Digitalisation Q1 2021 1
DIGITALISATION@HANDELSBANKEN PRESENCE 2.0 Charlot
te Wilson is Head of Handelsbanken Debt Capital Markets Sweden. Debt Capital Markets is Handelsbanken's department for advisory services and tailored structured finance solutions, in both capital markets and via the Bank's balance sheet. ow do you feel that the rapid transition to using different points of contact with customers and branches has affected you and customers? The general feeling is that the opportunities for holding more meetings more efficiently have improved thanks to a growing use of Skype and other digital tools. We have come closer to one another despite not meeting in person. It seems less pretentious and more homely for both parties. Being able to bring the right people together quickly and efficiently also makes it much easier to check that things are going according to plan, provide relevant advice and take informed decisions. In terms of customer offerings, it makes it easier to bring the relevant expertise and participants to the table on a more regular basis. H Will online meetings replace physical meetings? No, but being able to offer alternative ways of meeting makes us more available to one another and to our customers. It becomes much easier to resolve specific issues, but also to maintain contact in general, even if both we and our customers also want to meet up in person. What’s important here is that we are available in the manner best suited to the customer. Seen from this perspective, online meetings mean that the concept of ‘presence’ is being redefined. We can offer customers greater flexibility in terms of when, where and how we meet them. This transition has not only led to a reduction in the number of physical meetings, it has also led to a complete or partial reduction in phone calls and telephone conferences, replacing them with more personal online meetings, often Personal treatment in all our meeting places Even closer to the Business growth and increased availability in our digital meeting places customer Value-creating use of data Cloud-based tools using the customer’s choice of platform. This creates an experience and sensation of having more contact. How is the transition affecting customer satisfaction? We have seen many examples of how customer satisfaction has been positively affected by our actions during the pandemic. Our sustainability meetings covering the new EU taxonomy is a good example of this, as we needed to quickly find a way of reaching out to customers with important information. By quickly and efficiently organising advisory meetings with experts, the local branch and other people relevant to our customers, we have been able to exceed customer expectations, resulting in improved levels of customer satisfaction and more business. Coming even closer to the customer is an important step in Handelsbanken’s digitalisation journey. This will involve increasing availability and giving customers a personal reception in all meeting places, while using customer data as effectively as possible and in the customer’s best interests. HANDELSBANKEN 9