HNB FINANCE
Managing Director
Chief Executive Officer
Q: Against the backdrop of economic challenges, how should organisations mitigate high costs while delivering value to customers?
A: In today’s economic environment, organisations must focus on digital transformation and automation as primary strategies for cost reduction. For example, our online banking services are being tailored for savings customers for added convenience. Furthermore, we have introduced a loyalty card that helps customers reduce day-to-day expenses through merchant discounts.
We’re also continuously improving our internal processes and practising lean operations to provide better service. For instance, we have streamlined procedures so that customers do not always need to visit our branches.
We aim to provide quick, efficient service, and our dedicated business process engineering department plays a key role in identifying and implementing these improvements.
Q: How has your organisation improved its service delivery?
A: We have made significant progress in our leasing services, reducing turnaround times from several days to less than one day, which allows for expedited processing. This efficiency is a result of restructured approval processes and a commitment to service excellence.
Additionally, we’re exploring outsourcing non-core functions to further reduce costs, allowing us to pass those savings on to our customers in the form of lower interest rates.
At HNB Finance, we recognise that our sustainability is fundamentally built on two key pillars – employees and customers. We believe that both are essential to our success. Without a dedicated workforce, we cannot effectively serve our customers and without satisfied customers, our business cannot thrive.
In the financial sector, it is the quality of service and the relationships we cultivate that set us apart.
Q: What is your interpretation of the need for holistic customer experiences?
A: A holistic customer experience means creating an integrated, seamless and personalised journey that addresses all aspects of customer needs and preferences. This involves providing personalised service at every touch point and ensuring proactive support.
We actively train our employees and use digital platforms to gather feedback, allowing us to continuously improve our services. Net promoter scores and customer satisfaction scores are tracked to drive a continuous improvement culture. We welcome constructive criticism as it helps us refine our approach to customer engagement.
Q: Why should customer excellence always be a priority and how does HNB Finance ensure this?
A: Customer excellence is essential because while products and systems can be replicated, the quality of service cannot. The first impression and overall customer experience are unique to our organisation.
At HNB Finance, we have a strong tradition of engaging directly with our customers, understanding their needs and building relationships. We continually invest in training our employees, reminding them of the importance of delivering exceptional service to create a positive brand impression.
Q: What is your organisation’s plan regarding customer service and digitalisation?
A: Going ahead, our digital offerings will be enhanced further. We are in the process of implementing a new core system that will provide a fully digital experience for our stakeholders in 2025.
This transition will create a predominantly paperless environment and streamline service delivery, utilising proven systems from other countries to ensure efficiency.
Notably, we were recognised as a most loved brand in the leasing and finance sector by LMD and were among its top 100 most valuable consumer brands, which reflects our commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences, and our ongoing efforts to innovate and improve our service delivery.
Telephone 2024848 | Email info@hnbfinance.lk | Website www.hnbfinance.lk
