Over the past decade, the customer experience in banking has transformed from a transactional model, focused on basic services, to a relational model built on digital banking transformation. This shift from traditional branch-based banking to mobile banking, internet banking and omnichannel customer touchpoints has been driven by rapid technological advancements and changing consumer expectations.
As reliance on mobile and internet banking has increased, banks have had to adapt to meet their customers' evolving needs and expectations.
During an interview at the Temenos Community Forum in Dublin, representatives from Credito Emiliano, the Italian bank, explored the evolution of customer touchpoints and experience in banking and discussed the role of partnerships, data management and emerging technologies in propelling banking forward.
Lorenzo Villa, Head of Technology Touchpoints at Credito Emiliano, emphasized the need for a seamless experience across all touchpoints. At the same time, his colleague, Cristiano Buresti, Mobile Banking Product Owner, stressed the importance of providing a 24/7 experience.
From transactional to relational: Evolution of customer touchpoints and experience
Digital channels, including mobile banking, internet banking and omnichannel platforms, are now essential to the customer experience in digital banking, driving customer onboarding, engagement, and retention. Initially, Villa highlighted that these digital channels were viewed as optional, but today they are indispensable, with most customers preferring mobile banking over traditional internet and brick-and-mortar banking.
“Digital channels are very important in onboarding and acquiring new customers,” he said.
There has been a shift from a transactional to a more comprehensive, relational customer experience model. Customers now expect to be able to perform a wide range of activities through digital channels, including account management, product purchases and onboarding processes for new customers. Ensuring uninterrupted functionality and 24/7 availability of digital channels is also a requirement of modern banking, reflecting the increased reliance on digital banking services.
“Maintaining digital channels with 24/7 availability is one of the most challenging aspects of banking,” said Buresti.
Furthermore, providing a seamless and consistent experience across digital channels is vital, aligning with the customer experience standards set by leading digital platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. This multi-channel approach encompasses not only transactional aspects but also sales and onboarding processes, adapting to different customer preferences and needs.
Key takeaways
- Banking CX has shifted from transactional to relational, with mobile and internet channels now the primary touchpoints for onboarding, service and sales
- Always-on reliability (24/7 uptime) and seamless journeys across apps and web are table stakes, shaped by expectations set outside banking, such as from Netflix and Amazon
- Partner ecosystems, like HCLTech and Temenos allow mid-sized banks to ship new products faster and compete with scale players
- High-quality, well-governed data is the engine for personalization, measurement and AI, so banks are standing up dedicated data divisions
- Emerging tech, such as AI, blockchain and IoT, are moving from pilots to production, enabling real-time transparency and smarter products
- Proactive, customer-centric operating models, including learning continuously from feedback and behavior, separate leaders from laggards
Partner ecosystems accelerating digital transformation in banking
Strategic partnerships are critical in managing a customer experience transformation in banking. By collaborating with third-party service providers and technology partners, banks can expand beyond traditional services, integrate innovative solutions and improve the overall customer experience in the banking industry.
“As we are a bank, we know that we can’t do everything on our own,” said Villa. “We need partners to deliver services beyond financial services, as well as new technology and technical skills to evolve quickly,” he added.
Both Villa and Buresti highlighted the partnership with HCLTech and Temenos as instrumental in enabling Credito Emiliano to compete with larger banks. The partnership allows the bank to leverage new technologies and swiftly deliver innovative solutions, ultimately leveling the playing field against larger competitors.
Pointing to an example, Buresti said: “Over the last two years, there has been a huge increase of interest rates in Europe, and we didn’t have a product that enabled our customers to open deposit accounts. By working with partners like HCLTech we were able to develop and deploy that solution. Partnerships are key in the process of developing new products quickly and rolling them out to customers.”
Emerging technologies driving future banking CX
Emerging technologies, such as IoT, blockchain and AI, are driving customer experience transformation in banking by enabling real-time transactions, personalized services and improved operational efficiency.
While these technologies are still in the early stages of scaled adoption, their potential to revolutionize banking operations and customer experience is significant.
One example cited by Buresti was the use of blockchain to monitor collateral assets in situ, such as Parmigiano Reggiano, enhancing transparency and efficiency in traditional lending processes.
Regarding AI, there are so many opportunities on the horizon, according to Villa.
“We have a lot of data, and we must learn how to better use it for us to become more profitable. It will also help us in developing better products for our customers. We are working on it, but we are at the beginning. In the next two to four years, a lot of changes will arrive,” he said.
The role of data management in improving customer experience in banking
“We are an information company. We sell and manage information,” said Villa.
Like many financial institutions, Credito Emiliano relies on data management to improve customer experience in banking, boost productivity and enable personalized services. High-quality data is essential for measuring the customer experience in banks and driving AI-powered innovation.
As a result, effective data management, ensuring data quality, is a significant aspect in the evolution of customer touchpoints and experience. “But it is a significant challenge,” continued Villa.
Recognizing the importance of high-quality data in driving AI innovations and improving customer experience, Credito Emiliano has established a dedicated division focused on data management.
Villa highlighted the crucial role of data in understanding customer preferences, enabling more targeted marketing and guiding the development of new products and services.
The emphasis on data management as a standalone division, separate from other functional areas, underscores its critical role in driving strategic initiatives aligned with customer needs.
Proactive CX transformation: Strategies for banks
Banks are now looking to become proactive rather than reactive when transforming customer experience. According to Villa, a customer-centric approach, driven by continuous learning from customer data and feedback, is essential in achieving this state.
