Mobile banking for loyal customers

Mobile banking has been as busy as ever with more banks introducing mobile services and extending their offerings as customers become more and more comfortable using these services. Ever thought though, is it worth all this effort?

Well it is. Harris Interactive carried out research for Yodlee Interactive and found that the sheer convenience of banking is the number one reason for staying loyal to a bank in the US. Online and mobile banking are unarguably very convenient as you can carry out many banking activities from anywhere, at any time and customers are quickly recognising these benefits.

The popularity of online and mobile banking is rising and this is leading some banks to rethink their branch strategy and in some cases, reduce the number of branches as more customers rely on online and mobile banking. This does put further pressure on the online and mobile banking experience itself as it becomes a more used channel (and in some cases, the only real channel customers use). With a significant number of mobile banking users in this study highlighting the mobile banking experience as a reason why they stay with their banks, it becomes clear that banks have to deliver an enjoyable and effective mobile banking experience in order to deepen the relationship with customers and ultimately retain them.

Mobile banking is being used for a variety of tasks such as checking balances, setting up fraud alerts and paying bills. American Savings Bank recently launched a new banking service - mobile cheque deposit - where customers take a picture of the cheque to deposit it into their account. This service is gaining popularity in many markets and proved to be much more popular than the bank was ever expecting as it blew their one year target in just one month. This is yet another indicator that customers are becoming much more comfortable with depositing money using a mobile device for its ease of use and convenience. The benefits simply outweigh the concerns.

From a bank's point of view, as well as being a useful way to retain and attract customers, they are also able to cut transaction costs with company Mitek estimating savings to be over a $100 million.

Back in the UK, it is a similar picture with Intelligent Environments finding that more than half of the people in the UK state online banking services as a key motivator in bank loyalty. However, many also noted that they experienced frustrations with online and mobile banking. These reasons range from difficult to use devices to access accounts such as PIN generators to lack of consistency between offline and online services. Considering that studies are showing the importance of online and mobile banking not only in retaining customers but attracting customers, banks need to rectify this ASAP.

Like any business, banks need to focus on the customer and what they want. And banking customers in the UK and around the world are shouting for convenience. Mobile banking delivers this in abundance as customers are given more access and control over the everyday management of their finances which they can access quickly from anywhere at any time. You can connect to your online account at home, at work, in a shop, or on the bus (just to name a few).

To learn more about the different ways mobile can be used in banking, please visit our Solution Planner or simply get in touch. 

For further information regarding HSL, visit us at:

http://www.hslmobile.com

follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter @hslmobile, Facebook or Google+

or call us on +44 (0)1506 605 260

or email us at sales@hslmobile.com

UK banks STILL trailing when it comes to mobile banking?

As the rest of the world got involved with the mobile banking race early on and continues to focus on developing innovative solutions for customers, the UK were slow to adopt and have been criticised for not taking advantage of the opportunities mobile banking can deliver. 

As a result, they are having to race to catch up with offerings already in the market place.

Are UK banks still trailing behind?

Yes. Forrester carried out research just last month comparing 15 large retail banks from different countries and found the UK are still trailing behind when it comes to mobile banking. Those highlighted included Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds TSB and NatWest, with NatWest scoring a little above the average. Overall though, mobile services offered by UK banks were found to be noticeably less advanced than those offered by their counterparts in North America and Europe.

As mobile banking users are expected to reach a whopping 1 billion by 2017, banks cannot afford to continue at the current lackluster pace and must step it up a gear if they are to compete globally. As customers become more tech savvy, they are demanding more advanced functionality from mobile banking and banks are simply failing to meet customer expectations.

Most big UK banks have now, at least, introduced basic mobile banking services and you will find that you can access online banking from your phone. RBS have developed an app for withdrawing funds from a cash machine simply by using your mobile phone. However, mobile banking on the whole is pretty simplistic and the innovations happening elsewhere, such as mobile cheque deposit, are nowhere to be found in the UK. Even worse, the UK banking market is largely led by a small number of 'big banks' leaving a much larger number of smaller banks and building societies who seem to be saying a flat out "no" to mobile banking.

Good news. The Payments Council announced in January 2013 that they are signing up UK banks to enable banking customers to send and receive money by sharing just their phone number by 2014. This is a huge step forward in helping UK banks catch up with latest innovations in the market place. At the moment you have big banks such as Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, RBS and Santander taking part but we are also seeing new start-up, Metro Bank, taking part as well as Danske Bank and Cumberland Building Society. Hopefully this will inject some healthy competition amongst the smaller banks and building societies and encourage them to shorten the gap between mobile banking offerings and customer expectations.

