SPONSORED: KBC Kilkenny – the bank that puts people first

CAN you put a face on your bank? Or is it just an office space filled with machines and keyboards?

If so, it is time you looked elsewhere – to a bank where real people will be looking back at you; talking to you, listening to your concerns and giving you sound advice based on their expertise and experience.

At a time when so many banks have become faceless, KBC is bucking the trend.

It employs 1,395 staff across the Republic of Ireland which includes 16 retail banking hubs in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Kildare, Waterford, Wicklow and Kilkenny. Nine of their employees are on the team at the Kilkenny hub.

“It’s not about machines,” says Kilkenny Hub Manager Deirdre Martin. “Great customer service is what we are all about.”

KBC bank has been in Ireland for more than 40 years. In 2013, it moved to become a full-service retail bank. Its slogan, ‘the bank of you’, is still its guiding principle.

“We know banking and we know people,” says Deirdre. “With our experience and fresh approach to banking, we’ve created a bank that’s all about the customer.”

KBC is people-friendly but it doesn’t shun technology. Far from it.

KBC is also the only bank in Ireland to offer digital wallets from five of the world’s leading technology companies; Apple Pay, Google Pay, FitBit Pay, Garmin Pay and Wena Pay by Sony. It was joint winner of this year’s best mobile app and was the first bank in Ireland to launch multi-banking, allowing KBC customers who hold an AIB or Bank of Ireland current account to view their balance through the KBC app.

Digital activity on the KBC mobile app has increased by 50 per cent in the past year.

KBC offers mortgages, current accounts, savings and investments, personal loans, home and motor insurance, life insurance and credit cards. Earlier this year, they received an award for the best mortgage service for switchers by The Association of Mortgage Advisors.

The Kilkenny hub, which opened in March 2015, is at the corner of Rose Inn Street and the Parade, a prime location in the heart of Kilkenny City. It’s a relaxed, modern space where you can meet with KBC’s bank staff and personal finance specialists.

The Kilkenny hub has been certified as an Age Friendly business and has been awarded CX Excellence certification,
the independent benchmark for consumer services.

It is open six days a week and works the hours that suit its customers, open until 2pm on Saturdays and until 7pm on Thursday evenings.

During the first quarter of this year, KBC Bank saw its customer numbers across Ireland rise by 10 per cent and its new mortgage lending increase by nine per cent.

Deirdre Martin is clear about the reason for this success. “We put people first,” she says.

“KBC Bank Ireland is the Bank of You quite simply because we like, value and invest in the same things our customers do, delivering more flexibility, convenience and offering a real alternative in the Irish market.”

Drop in to meet the KBC team at the Kilkenny Hub on The Parade. For more information, log on to http://www.kbc.ie/contact-us/kbc-hub-locations/kilkenny or call the team direct on 056 774 6980.