• eXperience, the first digital banking unit with video counselling

The new digital unit concept “eXperience BCR” will revolutionize the customers’ experience through banking technologies used in an interactive, friendly and educational manner. “eXperience BCR” enables Romania’s inclusion in the top of the new banking trends, integrating advanced technologies in communicating with and counselling customers.

For the first time in Romania, a bank will integrate the customer’s experience with technologies, such as:

• Video-counselling - meaning the concept of live video counselling.
• Interactive touch-screen desks – assistance offered through banking products and services simulators.
• Idesk – Information screen that enables the customer to directly participate together with the counsellor, in order to identify the best solutions for his financial needs.
• 24/24 complete banking services
• Business HUB for BCR customers: they can choose “eXperience BCR” for meetings with their business partners, held in a specially dedicated and equipped space, which has: wi-fi, conference call system, TV LCD for projections.

The “Video Counsellor” from the “eXperience BCR” unit is available to customers after closing time, through live video sessions which enable the interactive transfer of information and simulated calculations directly on the screen facing the customer. The interactive touch-screen desk involves a technology having three purposes: pre-counselling, offering information, and educating customers; it is available to clients 24/24. Furthermore, besides these three purposes, the interactive desk can be used as a playground for the customers’ children, thus offering them the complete comfort of the counselling session.

“eXperience BCR” is a significant step towards what BCR aims to offer to its customers. As promised, we wish for each customer to view BCR as a partner. And for this, we continuously invest in units, technology and people, so that clients have the possibility to test and understand banking services at a different level. We bring them technological evolution and reliable human interaction to an integrated future unit concept. “eXperience BCR” – the digital unit will become a major instrument in our strategy to educate customers regarding digital banking”, stated Dana Demetrian, Vice-President of BCR’s Retail&Private Banking department.

Using the new concept of the digital unit, BCR customers will save time that could be used for high quality counselling. There will be less waiting time at the counters and the customer’s banking experience will be optimized through rapid access to information, through testing innovative options in an environment where clients may benefit from specialised assistance and from extended availability regarding some complex services.

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Banca Comercială Română (BCR), a member of Erste Group, is the most important financial group in Romania, providing universal banking operations (retail, corporate & investment banking, treasury and capital markets), and covering specialty companies working on the leasing market, private pensions and housing banks. BCR is Romania’s No. 1 bank in terms of asset value (€14,4 bn.), in terms of client base and in terms of savings and crediting. BCR is also Romania’s most important financial brand, judging by the client trust rate and by the number of persons who consider that BCR is their main banking partner.

BCR uses a network of 21 corporate business centres and 23 mobile offices devoted to corporate clients, and 509 retails units located in most communities inhabited by at least 10,000 citizens in order to provide a full range of financial products and services. BCR is Romania’s No. 1 bank running on the banking transactions market, since BCR customers have the largest ATM network at their disposal – nearly 2,000 ATMs and 13,500 POS terminals, enabling customers to use their cards for shopping purposes, as well as the complete Internet Banking, Mobile Banking, Phone-banking and E-commerce services.

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Erste Group is one of the main suppliers of financial services in Eastern European Union. About 46,500 bank officers working in 2,800 branches in seven countries (Austria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia) assist 16.2 mn. customers. Erste Group reported a total asset pool worth €202,6 bn. and a 56.1% cost-to-income ratio at the end of Q1 of 2015. First-ranking common equity index (Basel 3 implemented partially) has improved to 10.2%.

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BCR - External Communication

Alina Dăneasa, e-mail: alina.daneasa@bcr.ro