Case Studies

De Volksbank, a prominent financial services provider in the Netherlands, operates as a multibrand bank with over three million clients spread across four brands (SNS, BLG Wonen, ASN, Regiobank). Each brand employs teams of customer service advisers responsible for handling various processes, including opening new accounts and assisting clients in managing their debit card journeys. Pega's customer service application was selected to equip advisors with a unified desktop interface, enabling them to efficiently manage client interactions.

Advisors were using multiple applications across several screens for each individual client call. Many of these applications had non-compliant high-cost legacy architecture or the cost of maintenance was significantly increased through knowledge attrition. Due to the highly manual process of navigating these multiple applications the bank was also exposed to a high risk of human error.

De Volksbank aims to offer its customers an omni-channel solution that facilitates a smooth transition from self-service to advisor assistance. This seamless experience is intended to be consistent across all brands and accessible both internally for advisors and through distribution partners.

Define a target operating model and componentised architecture that could set the foundation for building multiple journeys that could be exposed via any channel. This started with defining a generic case type to support all debit card processes. This approach enabled us to deliver each debit card process within one or two sprints, focusing solely on the specific stages that required customization. An excellent example of this is the implementation of the "block debit card" and "unblock debit card" functionalities. By adopting this generic framework, we optimized development efforts and expedited the delivery of these essential processes.

Using this generic approach, we developed the first process (block debit card). This decision was driven by the bank's prioritization of phasing out their legacy self-service applications. By implementing this change first, the bank aimed to maximize customer benefits and increase customer satisfaction. Following the successful implementation of the initial process, we replicated and adapted it to replace all existing processes. This comprehensive transition spanned a four-month period. All processes were developed in a unified case type and made accessible to each brand, starting with their mobile app and then retail website.

Some of the debit card specific processes that were built:

Request new card / Personalize debit card / Request new pincode / Activate / Block / Unblock / Raise limit terminal (shop terminal) / Raise limit ATM / Transactions outside of Europe

The subsequent phase involved granting access to customer service advisors in branch, call centers, and distribution partner's shops. By providing advisors with access, customers encountering difficulties with their requests could reach out to the bank, allowing a representative to seamlessly intervene at the point where the customer faced challenges. For the advisers Pega Customer Service gives a single customer 360 view of each customer, including important data signals; blocking codes and behavioural analytics that allow the advisor to interact with a more ‘personal touch’. It also provides the advisor with products, transactions and the ability to schedule calls and meetings in branches linked to the customer.

A case study on the digital transformation of Customer Service at de Volksbank

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93%

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Inefficiency - lack of Customer 360 view

Human error

High-cost legacy architecture, expensive to maintain