (20.20%) Turnaround Time (14.30%)

Central Africa Building Society

(CABS)

Stability and Reputation

(14.10%)

Turnaround Time, Good customer

service, ATM, Accessibility (10.00%)

FBC Bank Limited Turnaround Time (28.20%) E-banking services (14.10%)

MBCA Bank Limited Turnaround Time (31.80%) Good Customer Service (20.50%)

NMB Bank Limited Turnaround Time (44.30%) Good Customer Service (17.70%)

Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe Limited Turnaround Time (18.90%) Availability of money (17.80%)

Standard Chartered Bank Zimbabwe

Limited Turnaround Time (22.60%) Good Customer Service (17.30%)

ZB Bank Limited Turnaround Time (24.30%) Good Customer Service (18.90%)

8 out of 11 banks cited Turnaround Time as the most frequently appearing response whilst 5

mentioned good customer service.

4 Definition Good Customer Service: Courteous and polite staff 5 Definition Turnaround: short lead time in the bank services, be it transaction, queues, etc.


When asked what they think is good customer service in a bank, most respondents (44.10%)

said polite and courteous staff while 35.00% said prompt service.

Table 5: What do you think is good customer service in a bank?

Customer Service Expectation(s) % agreement

Polite and Courteous Staff 44.10%

Prompt Service (being served quickly and professionally) 35.00%

Accessibility (money, branches, manager) 3.00%

Communication and feedback 2.70%

Knowledgeable staff 2.40%

Ambience 2.00%

Understanding and meeting customer needs 2.00%

Personalized Service 1.90%

Quality Service (accuracy and efficiency) 1.70%

Notifications (sms, email, internet) 1.10%

Wide range of services 0.90%

Favourable bank charges 0.80%

I.T (up to date systems) 0.70%

Convenience (24 hr. services, ATM) 0.60%

Fairness and honesty 0.50%

Loan Facilities 0.30%

Flexible working hours (closing late, open on weekends) 0.20%

0.00%

5.00%

10.00%

15.00%

20.00%

25.00%

30.00%

35.00%

40.00%

Expectations

are actually

lower

Expectations

are the same

Expectations

are slightly

higher

Expectations

are much

higher

11.50%

23.70%

35.70%29.10%

Graph 2: Have your customer service expectations changed since

dollarization (2009)?


The results of this research show that customers are agitated by poor communication or lack

thereof by their banks. Those that mentioned poor communication (3.80%) argued that they

are not given notifications on any changes, and in the event that they are, the notifications take

long and often have errors.

Table 6: What do you dislike about the service at your bank?

Feature Dislike % respondents

Turnaround (queues, notifications) 31.20%

Loan system (no loans/ mortgages, high interest rates) 13.10%

High bank charges 10.50%

Poor Customer service 9.90%

Branch network (offer different services, few branches) 6.50%

ATM (not functional/ does not have) 5.20%

Lack of order (no support given to clients, queues, lost forms) 3.80%

Communication (no notifications/ they take long) 3.80%

Poor system (always down, no or wrong updates) 3.10%

e-banking (no/ poor mobile money, poor internet services) 3.00%

Not personalized 2.20%

Limited range of services 1.80%

Money challenges 1.70%

Poor I.T Services 1.40%

No VISA services/ charges are too high 1.30%

Timetable (closes early and on weekends too) 0.70%

Information not kept confidential 0.40%

Findings reveal that more customers want to move to other banks today than they did in 2012.

8 in every 10 bank customers said they want to move away from their current bank. Only 24%

of the bank customers said they would want to stay with their current banks. Interestingly

most of the customers prefer moving to international banks. The only preferred local banks

were FBC Bank Limited and NMB Bank Limited.


Table 7: If you were given an option to change banks/ building societies, which bank/ building

society would you choose?

