UBA: Enhancing Customer Experience, through Innovation

Oluchi Chibuzor

As the structure of banking in Nigeria continues to evolve, issues of customer satisfaction are increasingly becoming the focus of financial institutions. From the banking hall to the numerous alternative banking channels, banks are developing platforms to ensure their customers get the best of services amid the rising competition in the industry and dwindling revenue.

In the last two decades, bank customers have not only surged in number, but have continued to manifest changes in lifestyle and behaviour. This customer lifestyle evolution has made innovations in financial products and service delivery a necessity, as banks now have to create and recreate financial products to be in line with current social and business realities and ensure that these product innovations meet the rapidly-changing choices of their customers.

In fact, changes in customer lifestyle have followed the unprecedented breakthrough in technology, which changed the way business transactions are conducted and the way we live.

For the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, one of the leading banks in the country, the financial institution has continued to make customer satisfaction as well as the changing lifestyles of its customers the focus of its brand strategy.

UBA is Africa’s global bank with a rich history spanning over seven decades. The bank which is headquartered in Lagos, is one of the most recognised financial institutions to originate from Sub-Saharan Africa with thriving operations in 20 African countries, the United Kingdom and France and is the only sub Saharan African bank with a deposit taking license in the USA. It opened for business in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates in 2022.

UBA provides corporate, commercial, SME, consumer and personal (retail) banking services to more than 27 million customers, served through diverse channels: over 1,000 business offices and customer touch points with 2,669 ATMs, 87,223 PoS, and robust online banking services. Additionally, UBA offers pension custody and related services.

A segment of its customers that spoke with THISDAY, in separate interviews, narrated their banking experience with UBA.

In the interview, Okafor Hyacinth Ejike of Hycharis Industries Limited, who banks with UBA, revealed that he has been banking with UBA for 14 years now, “and in that 14 years I would say that the bank has done very well.”

“I was able to secure facility from the bank to support my business which is what every customer looks up to. There was one of their branch managers at Oyingbo market, when he was posted to that branch, he went round the market appealing to us to open account with the bank.

“Their facility is okay and I like the composition of their management. The bank is doing well and I believe they can do better. For those not banking with UBA: I want to say they are losing much because the bank’s customer relationship is encouraging.”

Prince Saturday E-Izebhigie, who is a vendor an operates Sezi Enoze Commercial Enterprises, said his attraction to UBA was the Chairman of its Board, Mr. Tony Elumelu.

E-Izebhigie, said he was with Elumelu when the founder of Heirs Holdings was with All States Trust Bank, and, “when he moved to Standard Trust Bank as acting MD, I also moved with him. I was the one that encouraged the bank to open its Ojuelegba branch. I like their staff because they are cooperative.”

Another customer of UBA, Olayinka Junaid said: “their services are good. I have been banking with the bank since about 2020, and I must commend their services.”

Junaid, who is a cement dealer, however, urged UBA to do more for small businesses and make allowances for overdrafts and other forms of facilities.

Similarly, Olubunmi Kuforiyo, who operates Erika Multi-Services Limited, spoke glowing about the services of UBA.

“The bank has been good to me so far and I have been operating a corporate account with the bank in the past five years. I enjoy the internet banking because even whenever I am out of the country it is very effective.

“My new account officer has been very good and very helpful unlike the immediate past one,” Kuforiyo added.

However, Kuforiyo urged the financial institution to role out more products that would be easily accessible to micro, small and medium sized enterprises.

On her part, Stellamaris Uzowulu, who is a savings account holder of the bank hailed the financial institution for making it easy for her to access her funds or carry out transactions from her banking app whenever she wants.

“There are some banks that you will always encounter network failures and you find it difficult to execute transactions, but that is not the case with UBA. Their mobile app is user-friendly and I don’t have the challenge of downtime,” she added.

UBA has carved a niche for itself and continues to stand out as the leading Pan-African financial institution, consistent in introducing numerous first rate innovative products with customer satisfaction in mind.

The bank has invested significantly in cutting edge technology in a bid to boost its overall services to customers. The development is a further demonstration of the bank’s unalloyed commitment to ensuring premium services as well as reaffirming its dominance across Africa.

In a bid to reinforce its commitment to first-rate experience, the lender had introduced Leo the Chat Banker and did not rest on its oars as it innovated with more firsts by launching on Facebook and on WhatsApp, following which it created Leo Apple Business Chat’ for Ios on iPhone and iPad.

The UBA mobile App is a one stop shop for all banking transactions. The app, which is a total upgrade from the former one has new features including four amazing themes and a more amazing graphical interface, just as it has another never-been-seen before feature where it blurs your account balance when you cover your phone’s censor.

The app was tailor-made to give customers what they want, how and in the way they want it.

The UBA Mobile App is like a personal finance manager built with a distinctive user interface that has changed the face of banking.

UBA which is known for its culture of excellent service, has continuously innovated all of its business segments, whilst delivering top-notch operational efficiencies and best-in-class customer service. Over the years, the reward for creating such superior value has come in form of customer satisfaction and numerous local and international awards, thus consolidating their leadership position in Africa. For the bank, those awards are evidence of the diligent execution of its strategic initiatives geared towards customer service fulfillment.

The Group Managing Director, Oliver Alawuba, had stressed that the bank’s customer policy had helped them to achieve their goal, as the staff had been more committed to attending to and solving customer needs.

“I can tell you today that we have a UBA where staff are more committed to the ideals of customer experience, and these were very significant strategies that really helped us with that result.

“Our primary business strategy is to continue to focus on the customer – the undisputed employer. To achieve the above, our esteemed customers and the dedicated workforce are very critical to us even with the best of processes and technology.

“We are committed to ensuring a positive experience for our customers across all our touch points. We will continuously strive to simplify and streamline our process and ensure systems stability and reliable IT architecture to support our operations. We will proactively interrogate our systems, services and resources in order to constantly surpass the expectations of our customers.

“We will continue to make significant investments in training and development, nurturing our talents and unceasingly create excitement within the Group by rewarding excellent performance via promotion, recognition and other forms of rewards,” Alawuba added.

The UBA GMD had stressed that his primary strategy, “is to focus on the customer and this informs our Customer First (C1st) philosophy which ensures that we always put our customers first. The bank achieves this through the deployment of three key levers – People, Process and Technology – to give our customers the best offerings and services.

“Our business strategy is built on being the bank of choice for individuals and businesses across the African continent and for those who are wishing to do business in Africa.

“UBA emphasises the core values of Enterprise, Execution and Excellence and aims to be the leading financial services institution as well as the undisputed Sustainable Financial Institution in Africa.

“The bank’s strategic goal is to be a dominant leader in all the markets and geographies where we operate; to be the payment rail for funds and trade flows into and out of Africa and to be present in key global financial centres to foster our Africa reach.”