Art of Better Retail Banking - Hardcover

by Hugh Croxford (Author), Frank Abramson (Author), Alex Jablonowski (Author)

"This new book on retail banking is both readable and innovative. Its analysis is unusually accessible in its style, and the book's conclusions and predictions will be rightly thought provoking. The customer is gaining real power and this new book's insights on the importance of leadership, the need to unleash creativity and to make a bank's IT and people resource work together more effectively for customer satisfaction are important pointers to the shape of future competitive differentiation."
--Sir Mervyn Pedelty, Recently retired Chief Executive, The Co-operative Bank plc, smile, CIS and Co-operative Financial Services

"A stimulating read. A readable and lively book that is always informative, sometimes controversial and invariably challenging. The authors don't expect readers to agree with it all, but the readers will undoubtedly gain some fresh insights and perspectives on the multiple issues facing management in a rapidly changing industry."
--Chris Lendrum CBE, Recently retired Vice Chairman, Barclays Bank

"This book is clear enough for the layman and thorough enough for any banker to obtain an excellent sense of the options for successful strategies for their retail businesses. The challenges of technology introduction, cost of production and scope of service are driving banks into responses increasingly similar to other industry sectors. These forces have been apparent for some years but are so evident now they can no longer be ignored. This book provides an excellent guide to mapping that future."
--Joseph DeFeo, CEO, CLS Bank.

"This is a useful guide to retail banking that provides a thought-provoking view on the state of The Art (of Better Retail Banking). Clearly retail banking can get better, and must! To steal an analogy from the conclusion, there is a sea change going on - consumers are looking more and more for greater simplicity and value, and so many banks are still making such heavy weather of it. This book does a good job of charting the current developments."
-- Lindsay Sinclair, CEO, ING Direct UK.

"A whistle-stop tour of all aspects of retail banking. This is a very readable and insightful real world mix of theory, strategy, tactics and practice. They have even managed to make banking sound exciting. But mostly they have been able to cut through the complexity to remind us all that success in retail banking is not just about finance and efficiency - it is about customers and staff, who are all too often forgotten about."
--Craig Shannon, Executive Director - Marketing, Co-operative Financial Services.

"The authors live up to their promise of providing managers and students with a clear exposition of the retail banking sector and how banks can confront the challenging future they face. This book is a practical manual with lots of useful advice. I was looking for new insights in this book - and I found them!"
--Professor Adrian Payne, Professor of Services Marketing, Director, Centre for Services Management, Cranfield School of Management.

"A key determinant of any organisation's success will be an enhanced understanding of 'value' as defined by customers, employees, shareholders and other stakeholders. Value can mean different things to these different groups, and this book has set itself the objective of identifying the approaches that will improve the value proposition for all of these interested parties. It achieves this objective."
--Professor Steve Worthington, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University.

"An enjoyable and useful read. It provides a good perspective on the role of IT and how IT suppliers and professionals need to contribute to future developments in retail banking strategy and implementation. It helps provide guidance for the significant challenges ahead for both suppliers and the Banks."
--Nick Caplan, Managing Director, Global Financial Services, LogicaCMG.

Front Jacket

THE ART OF BETTER RETAIL BANKING.

With evolutionary changes alone, retail banking has been and will continue to be an important force in any country. So, enjoy it - or change it. Consumers have enormous power to cause changes; banks have all the capabilities to make changes; the government of the day relies on banks' abili5ties to change. Can they all win? And can the bank's shareholders join in the party too?

The Art of Better Retail Banking fives a wide-ranging view of the industry as a whole as it is, and how it might become. retail banking is taken as a practical, integrated subject, not as a collection of specialist subject that magically come together of themselves to provide an integrated solution. It is written, and strongly influenced, by retail banking practitioners to include the running of banks, strategy, marketing and IT, and with realistic and practical views, It relates to how banks operate day to day, how they make (and lose) money, and how they fit into the various banking models.

Retail banking is not the same as bank retailing. there is much to be learned from others in manufacturing, retailing and service companies. retail banking is not different to these. How long will it take banks to improve their manufacturing, retailing and service activities? Or will information processors, retailers and others learn about banking more quickly? A race is on, there is much at stake. Is there a winning line, and if there is, how far away is it, and in which direction?

Back Jacket

THE ART OF BETTER RETAIL BANKING

With evolutionary changes alone, retail banking has been and will continue to be an important force in any country. So, enjoy it - or change it. Consumers have enormous power to cause changes; banks have all the capabilities to make changes; the government of the day relies on banks' abilities to change. Can they all win? And can the bank's shareholders join in the party too?

The Art of Better Retail Banking gives a wide-ranging view of the industry as a whole as it is, and how it might become. Retail banking is taken as a practical, integrated subject, not as a collection of specialist subjects that magically come together of themselves to provide an integrated solution. It is written, and strongly influenced, by retail banking practitioners to include the running of banks, strategy, marketing and IT, and with realistic and practical views. It relates to how banks operate day to day, how they make (and lose) money, and how they fit into the various banking models.

Retail banking is not the same as bank retailing. There is much to be learned from others in manufacturing, retailing and service companies. Retail banking is not different to these. How long will it take banks to improve their manufacturing, retailing and service activities? Or will information processors, retailers and others learn about banking more quickly? A race is on, there is much at stake. Is there a winning line, and if there is, how far away is it, and in which direction?

Author Biography

About the authors

Hugh Croxford After a career in banking, Hugh now assists banks and IT companies in interim capacities, much of which involves creative writing.

Frank Abramson After a successful marketing career in FMCG, retailing and financial services at senior and Board levels, Dr Frank B Abramson co-founded The Relationship Consulting Group in 1992. Today he is CEO of RCG and also holds non-executive director posts with Intramezzo, Verdandi and M-I-G.

Alex Jablonowski Formerly, Alex held a number of senior roles in banking, latterly as CEO of a London based merchant and private bank and before that Managing Director responsible for international corporate and institutional banking at Barclays. He now has a number of advisory and non executive roles including the Highways Agency, Veterans Agency and Companies House.