Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers were more prone to choose self-service options to access their money safely than ever before. Although many customers embraced digital opportunities during the height of the pandemic, others were more than ready to return to their bank branch once it was feasible. As a result, self-service ATMs have had to step up to the plate to address these concerns

A webinar entitled Self-Service ATMs for a socially distanced world addressed how ATMs are addressing this socially-distanced reality. This webinar, which was hosted by ATM Marketplace and sponsored by Fiserv, discusses solutions for banks and credit unions to help them meet customers' needs at the ATM and at the branch level.

The speakers include Brendan Watkins, VP of card services at Fiserv, and David Johnson, director of card services at Fiserv.

This webinar details self-service, assisted self-service and teller automation models and how the choice can guide ATM hardware, staffing and innovation.

"It's been a really difficult year for everyone around the world with COVID and social distancing and isolation going on," Johnson said in the webinar. "I think one of the things we had to look for was how well did we really interact with our clients, and how do we bring a great consumer banking experience to banking to what we're trying to do?"

Johnson outlines the various hardware for branch evolution, but also discusses the research Fiserv did on consumer attitudes and financial services that placed consumers into three groups: face-to-face, digital natives and mixed preferences.

"Those in the face-to-face group prefer direct interaction; digital natives prefer self-service and digital channels for conducting most of their banking needs; the mixed preference group is a combination of the other two," said Johnson. "One thing that is consistent across all groups is that consumers want to transact in a way that's most convenient for them. Financial institutions need to look for ways to make transacting more efficient and more than just a place to transact; it should be a place to get advice, ask questions and solve problems."

After covering self-service options, Brendan Watkins discussed helping those in the managed service world.

"We help branches build efficiencies and innovate within the same channel," Watkins said.

Click here to download the webinar.

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