RBS 2010 Annual Report Download - page 33

31RBS Group 2010
Divisional review
Ulster Bank
For SME business customers this means:
•access to credit and working capital. We will continue to make credit
available to viable businesses and maintain overdrafts for their full
term, unless there is a breach of terms. An appeals process is
available for unsuccessful applications;
•clarity about what customers can expect concerning the costs,
terms and conditions of credit and the factors that influence the
price of a loan; and
•understanding and support for businesses, including two-year
free transactional banking for start-ups and an on-line business
support programme.
We are still at an early stage in the programme, but we are already
delivering on these commitments. For example, in 2010 we opened 45
branches on Saturdays for the first time. We now have more branches
open on Saturdays across Ireland than any other bank. By opening on
Saturdays and extending our weekly opening hours, we are giving our
customers an extra 30,000 hours each year to visit our branches.
Focusing on customers and service
We are working with our personal and business customers every day
to support them in dealing with any financial difficulties they may be
experiencing. Initiatives such as Flex and Breathing Space in retail
banking demonstrate to our customers that we are committed to them
over the long-term. Our smallbusinesscan online community in business
banking is well received and continues to grow. It now attracts over
15,000 small and medium enterprise visitors each month, allowing them
to access knowledge and share insights, ideas and experiences with
like-minded peers to assist the survival and growth of their businesses.
In 2010, we increased the numbers of new retail customers to Ulster
Bank and made strong progress in growing our deposit franchise. We
also extended our Private Banking business into the Republic of Ireland,
with new relationship managers based in Dublin and Cork.
We became the first bank in the Republic of Ireland to launch an iPhone
mobile banking application. In October, we extended our mobile phone
banking services to a wider range of mobile phones, enabling our
customers to manage their money on the move and helping them reduce
avoidable current account charges.
In business banking, over the course of 2010 we achieved an average
Customer Satisfaction Index of 89% for all our business banking
touchpoints. We continued to forge strong links with key small business
support and lobbying bodies island-wide through our business
engagement programme.
In September, we launched a new campaign to support early-stage
businesses, including access to a Start Up Knowledge Centre and Start
Up Live events in 14 different locations.
Investing in our people
Our employees are central to our ambition of becoming Ireland’s most
helpful bank. Through the Ulster Bank People Plan, we are taking steps
to ensure our people feel engaged, motivated and that we give them
opportunities to develop to their full potential. In January, we launched
the Ulster Bank Academy, with over 3,500 of our people attending
learning and development courses throughout the year.
Getting fit for the future
The ‘Lean’ programme is part of our strategy to transform the way we
do business so that we can serve customers better. It will also help us
to become more efficient. Behind every interaction with a customer is a
process and it is important to get this process right from start to finish.
If we do that, it will help us to be Ireland’s most helpful bank.
We’re using the experience of our people in making these changes,
for example in designing new procedures for call-handling, feeding back
on call quality and coaching the telephony agents. As a result, we’ve
reduced the Average Handling Time of a call by 23% since January
2010. This means we are able to speak to more customers each day.
It has also provided stronger links between our businesses, with our
telephony agents able to hand over more customer leads to the Retail
Direct Sales Centre.
Significant economic and business challenges remain. However, over the
last two years we have proven our ability to adapt to change and support
our customers. This, combined with the continued strong support of
RBS, leaves us very well positioned for the future.
We became the first bank in the Republic
of Ireland to launch an iPhone mobile
banking application.
Our online business resource initiative
www.smallbusinesscan.com attracts over
15,000 SME visitors each month.