As smartphone uptake continues to gain momentum, the trend for consumers to access the web and information on the go via their mobiles is rapidly becoming the norm. No better is this illustrated than by Barclays which has seen a resurgence in its internet banking services and the reactivation of dormant online accounts by customers following the provision of mobile friendly sites. What this also demonstrates  is that by simply offering the same service via a different channel, Barclays has been able to reconnect with potentially profitable customers.

While the concept of multi-channel services seems straightforward, Barclays is one of the few to offer a multi-channel service including the mobile which essentially means on-the-go access and information. While banks took some time to make the transition from branch to online, they do not have the luxury of time with moving to mobile if they want to engage effectively with their customers.

Consumers have come to expect instantaneous interactions and so it should come as no surprise to banks that their customers are dissatisfied when they can’t access financial management tools in the same way. Although financial data is different to other forms of information and needs to be treated in a secure and sensitive way, consumers are increasingly taking zero downtime for granted and prioritising that over everything else.

As Barclay’s Head of Digital Payments highlights, different channels suit different customers and if banks want to keep customers happy, they will need to cater for all. They also need to realise that consumers are choosing to not just use one but multiple channels for banking, and that their customers not only expect the same level of service across all those channels but they demand it 24/7. As such, the mobile banking channel is fast becoming invaluable to feed this demand and will need to be taken seriously by banks if they want to keep customers engaged.