The role of banks is to provide the financial services and products that individuals and businesses need for their projects and operations. To build a strong relationship between both parties, effective communication—interactive, personalised and specialised—is essential. And each customer, depending on their preferences or personal circumstances, must be able to choose the best way to communicate with their bank.
In Spain, access to financial services is easy and widespread, and their cost is well below the European average, according to a recent Deloitte study. Banks offer their customers a wide range of communication channels, from traditional branches to digital apps and websites, as well as ATMs, mobile branches and commercial agents. Spain’s extensive bank branch network, with the highest density per inhabitant in Europe, highlights the industry’s effort to communicate with consumers.
At the same time, our banks are leading the digital transformation across the continent to meet society’s growing demand for online services and products. The key is to always strive to provide the best service, regardless of the channel chosen by the customer. As part of this service strategy, accessibility is a priority and a goal for banks. They set out on this path some time ago, but they still have a long way to go.
Disability cannot be an obstacle in the relationship between the customer and their bank. The financial industry is very clear about this, and its commitment to removing communication barriers is firm. Each institution chooses its own solutions. The approaches are diverse: physical adaptations to branches, apps for people with visual impairments at ATMs with information in braille, sign-language video-call services for people with hearing difficulties, or induction loops in branches.
According to the 1st National Accessibility Plan 2004–2012, approximately 40% of the population benefits from accessible products and services. This percentage may increase if we take into account the decline in abilities that can accompany ageing and if we understand disability as any barrier that prevents people’s autonomy. In the case of financial products and services, the challenge is not so much adapting them to the customer’s personal situation as offering them through a channel they can use. Here, technology is a powerful ally in achieving this.
Technology and innovation enable us to advance the social inclusion of people. Together with digitalisation, they remove material barriers arising from limitations in people’s functional abilities. We must all have the opportunity to improve our quality of life within a dynamic society that is increasingly technology-driven.
The World Bank notes that Spain ranks second in Europe for financial inclusion, and among the leading countries worldwide. The ambition of our institutions is to continue providing the best service to all customers to ensure their satisfaction and maintain a long-term relationship with them—essential if banks are to achieve their economic objectives in the current context of digital transformation.
Few people are still unaware of this, as are the sceptics who do not appreciate the enormous benefits of the digital revolution, which removes borders and makes it possible to deliver financial products and services in personal circumstances and even to places where it was previously very difficult.
José Luis Martínez Campuzano, spokesperson for the Spanish Banking Association
