(NOMINATION FOR 2016 AUREA AWARD): ProCredit Bank - Self-Service Areas 24/7

ProCredit Bank started introducing so-called Self-Service Areas 24/7 within its branches in March 2015. These zones are equipped with cutting-edge devices by means of which the bank clients can carry out over 90% of banking transactions completely by themselves, at the time of their convenience.

ProCredit Bank was the first bank in the market of Serbia to introduce this modern concept of self-service banking, and the only thing one needs in order to be able to use all the terminals is a debit card issued by ProCredit Bank.

Introduction of Self-Service Areas 24/7 has made it possible for clients to choose by themselves when to go to the bank and carry out a transaction (24 hours a day, 7 days a week), which saves time and provides the clients, especially juristic persons, with various benefits. Besides, juristic persons are also ensured price benefits in addition to time savings because the fee on cash transactions for them is half the standard one, while no fee is charged for cash withdrawals within the Self-Service Areas.

So far, investment in the implementation of Self-Service Areas 24/7 has exceeded EUR 3,500,000.

INNOVATION

ProCredit Bank is the first bank in the market of Serbia to introduce a modern concept of self-service banking in all its locations, which entails complete, efficient and always-available services for all clients. So far, other banks have been offering only some of the services in this manner (such as Cash In, Cash Out), but never all services at one place.

Innovation is best reflected in the following benefits:

· Access to banking services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including cash transactions – so far bank counters have been the only place where clients can carry out cash transactions (exclusive of cash withdrawals that were available at ATMs).

· Dinar and euro payments to checking and saving accounts at ATMs – so far ATMs have only been used for Dinar cash withdrawals. This innovation allows clients to make payments in both dinars and euros using ATMs. Also, ATMs can now be used to withdraw or pay cash to a saving account as well.

· Juristic persons can pay their daily takings 24/7 – clients do not have to go to the bank during working hours and can pay their daily takings at an ATM or into a safe deposit box instead, after they are finished with work, at the time of their best convenience.

· Payment of bills and money exchange transactions can be made 24/7, without going to a bank counter, using the transaction terminal.

· Generation and receipt of various bank certificates – so far only bank tellers have been issuing such certificates, while now clients can generate and print bank certificates in Self-Service Areas 24/7

· Constant insight into the loan repayment plan, amount of the installment and the deposit payment plan, with the possibility of emailing or printing this information –bank clients have a constant insight into all banking services they’re using.

Self-Service Areas 24/7 are special parts of bank branches that feature the following devices: an automatic teller machine (ATM) for Dinar and Euro transactions; a safe deposit box for a big amount of cash and coins; a money order terminal for the submission of money orders; a terminal for transactions, payments, money exchange operations, bank certificate issuance, inter-account transfer; an info terminal for generating the account statements and checking the balance on your current and saving accounts, which also feature a scanner for scanning the money orders. These devices are placed far enough from each other to ensure privacy in these areas.

Bank clients who are juristic persons are ensured price benefits in addition to time savings because the fee on cash transactions for them is half the standard one, while no fee is charged for cash withdrawals within the Self-Service Areas.

The use of Self-Service Areas is completely safe –there is video surveillance 24/7, just like in all bank branches, and these zones also feature voice cameras that warn those who stay for too long within the area that the security will come to remove them from the facility.

SOCIAL UTILITY

Introduction of these zones has made it possible for the citizens of Serbia to use banking services in a modern way while also saving time which is today a very significant resource that nobody has enough.

Transactional banking services are now available 24/7 on aforementioned devices within the self-service areas, which saves clients both time and money and ensures greater comfort and security, while bank tellers can simultaneously commit to providing client advisory and customer care services (the bank annually invests more than EUR 1 million in staff education).

The most important functionalities of Self Service Areas 24/7 for physical and juristic persons are the following:

· Making Dinar and Euro transactions in checking and saving accounts

· Paying public utility and other bills

· Paying loan and credit card installments

· Paying bank fees

· Adding or withdrawing cash from time deposit accounts

· Printing account statements

By using these areas, business clients have access to a practical solution for the services they use in banks on a regular basis, which allows them to focus on their business instead of waiting in queues at bank offices.

The most important functionalities for juristic persons are the following:

· Paying daily takings at ATMs or into a safe deposit box

· Withdrawing cash from the corporate account

· Filing money orders

· Printing account statements

· Paying fees to the bank (purchase of bonds, fee for acquiring a report from the credit bureau, fee for registering or deleting the bond)

· Obtaining useful information on the terms and services offered by the bank

The use of devices within self-service areas also leads to the reduction of paper consumption at bank counters, which has a positive effect on the environment. ProCredit Bank applies high environmental standards to its operations and constantly strives and carries out various activities to preserve the environment. Introduction of these areas is yet another project aimed at increasing the energy efficiency and preserving the environment.

Also, services available within these designated areas are particularly important for agricultural farmers because they do not have to stop the work in order to go to the bank, but instead they can visit the bank in the evening or early morning, which means their regular production flow will not be interrupted.

FINANCIAL POTENTIAL

ProCredit Bank is unique in the market because of its self-service banking concept, which implies that over 90% of all transactions are completed within self-service areas. Self-service areas 24/7 enable basic banking transactions that clients can complete very fast and without waiting in queues, under more favorable conditions, while advisers remain at their disposal during the working hours for all advisory services they may require. The customer response to this service is excellent as 60% of them have already started using the services within these areas.

At this moment, self-service areas 24/7 exist in 41 out of a total of 43 bank affiliates, and the plan is to make these areas available in all affiliates by the end of March 2016.

On a group level, the bank has so far invested over EUR 3,500,000 in the implementation of self-service areas 24/7.

If self-service areas 24/7 are your favorite for the Investment of the Year Award, you can vote for this nomination at the official website of the Aurea Award.

ProCredit Bank a.d. Beograd

eKapija.com Beograd