WesBank App uptake demonstrates growing consumer appetite for digital services
Shopping for and falling in love with your next car is often a fun and exciting experience, so don’t let applying for finance pull the handbrake up on your car-buying journey.
To help avoid this potential frustration, the first-to-market WesBank app offers customers a streamlined digital process when applying for vehicle and asset solutions. This includes instant access to an extensive range of products and services from anywhere, at any time, using their smartphone devices.
Since its launch in October last year the app has seen over 70 000 downloads, demonstrating a clear consumer appetite for innovative digital platforms. The WesBank app compliments existing services on the WesBank website by adding another channel for accessing the handy affordability calculator, credit check tools and finance pre-approvals.
Customers can explore personalised deal structures on potential purchases by selecting terms, deposit amounts and balloon payment preferences without ever engaging face-to-face with dealership or banking staff. Once the deal structure is finalised it’s also possible to secure cars with dealer reference numbers and seal deals by signing contracts digitally via the app.
Existing WesBank customers can also use the app for simplified account management with easy access to balances, settlement quotes, requests for NaTIS (vehicle registration) documents and even border letters for those planning driving adventures outside of South African borders.
“Offering our customers a variety of platforms to communicate and interact with us is a key priority for WesBank,” says Dane Reddy, Head of Digital at WesBank Motor. “The engagement we’ve seen on the app over the past nine months, and the fact it’s been downloaded by more than 70 000 users so far is testament to a digital transformation in the banking space.
“We envision the app becoming one of WesBank’s preferred channels to conduct business for both new and existing customers. It’s encouraging to see how many are taking advantage of this new channel for accessing multiple touchpoints, conveniently and securely, along the vehicle buying and ownership journey.”
The WesBank App functionality is also available on the FNB App through the nav>> Car tab. This provides existing and new FNB customers with all its capabilities without a secondary app download, demonstrating the compatibility of the two platforms in delivering a seamless service to the end user.
“The app is a continual work in progress and constantly reinforces our digital dexterity by being available in multiple places. We appreciate all the customer feedback and comments we have received to date, with many of these having been taken on board by the dedicated team looking to review and refine its usability and develop exciting new add-ons to its functionality.
“One such development in the pipeline is the delivery of customer statements via the platform, which we believe will be a very popular tool, and a demonstration of our commitment to customer centricity and meeting the evolving digital needs of a variety of customer segments,” comments Reddy.
The digital transformation has improved the customer experience by enabling users to bank when, where and how it suits them. This has been spurred on by the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which provided a trigger to many companies, including banks, to increase their digital adaptation of products and services.
“We are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to empower and enable our customers’ financing journey and, since its launch, the app is certainly proving to play a crucial role in delivering on that promise. Providing a personalised, secure and seamless digital experience across our channels is an important driver within the WesBank business, and the success of the app’s performance is testament to achieving this objective,” says Reddy.
The WesBank app is available for free download on the Apple App Store, Google Play and Huawei AppGallery.
Also view:
Vehicle Finance, Car Insurance and Road Safety
Buying and Selling a Vehicle – Informed decisions and the Vehicle Retailer
The Online Vehicle Retail Market and Safely Selling Vehicles Online
Buying a Quality Used Car and Safety on the Road