Current Bank

I would rather stay at

my current bank Most Preferred Bank6

Afrasia Kingdom Bank

Limited 15% Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe Limited (21%)

BancABC 16% Barclays Bank of Zimbabwe (16%)

Barclays Bank of Zimbabwe 21%


(23%)

CBZ Bank Limited 21%


(26%)

Central Africa Building

Society (CABS) 24% BancABC (12%)

FBC Bank Limited 35%


(14%)

MBCA Banking Limited 32%

NMB Bank Limited, FBC Bank Limited

(24%)

NMB Bank Limited 29%


(15%)

Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe

Limited 30%


(26%)

Standard Chartered Bank

Zimbabwe 31%

Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe Limited

(12%)

Steward Bank 19% Barclays Bank of Zimbabwe (19%)

ZB Bank Limited 22% Barclays Bank of Zimbabwe (17%)

Discussions and commentary

Customer engagement increased significantly from the 2012 survey results. Engaged banking

customers increased by 32%. The most common response that respondents gave when asked

what they like most about their bank was good customer care, that is, courteous and polite

staff. Turnaround time was the second most mentioned response, that is, the shortest lead time

in bank services, be it transactions, queues. As much as respondents cited turnaround time as

what they liked most, 31.20% of the respondents mentioned that it was what they disliked

about their banks. This shows that while banks are doing quite well in this area, more needs to

6 This is the bank mentioned by most customers as the bank they would prefer over their current bank


be done to enhance customer experience at the banks. Banks need to come up with queuing

systems that serve customers in the shortest time possible and in a polite manner.

A recent survey by Gallup found that when a branch user is “extremely satisfied” with their

most recent visit, their probability of being a fully engaged customer increases by 14%

compared to a customer who doesn’t use the branch.7 The interaction bank staff have with their

customers goes a long way in creating and maintaining trust and loyalty. Customers need to

have a good experience when they visit their bank. This way they will be moving brand

ambassadors, and tell their friends and colleagues about their bank and its services. However,

the demands of the modern day customer are shifting beyond the regular face to face banking

services.

Online banking and ATMs also play a significant role in customer engagement. According to

the same research by Gallup, when customers are extremely satisfied with their ATM and

online banking experiences they are 6-7% more likely to be fully engaged than customers who

are not using those channels. The banking sector is moving towards more technology based

channels as compared to networking with customers in branches, hence interaction with these

technological channels is of paramount importance.

Findings reveal that more customers want to move from their current banks today than they

did in 2012. Customers prefer to move from local banks to international banks because of the

stability that comes with those banks. Banking institutions operating in this harsh and

competitive economic environment face a huge challenge: to acquire customers and retain

them.

The type of questions that banks need to ask themselves are how can they really know if the

strategies they are implementing are paying off (can you confidently say you are getting a

return on your current customer engagement interventions)? Banking institutions that will

7 Banking Sector Customer Service Survey 2014 - Every channel matters when engaging Banking Customers [online] Available at < http://thegallupblog.gallup.com/2014_03_01_archive.html>


succeed in this era need to redefine their strategies and tailor them to suit the needs of their

customers and global trends.

Research shows that customers are very agitated by poor communication or lack thereof by

their banks. Those that mentioned poor communication argued that they are not given

notifications on any changes, and in the event that they are, the notifications take long and

often have errors.

Of importance to note is the frequent and diverse comments that most respondents raised on

accessibility. 11.70% of the customers felt that their banks have few branches and ATMs which

are set at inconvenient locations and it makes it difficult for them to have access to them,

especially when they need a quick dash during tea break or lunch. Banks may need to

strategically place ATMs at locations were it may not be viable to establish a branch. Moreover,

customers also complained of the inconsistencies in the branches. Some (6.50%) highlighted

that different branches of the same bank offer different procedures and services. This frustrates

the customers especially when referred to another branch. Bank managers need to come up

with uniform operations for all their banks for convenience.

Branch managers need to be accessible too. A number of branch customers do not know their

branch manager. According to an issue released by the Consumer Bankers Association, Jim

Clifton, CEO and chairman of Gallup emphasized that great managers supercharge everything

- they drive trust with employees, customers, and the community; they help the economy

grow, they foster innovation, and cause business results to flourish.8 We believe that banks

may learn a few lessons from retail stores. Retail store managers are very visible on the shop

floor and often step up to personally assist the customers should they have any challenges.

