When a financial institution evaluates itself to identify opportunities for improvement, key performance standards, also known as benchmarks, are essential. Benchmarks paint a clear picture of a bank’s performance. More importantly, benchmarking sets up a long-term framework the bank can use to consistently measure its performance against key performance standards over time. This feedback, gained directly from customers, is invaluable for managers.
In 2017, benchmarking is a practice every financial institution should undertake. Key performance metrics are centered around impacting the bottom line, and improving benchmarking scores results in improved revenue. Things like overall customer satisfaction, customer evaluation of employee performance and wait times for help from call centers influence customer decisions. Happy customers are likely to open new accounts, develop more comprehensive relationships and vocally advocate for their financial institutions.
One of the most effective ways customer experience researchers and performance managers help their clients is by not only executing benchmarking programs, but by giving their financial service provider clients context around the benchmarking. Which metrics are being measured? How does customer experience vary across different channels? How does one financial institution’s performance compare to its closest competitors? The context of these answers brings benchmarking to life for managers.
Metrics
One of the ways managers learn about their overall customer experience is through a variety of metrics. Different metrics about specific performance indicators give managers perspective on their financial institution’s strengths and weaknesses. For example, a financial institution may have highly competent individuals in its call centers, but have a long wait time. As a result, customer satisfaction may be low with their call centers. Without standalone benchmarks for “call center employee performance” and “call center wait time,” managers wouldn’t have a clear understanding of why customers feel dissatisfied. A manager may falsely identify irritable employees as the issue, instead of the wait time. By having clear benchmarking obtained through feedback, financial institution managers can properly diagnose their underlying business issues.
Channel
Another source of context for managers of financial institutions to learn about their customer satisfaction is through various banking channels. Lending (consumer, mortgage, business/commercial), online, mobile, branches and call centers all offer unique challenges and opportunities. Mobile, self-service banking apps need to be optimized for a simplistic user experience. On the other hand, branch employees need wear many hats as trusted advisors, and need to be able to answer a multitude of diverse topics for customers. Benchmarking not only these different channels, but the most important elements within each channel, helps clarify financial institutions’ strengths and weaknesses. Then, leadership and financial officers can work together to decide where to best invest their time and resources to drive improvement.
Competition
One of the most valuable uses of banking for financial institutions is to reference against their competitors. This can be delineated in ways like portfolio makeup, asset size and geographic region. By gauging against competitors, financial institutions discover their own relative strengths and weaknesses. Strength areas can be promoted to customers as a competitive advantage, while weakness areas can be targets for resources and enhancement. Working with customer experience researchers and performance managers helps to assess the risks and benefits of each category strength and weakness to further specify a financial institution’s biggest opportunities.
Benchmarking offers a multitude of valuable insights financial institutions can’t afford to pass up. By developing key performance metrics and making consistent efforts to improve benchmarking scores, financial institutions can stand on firm ground knowing the resources they invest in today will enhance their revenue and business goals tomorrow.
