FNB’s cashless branch, dotFNB, has become the first bank in South Africa to launch interactive gesture technology in its flagship Canal Walk store. The introduction of this technology into the store front serves as yet another digital touch point for the bank to communicate with both FNB and non-FNB customers.
This motion sensor technology recognises the movement of shoppers who pass by the store front, prompts messaging and allows those who choose to interact with the screen to explore FNB banking products and services. And customers can apply for an account, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“As an innovative bank we understand that our customers are looking for different ways of interacting with us and as our banking platforms have evolved to cater to a variety of everyday banking needs, the gesture technology adds another dimension to our communication with customers,” says Kim Gibson-Van der Walt, head of dotFNB.
“Consumers are bombarded with marketing and advertising information and we wanted to give people the freedom to choose their own content, when it suits them,” continues Gibson-Van der Walt.
This type of technology, which was initially designed for a more interactive gaming experience, was quickly recognised for the opportunities it held in terms of advertising.
“Customer migration to our digital banking channels is very important for us and we realised that we could use gesture technology to communicate virtually as well,” explains Gibson-Van der Walt.
In addition to advertising communication, the system also enables customers to view the cheque accounts and smart devices offered by FNB and instantly apply for them. A cheque account and smart device bundle can be selected on the spot by gesture browsing through a catalogue of the products available.
Once the customer has selected the bundle of choice, a unique code is displayed on the screen that the customer sends via sms – this concludes the logging of an application and can be done in less than five minutes. The customer will then be called by a consultant within 24 hours to finalise the application process and ensure that the new account and smart device deal is active.
This most recent addition to dotFNB, South Africa’s first cashless and paperless branch, is another way that FNB is staying true to its commitment of being at the forefront of digital innovation.
The branch incorporates the latest technology such as a Microsoft Surface and video conferencing facilities where customers can instantly chat to a banking specialist to discuss their banking needs. The ability to acquire smart devices in dotFNB, buy the accessories to match and have dotBankers assist with the migration and education on digital channels, makes dotFNB a hub where technology meets human interaction.
“This is another technology first for the bank that allows us to pass the benefits of convenience and cost saving to our customers,” concludes Gibson-Van der Walt.
