The Turkish unit of ING is rolling out a comprehensive branch renovation programme across its 300-plus branch network with the aim of offering an enhanced customer experience. The new style branches will boost ING’s appeal to younger customers and as Douglas Blakey reports, the bank expects the branches will reduce costs

ING has kicked off a major renovation of its Turkey-based outlets as part of major overhaul of its retail banking strategy in the country.

In the next two years, ING will ramping up its sales focus, boost its drive to promote customers’ use digital channels and fine tune its marketing strategy to ensure that the bank grows its appeal to younger customers.

The Dutch lender partnered with UK-based design consultancy allen international to help redesign its Turkish branches.

 

ING

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According to the bank its key goals for the project are:

– To migrate customers towards direct self service channels for transactions and make the branches more sales focused;
– To heavily promote and train customers in the use of mobile and internet banking and further project a dynamic image for the brand in the mind of the customer, and
– To develop a branch concept that would appeal to the Turkish market with a strong accent on acquiring a younger demographic, bearing in mind that approximately 60% of Turkey’s population is aged under 35.

According to ING, these objectives have been achieved while instilling a warm, inviting and relaxed ambience. As well as retail customers it is also vital for the bank to provide an environment that caters for the needs off ING’s growing SME and commercial business clientele.

Simplicity and transparency were agreed as two brand values that allen international used to inspire the design scheme.

This is manifested in the clean contemporary lines of the interior design, simple furniture and use of translucent materials throughout the space all underpinned by the brands dynamic colour palette.

In addition to offering a stylish design scheme, the new branch concept is designed to provide an innovative operational model conceived to provide the highest possible service levels.

According to allen international, by building the entire environment around a multi-faceted staff role, the customer can engage with a more responsive and personal service when visiting the branch.

Key Zones within the concept include:

The Fast-Transact Portal

At the threshold to the branch is the self-service transaction zone, carefully constructed to link the external cash ATM with the internal multi function terminals.

By angling the individual ATMs, customers are provided enhanced privacy and a bold, direct graphic relays the benefits of the direct channels resulting in a space that is convenient and efficient.

Beyond opening hours the zone is separated from the branch by full height glass doors ensuring maximum visibility into the space and enabling the branch to provide extended hours of service.

 

ING

The Interactive Corner

The central element of this zone is a cafe style bench. Linking the direct channels of internet and telephone banking, the customers are seated facing into the branch to ensure maximum privacy when using one of the personal i-pad tables provided.

The tablets present mobile / internet banking applications for trial, enrolment and training in a relaxed, personal space.
The integration of the digital queue system in this zone enables customers to relax and play with the technology while waiting to be served.

ING are developing a range of bespoke apps presenting a combination of entertainment and interactive product information that customers can explore before emailing or blue-toothing information to themselves.
Finally, in key branches, a digital play area provides interactive, branded games and colouring apps for younger prospective customers. This delivers the perfect space to keep the kids occupied whilst parents are being served nearby.

 

The Service Bar: Tier 1 Sales & Service Area

At the service bar retail staff share work spaces and the role of providing cash transaction via hidden cash facilities. This bar itself has been designed to present the most minimal barrier between staff and customer and a feeling of informality and approachability.

This design is made possible by allen international’s specification of efficient and secure cash recycler equipment for the service staff.

The clean uncluttered lines of the high bar enhance a sense of openness but also enable the staff to easily take the customer to the ATM’s and demonstrate their use and convenience over traditional tellers services.

The backdrop for the service bar is the LCD promotion window. This is a fully digital communication platform on which ING presents it’s products and services via animations to the customer.

The promotional messages are designed to be engaging and easily understood by the customer and instantaneously broadcast across the branch on a scheduled play list. For the first time, personalised content can be scheduled to respond to different customer types in branch at different times.

 

The Sales Pods: Tier 1 Sales & Service Area

Having established that the process of serving customers effectively requires different types of environments allen international developed a second tier area in branch.

Built to provide greater privacy for customers and enhanced comfort for longer sales discussions, the zone utilises a simple upholstered bench and elegant desk to create individual sales pods that are separated from one another by full height transparent panels.

The pods are carefully designed to seat the customer in a more ‘side by side’ position with the staff fostering a greater sense of partnership. The sales pods are again hot desk, shared positions for the retail staff .

Additional pods provide working positions for the SME and Commercial advisers and are clearly signed for customers.This visual segmentation promotes the full range of services that ING bank provide.

Initial pilots are being opened in the coming months in Istanbul with a scaleable solution being implemented across the rest of the ING network. This roll out will include a range of different branch formats based on the concept and utilise allen international’s Kit Of Parts methodology.

Michael Allen, chairman of allen international, tells RBI:

"Working with ING Turkey was a great experience as it gave us the opportunity of creating a truly different customer experience and getting away from the typical Turkish bank branch format.

"Removing traditional tellers and creating universal bankers not only reduced costs but made the customer journey more enjoyable."

The need for ING to appeal to young adults is borne out by the country’s demographics.

The average age of Turkish bank customers is 29 with nearly half of the population aged below 25. Around six million new entrants into the banking sector are forecast over the next five years; of Turkey’s 73m inhabitants, only around 26m have bank accounts.

ING acquired the former Armed Forces Pension Fund (OYAK Bank), subsequently rebranded as ING Turkey in 2007 in a deal worth around $2.7bn.

The deal worked out at 3.3 times book price and 26.7 times forward earnings – at the time, prime facie expensive multiples.
ING Bank currently operates 327 branches in Turkey and has more than 5500 employees in the country.