Belgium's Belfius Bank plans to make its services more accessible to customers, the bank announced during a press conference on Friday.
Part of this commitment involves revising branch opening hours. From September, approximately 150 of the 450 city-based branches will be open every weekday without the need for an appointment. From January 2025, non-urban branches will operate on a similar basis, offering appointment-free services two days per week.
"We have noticed pressure on customer satisfaction due to a lack of accessibility," explained Belfius' head of retail, private and business banking, Olivier Onclin. "That's why we are committed to addressing the issue."
The bank will also equip each branch with a "cashless" machine by April 2025. These devices will allow customers to transfer funds or check their balance.
Phone accessibility will also be prioritised. Belfius has recruited 20% more staff to handle the approximately 10,000 daily calls received by branches. Furthermore, customers can use the "call me back" system via the bank's application or phone banking in branch, which is meant to guarantee a return call within 30 minutes.
Moreover, the bank's mobile application is set to be enhanced with a new digital assistant in Autumn. The bank hopes this can help answer customer queries more efficiently.