Leveraging customer trust and data as key assets, Buresti emphasized the need to focus on product development and aligning technological advancements with customer-centric goals.
By keeping a keen focus on customer needs and preferences, banks can proactively develop innovative solutions and stay ahead of evolving customer demands.
The evolution of customer touchpoints and customer experience in banking has been shaped by customer demand and facilitated by digitalization, strategic partnerships, data management and emerging technologies. Banks that prioritize customer experience transformation in banking, combining customer-centric strategies, advanced digital banking solutions and strong data management, are better positioned to thrive in today’s competitive, technology-driven financial services landscape.
Metrics and measurement: How to track digital banking CX
NPS alone is too blunt for modern digital banking: it’s episodic, lagging and doesn’t reveal where journeys break. Pair it with behavioral, operational and financial metrics that diagnose and improve experience in real time.
- Task success rate (TSR): % of users completing key goals, such as account opening or bill pay without assistance
- Engagement depth: DAU/MAU, sessions/user and feature adoption to gauge habit formation
- Time-to-resolution (TTR) and First-contact resolution (FCR): Median time to solve issues across chat, messaging and phone
- App ratings and review sentiment: Star rating trend, rating velocity and AI-scored sentiment on reviews and VoC
- Revenue per digital customer (RPDC): Product depth and net revenue per active digital user to link CX to growth
Use product analytics dashboards, event-level telemetry, journey maps, session replay and AI sentiment analysis on reviews, calls and chats to spot friction quickly. Close the loop with ethical data practices, like consent, minimization and purpose limitation, as well as quarterly metric reviews to reset targets as journeys mature.
Future Outlook 2025-2030
Customer experience will shift from “self-service” to autonomous finance, where consented algorithms move idle cash, optimize credit limits and schedule savings. Customers approve, not assemble. Agent-pay will emerge as conversational agents that initiate compliant payments and service requests across channels. With instant/real-time payments, ubiquitous, settlement speed will become invisible, and disputes will be resolved within minutes, not days. Open banking will expand into open finance, blending banking, wealth and insurance with embedded journeys inside partner ecosystems. CX will hinge on explainable AI, risk-based authentication that feels invisible and proactive protection against fraud. Banks that orchestrate partners and data to deliver trusted, anticipatory experiences will win loyalty and share.
FAQs: Customer Experience in Banking
What does “relational” banking customer experience mean?
Relational CX centers on lifetime value and trust, including personalized guidance, proactive help and seamless journeys, versus one-off transactions. The article shows Credito Emiliano moving beyond basic services to 24/7, multi-touchpoint experiences shaped by data and partnerships. Relational models outperform transactional ones by improving product depth and retention through continuous learning loops. In practice, this means measuring outcomes (success, resolution, revenue) and using insights to refine journeys weekly.
Externally, regulators and consumers expect banks to act as long-term stewards, not just processors. Dedicated data management and partner ecosystems accelerate the shift by enabling faster product launches and safer personalization at scale.
Why are mobile and internet channels critical for banks today?
They are where customers onboard, transact, and seek support first; uptime and cross-channel continuity now define brand trust. The article notes mobile as the preferred touchpoint and stresses 24/7 availability as a core challenge. Mobile-led onboarding and service cut acquisition costs and improve satisfaction when journeys are instrumented and continuously tuned.
Externally, digital leaders set expectations for instant, intuitive service across devices. Maintaining app ratings above leadership thresholds and reducing digital failure points correlate with higher active-user growth and lower churn.
How do partnerships help banks innovate faster?
Partnerships let banks bolt in capabilities, such as core modernization, payments and onboarding, without building everything alone. The article highlights the HCLTech–Temenos collaboration that helped Credito Emiliano rapidly launch new deposit products during rate shifts. Partner ecosystems compress time-to-market and lower integration risk through proven patterns and shared roadmaps.
Externally, collaboration spreads compliance and security best practices across participants. Banks using curated fintech stacks deliver features faster while maintaining regulatory rigor and resilience.
Which emerging technologies will shape banking CX next?
AI, blockchain and IoT move from pilots to value: AI personalizes offers and automates service; blockchain improves transparency in asset-backed lending (as with collateral monitoring); IoT adds real-time context. The article cites these as near-term levers with growing impact. Explainable AI and event-driven architectures will underpin autonomous finance and agent-pay experiences.
Externally, instant payments and open finance APIs are standardizing the rails. Banks combining these rails with AI assistants will deliver proactive, low-friction CX while strengthening fraud controls.
What metrics best measure digital banking customer experience?
Blend perception (NPS/CSAT) with behavior and outcomes. The article’s guidance favors task success, engagement depth, time-to-resolution, app ratings/sentiment and revenue per digital customer to link CX to growth. Leaders review these metrics weekly and tie them to specific journeys and squads.
Externally, product analytics and AI sentiment tools expose friction and intent in near real time. Banks that instrument funnels and FCR see faster defect removal and measurable lifts in activation and cross-sell.
How can banks turn data into better customer experiences?
Start with governance: clean, consented, well-linked data fuels personalization and reliable metrics. The article describes Credito Emiliano forming a dedicated data division to raise quality and accelerate AI use cases. Data product thinking, including having clear owners, SLAs and lineage, shortens the path from signal to shipped improvement.
Externally, privacy rules demand transparency and minimization. Banks applying ethical AI, consent management and regular model reviews earn trust while delivering timely, relevant experiences.
