The Bank follows its strategy towards supporting the culture of digital transformation
Cairo, Egypt – April 10th, 2019 – Crédit Agricole Egypt is celebrating the inauguration of the first branch of its innovative cashless branches series “Banki Store” as part of its development plan towards digital transformation and keeping abreast with the continuous developments in the banking sector. This iconic branch model is considered the newest and most developed in the bank’s network of branches, and the ideal example of branches that are based on a balance between digital services and banking consultations. To showcase Banki Store’s branch, as well as the electronic services it provides, Crédit Agricole Egypt invited the leading media and press figures in the economic and banking fields to visit the branch and held a press conference led by Crédit Agricole Egypt’s Managing Director, Mr. Pierre Finas and Head of Proximity Banking, Mr. Walie Lotfy, who explained the bank’s expansion plan to increase branches by 25 %, launch new services and develop the level and quality of the current ones, as well as the utilization of the latest technologies. They also discussed the bank’s balanced concept to support the culture of digital transformation and financial inclusion, which is in line with the Central Bank of Egypt’s direction and Crédit Agricole Egypt’s focus on value-added services to customers, as per the bank’s pledge of being “a whole bank just for you.”
During the press conference, Mr. Pierre Finas explained Crédit Agricole Group’s global vision: “The bank’s vision is being useful by providing value-added services to our customers in an innovative way, based on a balance between technology and human element. Towards this goal, we, at Crédit Agricole Egypt, have developed our strategy to become a leading innovation-driven sustainable bank. We’re implementing this strategy via an ambitious plan in line with the Central Bank of Egypt’s financial inclusion efforts to transform the community into a cashless society.”
He furthermore explained: “The bank’s journey on the road of digital transformation, which started three years ago with the aim of placing Crédit Agricole Egypt in a leading position in the digital banking services field, resulted in the bank launching an integrated digital platform that contains different banking channels for clients, individuals and companies alike. This caused a quantitative leap in the bank’s services that made it worthy of the regional and international prizes it recently won. In pursuit of our endeavor, the bank is consecrating its efforts for its customers’ satisfaction by fulfilling their needs and ambitions through providing all that is innovative.”
It is worth mentioning that Crédit Agricole Egypt has earned the international banking community’s praise by winning a number of regional and international accolades; winning the “Best in Mobile Banking” and “Most Innovative Digital Bank” awards from “Global Finance”, as well as winning the “Best Mobile Banking Application” in 2018 for its “Banki Mobile” Application for individuals, an award presented by the Union of Arab Banks and the Arab Information and Communication Technologies Organization.
On this occasion, Mr. Walie Lotfy stated: “We are pleased today to share with our clients the launch of the first cashless branch in Dandy Mall, as part of our innovative Banki Store branches, which started with the Fifth Settlement’s 90 Street branch. This model offers a new and unique experience with Banki Store’s top-notch banking services and one-of-a-kind design. With this new model, Crédit Agricole’s aim is to provide an added-value service through focusing on cashless services and providing consultations that meet the clients’ ambitions, as well as spreading and supporting the culture of digital transformation in Egypt, which in turn would achieve financial inclusion, in line with the central bank of Egypt’s efforts and mission.”
Lotfy added: “Crédit Agricole Egypt is presenting a new achievement, as part of its digital transformation plan launched three years ago, which gave place to an integrated services platform banki by Credit Agricole Egypt, comprising Banki Business for companies, Banki Online for individuals, Banki Wallet and Banki Mobile – all with innovating new developed features for the comfort of our clients. This new achievement is the launching of its innovative model of branches, which integrates digital transactions with the latest systems and value-added banking consultations.”
Lastly, Lotfy asserted that the bank will continue forward with its plan as it expects to launch the latest version of Banki Mobile within the coming days with a unique technical update and a biometric recognition feature. The bank also intends to expand the application of its Banki Store concept to other branches across the country, especially with the bank’s ambitions of expanding its networks of branches by 25 %.
To achieve a truly unique model for a new banking experience, Crédit Agricole Egypt introduced the technological innovations in the banking field through its Banki Store, with a new customer flow orchestrated by the Digital greeter. Not only so, the Digital Greeter explains the digital banking services to customers and guides them on how to register and use them remotely. The branch set up also allows a fast service through increased Banki Store ATM capacity for cash withdrawals and deposits. It also avails more privacy for its clients when conducting large transactions through exclusive and convenient closed-room counters with a traffic light, right outside, to indicate when the room is vacant or occupied to avoid standing in queues.
Keen on providing comfort for its clients, banki Store provides comfortable seating areas in the branch, instead of the traditional seating arrangements. A team of professional relationship managers are available to support customers, listen and give the right advice. Clients who require an expert’s banking consultation can also speak face-to-face to the bank’s experts through video-conferencing, with the help of the bank’s relationship managers.
As to Crédit Agricole Egypt’s first cashless branch in Dandy Mall, it’s a branch that only deals with cash through ATM machines and it comprises all the usual banking transactions. The branch houses a specialized team to provide clients with banking consultations, as well as guide them to the best use of the bank’s digital services through a balanced integrated system of 100% digital and 100% human component.
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About Crédit Agricole Egypt:
Crédit Agricole Egypt is a subsidiary of the Crédit Agricole Group, a market leader in Universal Customer-Focused Banking in France and one of the largest banks worldwide. With operations in 50 countries, Crédit Agricole Group seeks to serve the real economy by supporting its clients’ projects in all areas of retail banking and associated specialized business lines. Emphasizing its values and commitment, Crédit Agricole Group is the bank of common sense. It puts the satisfaction and the interests of all its customers, employees and shareholders at the heart of its activities.
Established in 2006, Crédit Agricole Egypt has become an active player in Egypt’s financial industry offering a wide range of innovative and convenient products to its clients across the entire spectrum: Corporate, SMEs and individuals. Crédit Agricole Egypt’s key goal is customers’ satisfaction by valuing and prioritizing their best interests Thus, Crédit Agricole Egypt has created specialized segments to cater its customers’ needs by offering the sound advice and tailored financial solutions. Accessibility and customers’ convenience are a priority for Crédit Agricole Egypt that offers a nationwide network of branches and ATMs. Also, the bank is considered as a market leader in terms of electronic services by offering state-of-the-art electronic banking solutions.
