Petia Dimitrova: We Offer Innovative Products Based on Customer Experience.
10 June 2021
World Finance Magazine, Summer issue – July 2021.
In 2021, Postbank celebrated its 30th anniversary. How would you describe the past year?
In 30 years, Postbank has proven itself as one of the most successful banks in Bulgaria, an excellent partner, employer and socially responsible company. Furthermore, we solidified our position as an institution that customers trust, since for 30 years now we have been opening up a universe of new opportunities to them. Thanks to this shared trust we are third in terms of loan portfolio and the fourth biggest bank in Bulgaria in terms of assets and deposits, with a market share of over 10%, more than 200 branches countrywide and more than 100 awards won for our digital innovations and products, and for our services and social responsibility policy over the past five years alone.
The pandemic once again shows us that whatever plans we may make for the future we could never foresee what will happen in reality. Life does not stop, customers need solutions instantly, not in months. Therefore, it is very important to be prepared and to have suggestions on hand to be made quickly so that customers can feel the personal approach and special attention.
There is no doubt that now, a year and a half later, trust in the Bulgarian banking system is even greater. All the indications that despite the difficulties we face together the banking system is and will be an important factor in the post-crisis recovery period are present.
In this period, we have proven that many things could happen differently – how and where we work, shop, communicate and rest. I hope we maintain many of the good examples we learned from and live in harmony with the world around us.
The Covid-19 crisis stimulated digitalization. What special products and services did you offer your customers?
Excellent customer experience remains a priority and consumers expect and require us to support their plans even faster and via the most convenient channel – the digital one.
Following the increasingly active use of digital channels by the bank’s customers, the total share of transactions carried out online on an annual basis reaches 78% in the end of 2020 versus 22% carried out in a branch. The growing trend in developing the bank’s digital channels is also confirmed by usage data on an annual basis with the most significant increase being in the use of the m-Postbank mobile app. For the last year, the number of active users of the app grew by 60% and the total amount of transactions carried out increased by 50% compared to 2019.
What trends do you observe in terms of customer requests?
Our client wants a personal approach – they want to have access to their money at any time anywhere, to receive a personally developed offer and to feel special. We strive to know our customers as best as possible and offer them personalized services and products based on their behavior and preferences.
Digital payment services will continue growing, most providers will focus their efforts on instant payments and that is a huge challenge for us all. We are ready to face it with an exciting innovation we recently introduced – our digital wallet. I am certain it will be a new, unique and impeccable experience for customers seeking the best solution for managing personal finances. Customers practically transfer their physical wallet to their mobile phone. They have the opportunity of adding all their cards in their new wallet and the wide range of functions provides instant active access to their funds that they can effectively manage 24/7. These digital solutions are extremely intuitive, banking is easy, pleasant and fast with them, you save time and, last but not least, money since the fees for digital transactions are lower.
One of the biggest investments and innovations we carried out at Postbank was our digital self-service zones that were immediately recognized as a preferred alternative. Thanks to the intuitive devices in these zones, customers can carry out most main banking transactions themselves easily and quickly after simply identifying by debit or credit card, without having to be registered for the bank’s online banking. Digital zones are already functioning in 41 branches in 20 cities countrywide and more locations and service upgrades are yet to be unveiled.
What lies ahead for Postbank in 2021?
Other than innovative digital products and services, we at Postbank continue focusing our efforts and funds in supporting projects with real added value for society and we believe that one of the greatest effects will be building awareness to change life for the better.
For the third year in a row, we are participating in the Dare to Scale project – a four-month program for growth, aimed at entrepreneurs and businesses already past their initial development stage and currently developing their activity. The program is organized by the Bulgarian office of the global entrepreneurial network Endeavor with Postbank as the main partner. It is extremely important for us to be part of this process, to support the ambitions of companies seeking to scale up their business and thus change the entire ecosystem. The time we live in provides an abundance of challenges, but they will test our sustainability and skill to learn and grow. We at Postbank will share with entrepreneurs the power of our experience and expertise to support them at the most important stage of their business’s development and to become part of their growth. We will seek the potential of successful partnerships allowing us to create innovations and improve opportunities in the ecosystem. Investment in entrepreneurship is for us part of the change that keeps us moving forward.
About Postbank:
Postbank has been present for 30 years among the leaders on the banking market in Bulgaria. It is the fourth largest bank in Bulgaria in terms of assets, third in terms of loans and deposits, with digital channels and a significant customer base of citizens, companies and institutions. The bank has been a leading factor in innovation and trendsetting in the banking sector in the country over the past years and has been awarded numerous times for its innovations. Postbank takes a strategic place in retail and corporate banking in Bulgaria. It is one of the leaders on the credit and debit card market, consumer lending and mortgaging, savings products, as well as in terms of corporate customer products – from small enterprises to large international companies operating in the country. The bank has one of the best developed branch networks and modern digital banking channels.
Postbank is one of the most awarded financial institutions in Bulgaria, Best Retail Bank in Bulgaria for four years in a row, also winner in Best Consumer Digital Banks, Bulgaria and Best Mobile Banking Apps, Bulgaria, in the World Finance Digital Banking Awards 2020 of the renowned World Finance Magazine based in London.
Postbank is also awarded for customer experience in banking in one of the most prestigious competitions in the banking sector – The Retail Banking: Europe 2019 Awards. In 2020, it was awarded Bank of the Year by the prestigious annual Bank of the Year Association Awards.