Mobile banking services help banks build enduring relationships with their customers and attract desirable new customers as well as reducing those all important overheads. So why not develop a mobile solution that will set you apart?

Mobile banking is here to stay. Learn more about how HSL Mobile can help you develop a winning mobile banking service and beat off the competition. Try out our Solution Planner or get in touch. 

For further information regarding HSL, visit us at:

http://www.hslmobile.com

follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter @hslmobile, Facebook or Google+

or call us on +44 (0)1506 605 260

or email us at sales@hslmobile.com

Mobile banking - is it a stick up?

As mobile banking popularity soars, we see more warnings about the security of mobile banking. However, who is responsible for keeping your details safe - you or your bank?

We think it's both of you. The bank must uphold the highest standard of security and implement the appropriate safeguards to protect customer details. 

Already we see banks implementing a number of safety steps and we have noted a few below.

1. Sending SMS when a new payment recipient has been added to the account.
2. Set up overseas transaction alerts to instantly alert a customer when their card has been used overseas. 
3. Using SMS and voice to verify changes to account. 
4. Set up SMS alerts for weekly balance alerts, credit limit alerts and high and low balance alerts. 

These types of alerts notify customers to whether there has been any unexpected transactions from their account as well as helping customers manage their finances.

There has been some controversy over how secure an SMS is. Like any technology, there are a few weaknesses. However, this is why it is strongly recommended that banks use a number of safeguards rather than relying on only one step to protect details. For example, if a customer is setting up a payment for a new recipient this typically requires UK banking customers to verify through telephone verification as well as sending an SMS to the customer advising that a new payment has been set up on their account.

Customers also need to be responsible when it comes to protecting their own personal details. This includes:

1. Always logging out of the site when you are using mobile banking 
2. Never saving your username 
3. Keeping your password safe 
4. Never sharing any personal or private information with others 
5. Setting up SMS alerts for fraud 
6. Letting the bank know when you are travelling abroad 
7. Always ensuring you are logging in from a secure network

Mobile banking benefits are far reaching for both customers and the bank. Customers are able to bank anywhere at any time allowing them to manage their finances in real time and banks are able to cut down on routine transaction costs as well as deliver improved customer care and service by enabling proactive and real time alerts. However it is important that banks continue to develop safeguards to protect customers’ personal detail and money and customers also understand how they can help protect their accounts.

To find out more about how our mobile banking solutions can help you, please explore our Solution Planner.

For further information regarding HSL, visit us at:

http://www.hslmobile.com

follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter @hslmobile, Facebook or Google+

or call us on +44 (0)1506 605 260

or email us at sales@hslmobile.com

Travel, The Final Frontier - these are the days of the mobile enterprise...

Smartphone adoption rates continue to rise across the globe generating tides for many industries, and travel is one of them. There was a time when most people would book their holidays by visiting a travel agent, or look for deals through teletext. 

Nowadays, we don't need to travel off the sofa as we are delivered holiday deals to our email and we search online through various sites to get the best possible deal, bypassing travel agents in most cases. The same situation is happening across this sphere for transport operators, bus companies as well as fringe businesses such as hotels and excursion companies.

With the introduction of mobile being thrown into the mix, the travel industry is being transformed. Travellers can research online from their mobile which means they can access sites anywhere - for instance from the work canteen, on the travel home or sitting in their home watching TV. Research is showing that in practice, most travel sites are actually accessed whilst people are at home - we are becoming so familar with using the internet on our phone that to pick up and load our laptops is proving too much trouble - we would much rather use our mobile phone to access the web.

For bus companies, travellers can now track - in real time - when different buses are due to reach their bus stop cutting down the time we spend waiting around for that bus to arrive and removing the 'guess' work completely. In Edinburgh, most bus stop shelters have a QR code which travellers can scan and this will give them access to the bus schedule for that route in real time, and allows you to save the information for future journeys.

Most train companies are allowing travellers to access the internet whilst travelling which is perfect for business travellers wishing to multi-task. Long gone are the days when train journeys meant simply trying to pass the time by reading a book or the newspaper. Travellers can also book tickets online via their mobile and in some instances, save the ticket to their phone making the process entirely paperless!

Let's not even mention how mobile is affecting airlines or this blog may never end. The facts are simple. Mobile is here to stay and travel companies must embrace the new technology as their customers certainly are. To learn more about the different ways mobile can benefit you, please visit our Solution Planner for some valuable ideas.

