" It’s all about the customer. " This famous Jeff Bezos quote still holds true today and perhaps nowhere more than in financial services. In an era dominated by digital transformation, personalization features, and customer data strategies, something crucial is being lost: the human touch . This evolution pushes the traditional term of customer centricity towards deeper notions like customer intimacy or even customer obsession . Ultimately, these concepts all point to the same goal: putting your customer at the centre, listening actively, and making them feel truly special. While most financial institutions claim to be “customer-centric,” many customers still feel abandoned. Why? Because true customer intimacy goes far beyond personalization tokens or sleek mobile interfaces. It’s about genuinely understanding your customer’s context, emotions, and needs, and offering the right support at the right time. Customer intimacy is not just a bu...
In today's rapidly evolving financial landscape, the digitization of payment systems has become a cornerstone of global economic activity. As digital payment volumes soar and transaction complexity rises, with more initiation channels and diverse payment rails, the need for operational resilience is more critical than ever. Ensuring transparency, reliability, and robustness in payment operations is no longer just a regulatory mandate; it’s a foundational requirement to maintain consumer trust and safeguard economic stability. The Criticality of Digital Payment Systems Digital payment systems are essential to the seamless operation of both national and global economies. Disruptions in these systems can trigger cascading effects, impacting businesses, consumers, and financial institutions alike. Recent incidents highlight the vulnerabilities within payment infrastructures. For example, on February 28, 2025, the European Central Bank’s TARGET payment system experienced a signi...