NOVO BANCO areas like online shopping , people don ’ t have the tradition or the habit .”
Dias believes there is a natural suspicion regarding online shopping , because the e-commerce infrastructure is not as developed as it is in other European nations .
“ For example , if you purchase something online , there is always the risk that it won ’ t go well , and you ’ ll have to return it – it ’ s a hassle .
“ I used to live in Germany , and it was super easy – you could buy everything online with free delivery and you could return things for free if they were not good . It was easy – and completely normal and most people feel very comfortable with that .
“ But in Portugal , because the e-commerce market isn ’ t so developed , it ’ s a bit more clunky and expensive , and therefore people feel it ’ s a bit more hazardous . This mindset has translated into the way people do their banking . Most customers are fine doing basic stuff with their banking apps like transferring money and making small deposits . But when it comes to more complicated features , people shy away from that because they prefer to interact with a human being .”
Dias believes that banks can overcome these barriers by creating slick , personalized customer journeys that make complex needs easier to fulfil in an omnichannel way .
“ At NOVO BANCO we are working through a roadmap to transform the top customer journeys – from home buying to financing small businesses and SMEs . These journeys are being transformed by cross-functional teams that start with the customer needs and have capabilities to change processes and develop technology .”