Hong Leong Bank Berhad opens its first Digital Branch in Penang at Burmah House, Pulau Tikus. The new digital branch covers both conventional and Islamic banking, as well as Priority Banking.
The introduction of the digital branch concept in Penang is in line with HLB’s vision to be a highly digital and innovative financial service provider and its ethos of being digital-at-the-core, centered around customer experiences and the growing demand and expectation for digital based services, products and solutions.
The first digital branch in Penang will see bank personnel equipped with tablets to assist its customers to facilitate the requested service. Another unique feature is that counters are no longer assigned by functions, but replaced by pods where staff are able to help customers perform all transactions offered by the Bank. The entire process is designed to deliver an efficient and seamless experience aided by technology and through enabled via the tablets.
Domenic Fuda Group Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Hong Leong Bank says, “As we move forward, we plan to increasingly integrate the ease of doing banking online through internet and mobile with the same kind of digital offering in branches for more complex products and services. While everyday banking can be done simply online 24 X 7 days a week, employees in branches will augment these digital offerings with services around applying for a housing or car loan, have a conversation about investments or savings for the next big purchase or retirement. Business owners can sit down with a SME banker and have a conversation about working capital financing, expansion of production capacity or purchasing the premises from which they operate. All of that can be done from right here at Burmah House branch.”
Chief Minister of Penang, YAB Tuan Chow Kon Yeow who officiated the bank states, “The key goal for using technology is to make our lives easier and better. The Hong Leong Bank Burmah House digital branch is a great example of what digital technology can do when focused on people. The Penang State Government commends the Bank’s efforts to change the way banking is done and redirect its human resource to higher value roles. We are proud to witness the unveiling of the first digital bank in Penang and hope to see more of such branches being introduced.”
HLB is stepping up its game on carving out a strategic role in an increasingly competitive space within the nation’s digital economy that includes disruptors from FinTech. The Bank is exploring technologies such as Augmented Reality, Robotics, Blockchain, Application Programme Interfaces (API) as well as launching a Customer Experience Labs that will facilitate experiments and prototyping of innovation and new technologies in collaboration with customers and third party service providers.