Customers also highlighted accessibility of money as one of their concerns. Most problems are

faced with the ATM services. Respondents (5.20%) argued that half of the times ATMs are not

functioning or do not have money, and the other half they have hundred dollar notes only. As

a result customers suggested that banks put lower denomination notes in the ATMs.

8 Jim Clifton, CEO & Chairman, Gallup - Never Underestimate the Importance of the Bank Manager: March 31, 2014


Banks need to make full use of emerging technologies to improve customer experience and

differentiate themselves in the customer’s eyes. Social media platforms and mobile

technologies are the trending drivers of active customer engagement both regionally and

globally. The real question for banks is no longer whether they should invest in social media

or not, but rather how they can use it to improve customer experience. Social media can also

be a useful tool in re-engaging customers and regaining their trust, since it dropped as a result

of closure of banks and the negative media coverage.

Global Trends: Social Media Conversation Strategy

Social media provides a powerful marketing platform for understanding and engaging with

customers. Ovum considers it to be a digital expansion of the customer communication arena.9

In Zimbabwe increase in use of social media platforms may have been as a result of reduced

mobile broadband tariffs and increased access to internet capable mobile phones. According

to Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), internet

penetration was 39.80% as of 31 December 2013, an increase from 33.40% in 2012.10 The

continued increase in use of mobile phones presents an opportunity for banks to increase their

mobile banking influence.

9 Social Media Trends in retail Banks [online] Available at 10TechZim, 2014. Zimbabwe Internet statistics: 5.2 million subscriptions. 40% penetration. [online] Available at


Most of the successful banks in Africa for example, use social media platforms to pro-actively

interact and engage with their customers. However, a look at the situation in Zimbabwe leaves

one wondering where we are when it comes to global and regional trends. Of the banks that

participated in this survey, only three banks have social media platforms, the rest said the

platforms are under construction. International banks in Zimbabwe do not have social

platforms specifically for their Zimbabwean branches but use the umbrella platform of the

international headquarters.

The Business case for mobile money

The number of mobile subscribers in Zimbabwe increased to 13.5 million at the end of 2013

from 12.6 million in March 2013. The mobile penetration passed the 100% mark to reach

103.50%, whilst fixed lines continued to lose subscribers, dropping by 2.40% to 307. 202,

according to TechZim.11 As regards to mobile money, this presents a ripe market on its own.

Improving access to financial services has a positive impact in people’s lives. Most banks have

since adopted the use of mobile money and the banking customers seem to be accepting it

pretty well. The first features of mobile banking were checking the balance and receiving

promotional notifications. However more banking is being done on the mobile phone than at

the branches. Now users can check their balance, pay bills, transfer money, review recent

transactions, manage investments, and check for any updates conveniently and securely on the

go. It is also cheaper as it uses the mobile connectivity of the telecommunication operator and

therefore does not require an internet connection.

11 TechZim, 2014. Zimbabwe’s mobile phone users hit 13.5 million. [online] Available at <

www.telecompaper.com/news/zimbabwes-mobile-phone-users-hit-135-million--989457>


From the survey results in this report, most customers

(31.20%) dislike having to wait for a long time in queues

and banks that close early (0.70%) and on weekends too.

Mobile money offers the advantage of access and control

to your money on a 24/7 basis. It reduces the reliance on

cash and thereby prevents robbery and theft. If correctly

penetrated, it will usher in the era of a cashless society, as

seen in the case of Kenya.

As far as mobile money is concerned, there are other

opportunities we still haven’t tapped into. According to a

survey done by Finscope in 2012, 40% of Zimbabwean

population was unbanked.12 This creates a financial

opportunity for banks. By facilitating this untapped

market, mobile banking will improve the banking

industry and also widen revenue streams. Another

opportunity is the use of mobile money on international

transfers. This has only been done successfully in Kenya

with the use of M-Pesa. If Zimbabwean banks can

strategically execute this, it will yield favourable results,

considering the number of Zimbabweans in foreign land.

