The health crisis in which we are still immersed has represented an enormous challenge for society, not only due to the human losses – which thousands of families are still experiencing – but also due to the socioeconomic consequences. However, it is also true that opportunities arise in every crisis, and the social distancing obligations necessary in these times have led to a giant leap in the digitalization process our society is undergoing. While this allowed everything to function without significant incidents during the worst moments of the pandemic and ensured secure access to communications and public and private services, it also presents difficulties for some groups not accustomed to new technologies. This is the case for some elderly individuals, who encounter obstacles in various aspects of their lives, as digitalization is already present in essential services such as healthcare, administrative, and educational services, among others.
Banks are committed to customer service and are constantly working to improve care, especially for the elderly. Institutions have specific programs for this group, which receives priority attention by phone and in branches. However, they are fully aware of the need to redouble efforts to maintain adequate attention to their needs, even more so in the current difficult situation.
It must be taken into account that the fight against the pandemic requires businesses to responsibly take necessary measures to protect customers and obliges them to limit the number of people in enclosed spaces. This can lead to waiting times in all types of establishments, a situation that banks address by prioritizing attention to the elderly, both in person at branches and through other channels, such as telephone banking.
Aware of the difficulties some individuals face with digitalization, banks are implementing measures to facilitate their progressive adaptation to the new possibilities offered by the diversity of banking channels. These complement the numerous initiatives already underway to improve accessibility for the elderly to banking services, both in the branch network and online.
Among other measures:
● Specific physical and digital accessibility programs to adapt services for elderly people and people with diverse abilities.
● Training programs for customer service professionals to facilitate appropriate treatment for elderly people, as well as people with diverse abilities.
● Customer service adapted to the needs of the group: prioritization in customer service (call center); priority attention in physical branches; legal communications sent in paper format, by default, to those over 75 years of age.
● Alternative care services for the elderly: Institutions and company offices (as substitutes for bank branches) are made available, such as Correos, offering several free operations for deposits, withdrawals, and home cash deliveries, which is very useful for rural areas and depopulated Spain; or special ATM robbery protection insurance for this more vulnerable group.
● Design of specific services such as senior accounts: related to health through telephone consultations or video calls, psychological consultations, or 24-hour telecare every day of the year.
● Implementation of specific actions aimed at older customers: pension advances; benefits in the form of trips and experiences aimed at senior clientele; specific and segmented satisfaction surveys; etc.
● Support for elderly customers in their digitalization to promote their financial inclusion and other digital literacy initiatives in collaboration with educational centers, such as the Expertclick program, the digital school for those over 55.
Actions like these demonstrate the banking sector’s commitment and the capability of a highly professional and increasingly qualified workforce, including managers specialized in serving the senior segment. These efforts enable the maintenance of personal assistance for all customers across their extensive network of branches and other communication channels, where each entity incorporates the organization it deems necessary.
The banking sector is making an effort to adapt, in turn, to facilitate society’s adaptation to the impact of new technologies. Digitalization is a growing process that affects all sectors of the economy, posing an enormous challenge but also offering great advantages for society and opportunities for connectivity, from which no one should be excluded, due to the agility and immediacy that new technologies bring to carrying out procedures and accessing all types of private and public products and services, whether healthcare, educational, or administrative, among others. However, banks address the needs of all their customers regardless of their degree of digitalization, whether they are accustomed to new technologies or not, or their age. Because, above all, they serve people.
The world is changing. We face new challenges ranging from COVID-19 and climate change to digitalization. And the biggest challenge of all, undoubtedly, is adapting to the changes that are coming and are yet to come, especially for banks, whose raison d’être is the continuous improvement of customer service, a goal for which there will always be room for progress.
