The brief:
A large multinational bank, which has not required bailing out during the credit crunch and is performing relatively well, is looking to press home its advantage of still being trusted. It wants to trial a new format in high-footfall, city-centre sites of around 600 sq m (front of house). It will need an area at the back for three tellers behind security glass, the rest of the space it wants to use to sell non-lending financial services as strongly as possible. Like many other banks, it’s opened up its spaces to the meet-and-greet route, and now wants to make it more experiential. Its products don’t vary widely from the rest of the market so it is looking to press home the trust element and any other apposite positive connotations for the brand. The main corporate colour is red (Pantone PMS 185). It is open to radical ideas, feeling this could be the time for real change in retail part of the operation.
The solutions:
SHH
The moment for banks to make piecemeal changes has passed. To reach out to a disaffected public, banks need to make – and be seen to make – a significant step towards their customer base, using a humbler, more sharing tone of voice and dropping the superior, formal approach in which we have all lost faith. Besides which, a prominent, 600 sq m space in a highprofile, high-footfall area is calling out for a treatment that communicates brand change in a high-impact way.
This new concept is high on design, but is underpinned with serious purpose and cutting-edge technology. The space has a deliberately relaxed feel – a real paradigm shift from the usual drab materials, rows of pamphlets in Perspex boxes and queues for tellers – but is overseen by highly trained staff ready for any customer need. Above all, the concept is geared to finding out what customers want and creating a one-to-one bespoke answer to that.
The entrance space has an immediate central focus: a tentacled, Corian-topped coffee bar with Bombo stool seating, where meet-and-greet staff are also trained baristas, ready to give customers a warm welcome and a great cup of coffee. They can tell you what’s available in the space and link you to the specialist staff in each of the zoned areas beyond. But there’s no hurry – financial and stock market news is running on screens above the bar and you can linger with headphones set to any channel on view.
To the left of the bar, three meeting spaces are for prebooked formal appointments. They are shielded from view via Saintgobain electro-glass screens, shaded red to match the interior. To the right, tiled pillars conceal ATM privacy booths and three teller stations, with much more privacy than in a traditional bank.
At the back of the space, three semi-enclosed chrome pods are for exploratory meetings with a financial adviser, to sell non-lending services in a personalised and consultative manner. The adviser can explain or refer to products via Microsoft Parody touch-screens, calling up a wide range of products and services at will.
‘i-am’ associates
All such design work needs to start with the business objective in mind. We can see this bank can be trusted. It has not been tempted into the perilous waters that others found irresistible. As a result it has trust and credibility. This is (or should be) a hygiene factor. The business recognises this and intends to use this foundation to build a relevant and valued brand experience.
Nowadays we are surrounded by great design. Both form and function sit hand in hand… Our clothes, eyewear, phones, MP3s, luggage, homes – all function well and are aesthetically pleasing. Banks have focused on function – yet form is just as important.
This ‘i-am’ design concept does not originate in the world of banks. Instead it draws inspiration from wonderful hospitality and service environments: restaurants, hotels, airlines. This bank will increase market share, long-term loyalty and customer advocacy, not by doing what other banks have done, but by creating a superb in-branch service experience that reflects and surpasses customers’ expectations.
This means helping customers to feel in control, valued and special. It requires the bank to consider the various customer missions and facilitates the kind of meaningful encounters and relationships between staff and customers that build lasting value and mutual reward.
Fronted by branch ‘hosts’ who also oversee the latest self-service technology, a central service ‘bar’ provides open teller and other services, fully secure thanks to current automated teller systems, and far more personable than those with security glass. Transactions become opportunities for strengthening relationships. Any waiting is managed with an intelligent no-queue callforward electronic system; meanwhile customers can take a seat in the customer lounge or browse the physical products on display – both financial offers from the bank as well as related accessories.
Instead of impersonal, exposed office-style desks, more in-depth discussions take place in high-backed upholstered booths reminiscent of a restaurant, or individually decorated, glass-fronted private rooms.
In terms of style: openness, transparency, a sense of the contemporary. This space is confident and proud as its business deserves to be.
Platform
RE:treat is a banking experience that acts as an escape from today’s citycentre retail extravagancies. It’s a therapeutic environment to treat mind, body and soul.
The concept behind this bank is to establish interaction with customers in a non-invasive, non-sales-driven environment. It’s an environment that helps you to choose the services that you need and those you don’t, a place that empowers the customer, reflects openness and engenders trust.
Every interaction with the consumer is simple and easy to understand. Every product is supported by discussion forums with other customers via group Q&As over a coffee, or through online blogs.
A highly polished red entrance funnel acts as an instant cash wall as well as a striking welcome feature. For the time-strapped customer, cash withdrawals pre-ordered via mobile phone eliminate ATM queuing or the need to carry a cash card. Horizontal bands of biometric iris recognition detectors identify the customer and dispense cash through slots below.
On entering the RE:treat, staff are on hand to guide and explain. Their role extends beyond meet and gRE:eters, as they become your own personal caRE:taker. A visit to RE:treat is a bespoke experience.
The overall ambience of the interior is intended to engender trust in the banking system and communicate RE:treat as an ‘honest’ brand. Glass walls are a visual metaphor for transparency, while the extensive use of white finishes projects an air of an unsullied, pristine space.
At the heart of the bank is the central foRE:st, a zone for RE:charging and relaxing. Floor-to-ceiling white tree sculptures have integrated touchscreens and headsets. Here, customers can explore how the RE:treat can benefit their lifestyles.
The trees represent growth, but sustainable advance over time. The underlying message is pragmatic, saying that there is no such thing as a quick buck. Instead, Re:treat is underpinned by values of solidity, sturdy foundations and flexibility.
Users can follow the trees to watch and understand how their investments are managed. They can learn about savings, insurances and investments, understand the associated risks and rewards, and tailor a package to suit their needs, budget and expectations.
Tiered steps around the forest edge make this a meeting place with changing projections on to the forest floor; your lunchtime break can be by the lake or on the beach. A matched skyscape is projected on to the ceiling.
Other features of the interior include RE:mind. These are one-toone personal banking therapy booths, designed as relaxing environments, with a sliding door for privacy and a comfortable couch for confessing all your fiscal sins.
The clear glass RE:serve cashier pods appear opaque when not in use and become a backdrop for projected messages highlighting the bank’s ethical policies.
