Digital transformation, optimization of e-commerce... the challenges of digitalization in the banking sector are not only technical, but also organizational and human. The Caisse d'Épargne has taken up the challenge. A cross-examination with Ms. Aurélie TRESPEUCH, Director of the Digital Academy at the Caisse d'Épargne Côte d'Azur, and Mr. Loïc CHOLLET-VERGÉ, Director of the Caisse d'Épargne Côte d'Azur branch in Monaco.
At the end of 2016, the bank created the Digital Academy, how would you describe it?
It's a genuine participative innovation approach with its ecosystem on the theme of the useful bank of tomorrow. We want to meet our customers' need for immediacy. Our ambition is to increase their ability to use all our online services and to bring the digital customer experience up to the highest standards. This is the case today, particularly for our banking application, which has been rated 4.7/5, an excellent score.
How was the digital transformation implemented?
By relying on the threefold technical solution, employee support and customer service. We had to look for innovative solutions to offer near-instantaneous responses to our customers, and we did this through a mobile application. To promote and enhance it, a support plan was developed: our digital experts met with the teams to help them support customers in this digital transformation.
Remote payment solutions and solutions for securing online transactions were then developed. We have deployed videoconferencing so that advisors can meet their clients more easily and we are currently working on implementing electronic signatures in Monaco after having done so in France. The challenge of digital transformation has been met collectively.
We now offer our clients a multi-channel relationship: the bank is operational 24 hours a day for a number of operations. Since the pandemic, we have seen fewer in-branch flows for simple transactions (transfers, etc.) and our customers clearly express their satisfaction with meeting their banker-advisor for longer, to build real projects.
Some of them are developing e-commerce solutions?
We are indeed supporting the transition from traditional physical commerce to e-commerce, with our clients becoming multi-channel as well. The services developed by our Group, complemented by acquisitions of high-performance fintechs, enable us to offer a very complete range of services. The results are there: the growth of e-commerce among our customers is exponential: 14% in 2020, 20% the following year, with an average shopping basket of more than 55 euros, while the average shopping basket in stores is 40 euros.
Does AZUR DIGITAL WEEK contribute to this success?
Absolutely, this annual event brings together the skills of our employees and our customers. Highly specialized expertise is exchanged on both sides, through participation in a number of workshops. We always put people at the center of our actions. Offering efficient digital solutions is part of the attractiveness of Monaco to international entrepreneurs who, wherever they are, need permanent contact with their banker and highly responsive tools.
