The digitization of financial services is upon us and with it comes an opportunity to grow—not just in our use of technology, but also in the way we serve clients. In this age of hybrid financial advice, where clients wish to experience the same autonomy they have on Amazon with the customized advice they get from their therapist, we have a lot of growing to do in the industry to meet these demands. Innovation is the key and technology is just a piece of the puzzle.
When Jeff Bezos started Amazon — originally called Cadabra — he announced, “Our goal is to be earth’s most customer-centric company.” Today Jeff Bezos calls it “customer obsession.”
As I explored why customer focus is the primary driver of many of the world’s most successful companies, I was thinking about conversations I had over the past year with CEOs who through customer-centric models are leading their industries. What I found is the key to a world-class customer experience really starts with your own culture. Below are direct quotes from 10 CEOs whose companies are leaders of service in their industry.
...Much has been said about the rise of robo-advisors in the financial services industry. With tens of billions of dollars being invested in these online platforms, it is undeniable that consumers are craving the speed, efficiency and data that they can provide. While many of us agree that no computer can offer the one-on-one relationship that a client-advisor relationship can, we would be remiss to ignore this growing trend.
Some advisors react to the rise of these platforms by dismissing the trend and lamenting about the good old days when an account application could fit on a postcard. What they should be doing is exploring why robos are so appealing and what aspects of that technology could be incorporated into their practices.
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