CaixaBank boosts innovation and service quality by launching a new branch and customer relations model

The most popular innovations will be extended to the branch network

• The bank has opened a new branch in Barcelona that resembles retail stores. The new customer service concept seeks to cater to new customer behaviours and requirements.
• According to Juan Antonio Alcaraz, Chief Business Officer at CaixaBank, "new technologies, which are part of CaixaBank's DNA, are key for any bank that intends to lead the sector going forward".

CaixaBank, overseen by Chairman Isidro Fainé and CEO Juan María Nin, has launched a new bank branch concept and customer relations model. The new branch, called A Diagonal and located on Barcelona's Avenida Diagonal, will consolidate the bank's position as a leader in innovation and service quality.

This new model, aimed primarily at the retail banking segment, seeks to cater to new customer behaviours and requirements. The model simulates the world of "retail", aiming to enhance the in-branch purchasing experience.

The new customer service concept will make for firmer links and closer relations with customers by emphasizing the principles of innovation, support and transparency, and will optimise face-to-face banking relations for individuals, as well as personal and private banking customers.

Commitment to service quality

The new branch will have longer opening hours than conventional branches, with more than 20 employees and over 10,000 customers. A Diagonal features an innovative and dynamic layout across its 1,000 m2 linear surface area, with no physical barriers between customers and employees. The space includes large and distinct areas: one for the personalised service and specialised care required by Personal and Private Banking customers; a central area with technological supports and interactive elements; and a space earmarked for showcase displays.

A Diagonal also offers innovative products and services, which are provided in packs that customers can take home, thus introducing the retail shopping element. The new branch has a separate area dedicated to Welfare Projects, featuring digital interactive content that customers can use to view the work of CaixaBank Welfare Projects.

Consultants at the branch will provide full support to customers close to the branch. The aim is to optimise relations between staff and customers and provide comprehensive in-branch support.

Juan Antonio Alcaraz, CaixaBank's Chief Business Officer, stated that the new branch concept will "see us to provide even closer support to customers, improving relations and optimising service quality and excellence, which are the cornerstones of our business".

The most popular innovations will be extended to the rest of the branch network

The branch was designed following a series of tests conducted with customers, employees and non-customers, identifying what each group wanted from bank branches of the future.

At the centre of the branch are technological supports to generate close customer relations, featuring interactive elements and information that is personalised to each customer's needs via applications for tablets and other devices. Customers can also benefit from consultancy services and make use of CaixaBank applications. Furthermore, those initiatives that are most popular among customers will be extended to the rest of the CaixaBank branch network.

As Juan Antonio Alcaraz explained, "in this climate of constant change we must adapt quickly to the emerging demands of customers in the market"". He added, "the A. Diagonal branch has been designed as a space for innovation to benefit our customers"".

"New technologies, which are part of CaixaBank's DNA, are key for any bank that intends to lead the sector going forward. The A Diagonal branch is the outcome of a major group-wide effort, involving all areas of the organisation", said Alcaraz.

The world's most innovative bank

In July, the British magazine Euromoney named CaixaBank "Best Retail Bank for Technology Innovation", making it the first bank to win this international honour. Meanwhile, in the United States CaixaBank won the award for World's Most Innovative Bank at the 2013 Global Banking Innovation Awards. These awards are run by the Bank Administration Institute (BAI) and Finacle.