The National Bank of Egypt (NBE) launched its first phase of electronic services branch last week through which the bank seeks to provide a new and distinct experience in providing banking services to its customers.
These branches offer some banking services electronically to customers, through alternative channels without full human intervention, but only through customer service representatives to provide the banking information that customers will need, and to guide them on how to finalise their banking transactions, especially at the start of operating these branches since clients are used to dealing with representatives.
The first phase of the project consists of four branches, considering the diversity of the geographic environment which will serve them, in order to ensure the service of a larger segment of the target audience. The branches are in City Stars in Nasr City, Point 90 at the Fifth Settlement, Mall of Arabia in the Sixth of of October, and City Centre in Alexandria.
According to Hisham Okasha, chairperson of the Board of Directors of the NBE, the launch of these branches, for the first time in Egypt, comes to confirm the leadership of the bank in the Egyptian banking market, noting that these types of branches will serve customers at the highest level of efficiency and quality.
He added that the opening hours of these branches will be extended for longer periods. This will enable the bank to provide customers with access to banking services. This confirms the bank’s keenness to provide more sophisticated services suited to the needs of various customer categories without the use of human intervention, which enhances the bank’s efforts to activate the system of financial inclusion.
For his part, Yehya Aboul Fotouh, deputy chairperson of the Board of Directors of the bank, said that the first phase of the project includes many banking services, such as e-form, which enables the customer to apply for some banking services, and to provide services to non-NBE users such as prepaid cards and phone cash.
He added that the first phase also includes Interactive Teller Machines (ITM), which is a new element to be officially launched for the first time through these branches, where the customer can withdraw and deposit cash more than the daily limits allowed through ATMs, in addition to filing checks drawn on the NBE.
Furthermore, Aboul Fotouh noted that the first phase also includes the Video Call service which enables clients to reach a representative from customer service via voice and video, to help them quickly and easily receive the required banking services, and provide information that customers may need, therefore increasing their banking awareness, as well as opening all types of accounts for new customers.
According to Dalia El-Baz, vice chairperson of the NBE, the bank is seeking to expand these branches and open more of them to cover further geographical areas and larger numbers of target categories of customers.
The launch of these branches is aimed at keeping abreast with the latest global technology, reflecting the strength of the bank’s technological infrastructure.
El-Baz affirmed that the bank is keen to employ the modern software available to it and continuously update it in order to provide the best service to its customers, stressing the importance of adopting financial technology (Fintech) in Egyptian banks, to match global developments in the banking industry.
According to El-Baz, this project will include other phases in the future. The services and products developed by the bank will be added based on the studies it is conducting for the Egyptian market and its various needs, along with developing the services currently provided to customers, based on the feedback from the performance of the services provided in the initial phase.