For further information regarding HSL, visit us at:

http://www.hslmobile.com

follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter @hslmobile, Facebook or Google+

or call us on +44 (0)1506 605 260

or email us at sales@hslmobile.com

Communicate Instantly with Lorry Drivers

Technology is changing the way goods are transported. It reduces 'wasted time' such as trucks sitting idle and improves load efficiency helping companies cut costs and improve margins. 

Mobile technology, in particular, is making it easier for companies to communicate with their drivers on the road and for drivers to communicate with companies through SMS communications.

Head office can send a text message instantly to their drivers, informing them of new routes, possible traffic jams or any changes or issues to their scheduled deliveries and pick-ups. This also allows drivers to communicate back with companies regarding completed orders, failed deliveries or pick-up attempts as well as alerting companies instantly of any other issues. This helps optimise the number of deliveries and pick-ups completed allowing companies to make more money by simply operating better.

One of our customers, a large multinational container operator with operations in the UK, Ireland and Europe wanted to be able to sustain first-class communications across all their departments, including sub contractors.

However, they soon found that this wasn't a straightforward task as they experienced problems when trying to communicate with their lorry drivers as they were subcontractors rather than primary staff. This was a big issue as they had multiple software systems and it meant drivers would not be able to use onboard computers. So how did the company communicate with their drivers?

Messaging Systems

The company tried and tested other messaging systems but to no avail. These systems were found to be costly and there were problems with lack of redundancy.

This prompted the search for an alternative provider who could send messages at a lower rate with better redundancy and still be able to confirm delivery.

Driver SMS Messaging

HSL Mobile’s cost effective pricing and message delivery confirmation helped make this an easy decision for the company. Since moving to HSL Mobile, our client is able to communicate with drivers and confirm delivery enabling efficient, reliable and cost effective SMS communications.

The company is also able to use HSL Mobile's robust messaging infrastructure to forward messages onto drivers from an automated system via the internet, making driver communications even more simple. The company also has peace of mind as if any problems do arise, they can contact HSL Mobile’s professional staff and exceptional support team to resolve any issues.

There are many other ways in which transport companies can use mobile technology in the transportation of goods. For example, send updates by SMS to customers regarding status of packages, sending emergency alerts if vehicles are in danger, sending information such as fuel usage, harsh braking and if drivers are speeding. This information can be invaluable to company operations to enhance customer service levels, ensure safety standards are meet, emergency situations are handled effectively and to increase productivity.

Could you benefit from a similar transport solution in your business? Go to our Solution Planner.

For further information regarding HSL, visit us at:

http://www.hslmobile.com

follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter @hslmobile, Facebook or Google+

or call us on +44 (0)1506 605 260

or email us at sales@hslmobile.com

Mobile Transforming the Flying Experience

It is widely recognised that flying can be stressful and can sometimes be an unpleasant experience, particularly when an airport is busy, queues are long and flights are delayed or cancelled last minute, throwing forward travel plans into disarray. 

Airlines and airports are finding that by making the travel experience more enjoyable and efficient, they are able to create an edge over competitors. 

For example, by streamlining services and cutting queues allows airports to substantially reduce the number of staff required and potentially increase the amount of travellers passing through airports and the number of flights operated. From an airline's point of view, by making the travel experience more efficient and potentially 'enjoyable' enhances customer service and allows them to gain critical competitive advantages.

This is where mobile communications services really come into their own. The airline industry is fast identifying the advantages that can be gained from mobile communications to increase efficiency, lower overheads and increase customer experience ratings.

Airline SMS alerts

Airlines are now using SMS alerts for notifying passengers about a wide range of subjects. One of the most popular types of SMS alerts is for notifying passengers of operational delays and flight cancellations. This is welcome news for passengers as they are able to coordinate and re-schedule consequent travel plans or business meetings in real time giving them more control over their travel plans.

One airline is using text messages to alert passengers to leave for the airport at a specific time to ensure they make their flight on time by avoiding heavy traffic jams. SMS alerts can also be used to advise passengers about changes to terminals and gates, seat changes, missing luggage and more.

There are many potential uses for SMS alerts in the airline industry but they all have one thing in common. They instantly notify customers to keep them informed. With IATA Global Passenger Survey showing 98% of air travellers prefer proactive notifications of flight disruption, preferably through SMS to their mobile phone, this would seem to be a straight forward means of improving customer care.

