How FirstBank went from financial institution to tech company
Overview
Challenge: Keeping customers up-to-date and engaged
Solution: Personalized SMS notifications via Sinch
Results: 60%+ of customers opted-in to messaging
3.5M
alerts sent each month
13+
years working with Sinch
60%
of customers opted-in to SMS
Challenge: From traditional to digital
On its first day of business in 1963, Colorado-based FirstBank opened 270 customer accounts. None were done via a mobile phone, obviously.
Today things look a bit different – and the path ahead is definitely digital. Customers young and old interact with the bank through mobile – which is no surprise, given the time spent with the technology. Thanks to the reach and immediacy that mobile messaging provides, the channel is an integral part of FirstBank’s user experience – and the hand-held device is key to FirstBank’s next 50 years and beyond.
Solution: SMS - an across-the-board solution
With Sinch SMS, FirstBank can send customers notifications and alerts about everything they need to know:
- Account, credit, and daily balance
- Projected balance
- Deposit
- Foreign transactions
- Payment due
- Personal information changes
- Withdrawal and purchase
- Statement availability
- Security alerts (suspicious debit or credit card activity)
In fact, FirstBank sends nearly 3.5 million text and email alerts combined each month. More than 60 percent of FirstBank Online Banking customers are signed up to receive alerts each month (and that’s not including security alerts).
Mobile messaging is an important element in a broad tech commitment. How committed? Try well over 300 people in IT!
Results: Committed to development
FirstBank independently develops many of its own applications and online banking capabilities in-house. The bank has been categorized as a “leader and innovator” by Fiserv, a top provider of technology solutions for financial companies.
FirstBank often thanks customers with different freebies, including free lunches, treats, and services. For instance, it did a Food Truck Friday promotion, where every Friday customers got a free meal on the bank.
But the biggest treat for some is likely the “in-the-know messages” that they receive from the bank through Sinch. After all, banking should be easy!
“Technology enables a superior customer experience,” said FirstBank Digital and Retail President, Kelly Kaminskas. “Mobile messaging is integral in the mix. Our work with Sinch began in 2008 and is vital in delivering not just messages, but on our promise of meeting customers where they want to be met.”
