KBC continues to align its commercial distribution channels with the way clients carry out their banking and insurance business. Clients have increasingly opted for digital channels in recent years and months, possibly combined with expert advice.
At the end of March 2020, 56% of KBC clients were banking solely via a digital channel, with remote bank insurance (KBC Live) growing steadily. Large numbers of clients have also discovered banking by appointment since the corona lockdown measures.
As in previous years, KBC has also reviewed its distribution network this year.
Based on a thorough study performed in the first two months of the current year, KBC has decided that in the course of 2020 and first quarter 2021,
37 bank branches in Flanders, the East Belgium Region, and Brussels will be converted to self-service branches for cash withdrawals, transfers, and account information. Clients wishing to speak to a KBC employee will be able to do so in a neighboring branch within an easily accessible distance. These clients can, of course, also contact a KBC employee in person via KBC Life (remote bank-insurance with expanded opening hours).
17 bank branches and 22 self-service branches in Flanders, the East Belgium Region, and Brussels will be closed because of the relatively limited number of transactions and the adequate proximity of KBC alternatives.
Following the implementation of these changes, private individual KBC clients in Flanders (including German-speaking Belgium) and Brussels will be able to call on 531 bank branches, comprising 328 staffed branches (including 142 offering broad service) and 203 self-service branches. This compares with 570 branches (382 staffed branches and 188 self-service branches) at the end of February 2020. CBC – which has 84 branches in Wallonia – is not included in this exercise.
As always, KBC has openly informed the employees concerned and the social partners of the situation. KBC will arrange for staff from the affected bank branches to continue in their post at a different bank branch or at KBC Live.
At the end of May 2020, KBC Live numbered 545 FTEs, with 80% of staff drawn from the branch network. They provide their expertise to clients via more than 100 000 phone calls and 14 000 chat sessions each month.
KBC also has a separate network of specialist branches for Private Banking and corporate s clients.
Preventive efforts during the corona lockdown have also resulted in a sharp increase in client contacts in recent weeks.
The number of remote appointments exploded from an average of 750 per month to no fewer than 35 000. The number of incoming client phone calls to their KBC bank branch rose 22% to 300 000 a month. The number of electronic communications between clients and a branch employee via the secure KBC Touch/KBC Mobile environment doubled from 30 000 to 60 000 a month.
At the same time, KBC Live continues to play a crucial supporting role in terms of responding to clients’ questions, not only during working hours but also evenings and Saturdays. The number of telephone questions rose 22% during the lockdown weeks to an average of 104 000 a month.