Mobile Check-In

Mobile check-in helps customers skip queues and save time. North America Airline Satisfaction Study found that travellers are much more satisfied when they check in using a mobile compared to other check-in options such as using laptops, main counters and kiosks.

Mobile Boarding Passes

Mobile boarding passes are also helping make air travel more enjoyable and raising customer satisfaction. With everyone carrying their mobile phone on them, it gives travellers a quick, convenient and safe way to store boarding passes and this is becoming part of most airlines’ offerings.

App-y Travellers

We are beginning to see many more apps developed to help streamline and enhance the flying experience. For example, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) - one of the busiest airports in the US - has developed an app to help travellers find their gate, restaurants nearby, and a parking spot. Sounds like every traveller's dream to me.

They found this app was particularly essential as the airport embarked an 18 month construction project. With 85% of their travellers also owning a Smartphone, developing a mobile app seemed ideal. Jack Gold, principal analyst and founder of J. Gold Associates stated: "Airports have been dealing with the cost of operations that are through the roof," he says. "If you can eliminate the need to employ people, and people waiting in lines, it can have pretty significant ROI."

We have been providing bespoke mobile solutions for the transport industry since 1999. To learn more about the different ways mobile can help you, please visit our Solution Planner.

For further information regarding HSL, visit us at:

http://www.hslmobile.com

follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter @hslmobile or Google+

or call us on +44 (0)1506 605260

or email us at sales@hslmobile.com

SMS Mobile Tracking Solutions Increase Efficiency

As companies around the world look for ways to cut costs and improve performance, mobile solutions can fulfil these much needed requirements.

Mobile tracking solutions not only lets courier companies know exactly where packages are at any given time, it also allows companies to inform customers instantly by SMS of where their packages are and when they are likely to arrive. 

This can help customers plan ahead and prepare for delays in deliveries, enabling customers to feel more in control and respond to any late deliveries appropriately, ultimately allowing companies to reach higher levels of customer satisfaction, stimulate repeat sales and achieve higher revenues.

For a global leading company in international express, over land transport and air freight, this solution was critical to their operations and created multiple benefits. Across a single year, they handle over 1.5 billion shipments through a network spanning across 220 countries and manage around 275,000 employees. 

Before this solution was implemented, the sheer volume of requests relating to the status of shipments was putting increasing pressure on their customer services department, wasting staff time and impacting negatively on company overheads. To help minimise this expense, the company recognised the value of broadening their existing self-service parcel tracking capability to mobile users – the first to market with such a service giving them an edge over their competitors.

SMS Mobile Tracking Solution

At HSL, we introduced a mobile tracking service that allows customers to send an SMS text message containing the shipment number from their mobile. The company's application then processes the request and sends a text back to the customer confirming the status of their shipment within seconds. This significantly reduces the pressure on their customer services department and enhances customer service by a mile as they no longer have to wait in a telephone queue to have a simple query answered. 

Email SMS for Staff Communications

As a result of this success, the client has stayed with HSL and come back to us time and time again to improve other existing services and fulfil new requirements. Mobile based communications between staff has really taken off within this company as employees become more aware of the availability of the SMS messaging service, how easy it is to use email SMS, and discover how they can use this service to suit their own specific needs. Uses range from alerting employees of internal meetings, communicating with staff in the field to sending group notifications about changes within the organisation.

Mobile IT Notifications

Another considerable improvement to processes and operations was the customer and staff notification system we developed by working closely with the client. This enables the clients IT systems to initiate SMS messages to certain staff and customer's mobile phones giving them an automated notification system. This allows the client to immediately send alerts and saves valuable time.

Branded SMS Messages

Using an everyday email application - whether it be Microsoft or Lotus - employees can send a text message to mobile phones branded with the company's name so that customers can immediately identify the company as the sender of the text message and recognise that the text is important and legitimate rather than an unwanted spam text. We have also enabled customers to then be able to reply back to text messages which are received in the employees email inbox facilitating a conversation rather than simply one way communication. 

At HSL, we believe it is essential to work closely with our clients and understand their individual business needs and what they would like to achieve. This enables us to create a one-of-a-kind solution which is tailored exactly to clients’ requirements.

Could you benefit from a similar solution in your business? Go to our Solution Planner.

For further information regarding HSL, visit us at:

http://www.hslmobile.com

follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter @hslmobile or Google+

or call us on +44 (0)1506 605260

or email us at sales@hslmobile.com