However, to remain competitive, banks may need to

eliminate high fees and transactional charges. These

include withdrawal and deposits in savings accounts,

dormant account charges, and minimum balance

requirements. Considering that remittances have steadily

increased regardless of the global economic slow-down,

howbeit through informal channels, mobile money

becomes an efficient way to transport money across

12 Finscope MSME Survey Zimbabwe 2012. [online] Available at

Cashless Africa - Success of M-Pesa

in Kenya

When talking of mobile money it

would be unfair not to mention M-

Pesa, especially in Kenya. The

success of mobile money in Kenya is

not much of a surprise considering

that there is one dominant mobile

carrier (Safaricom) and also the high

penetration of mobile devices. This

led to the overwhelming success of

M-Pesa in that country. Most people

in Kenya do not have smartphones or

upgraded cellphones, hence the

introduction of M-Pesa on the

simplest of phones may have also

contributed to its success. The

transaction charges are way lower

compared to their bank competitors.

Even the 10% excise duty the Kenyan

Treasury imposed on mobile money

transactions did not stop them from

growing 22% over the next year,

according to the country’s central

bank. Safaricom then partnered with

Equity bank of Kenya and started M-

kesho. The account allows M-pesa

account holders to transfer money to

and from their Equity Bank accounts.

Customers are able to check their

bank balances on their mobile

phones with no need to visit a bank

branch. Customers are also able to

get personal accident insurance

cover and short-term loans. M-pesa

International Money Transfer (IMT)

allows money to be transferred from

the UK to a receiver’s M-pesa mobile

phone account in Kenya. Costs of

transfer are lower than competitors

like Western Union.


countries. This also presents an excellent opportunity for banks to intervene and increase

transactions in the formal economy.

Table 8: Remittances, Travel and Diplomatic Missions’ Data (USD Millions) Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe 2009-

2010

2008 2009 2010

Remittances (Net) 76.0 198.2 263.3

Receipts 76.0 198.2 263.3

Payments 0.0 0.0 0.0

Travel (Net) 85.2 94.8 97.4

Receipts 102.0 116.8 121.9

Payments 16.8 22.0 24.5

Diplomats (Net) -31.8 20.3 21.4

Receipts 8.5 24.0 25.3

Payments 40.3 3.7 3.9

Most respondents (13.10%) also showed disgruntlement over the issue of loans and mortgages.

They highlighted that either their banks do not offer loans or on those that do, the interest rates

and other charges are too high. Some of the respondents (10.50%) commented on the

unfavorable bank charges, including low interest rates on their savings. This discouraged them

from saving as there was no significant difference. This is an area that banks need to really

consider restructuring in their marketing strategies.

Savings

Unarguably economists, academia, government, bankers, and the public at large recognize the

importance of savings in developing a functional economy. Unfortunately Zimbabwe’s recent

economic history, particularly the hyper-inflation and garnishing of people’s foreign currency

accounts served if anything to ransack banking public’s confidence in the banking system.

Banks must realize that the onus to restore confidence into the banking system rests solely with

them. Attempting to play blame game or wait for the central bank and government to take

meaningful initiatives is counter-productive. Going forward, banks will need to not only

develop strategies around improving public confidence, but effectively engaging the banking

public. According to a recent article in the Herald (April 4, 2014) there is at least 7.4 billion


circulating in the informal economy. If this is indeed correct, banks need to become more

ingenious in their strategies to tap into this unbanked market, for example, whilst banks are

complaining about Ecocash’s “monopoly,” no bank has yet publicly considered tapping into

international mobile money transfers.

Conclusion

Although the banking sector in Zimbabwe has improved as compared to the 2012 results, more

still needs to be done. Banks need to understand engagement drivers of their customers and

move from the traditional customer engagement strategies and come up with unique strategies

not yet used by their counterparts to segment themselves from competition. Before

implementing any customer engagement initiatives, management should ensure that there are

supported by an engaged workforce.

zimbabwe banking sector customer engagement report...turnaround (queues, notifications) is still...

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