BPI rolls out new service

MANILA, Philippines—There’s a new girl in town and she goes by the name BEA. And yes, she is always available.

BPI Express Assist, or BEA, is the newest innovation being rolled out by the Bank of the Philippine Islands.

The service allows bank customers to enter transaction data and needed service on touch-screen machines. Transactions that can be executed through BEA include cash and check deposits, withdrawals, bills payment, BIR and SSS payments.

Through BEA, a client need not line up. The system will generate a queue number and customers can sit comfortably while waiting for their turn. Once a client gets to the teller, the transaction will automatically be transmitted.

This process ensures accuracy and reduces processing and waiting time. The queue number is also called out electronically, with the number appearing on a viewing monitor, which shows to which teller the customer should go.

BEA also eliminates the need to fill out deposit, withdrawal and payment slips.

“It cuts the total transaction time by 33 percent,” says Natividad Alejo, BPI senior vice president and head of Consumer Banking Group.

BEA was a response to an increase in capacity, when banks are swamped with transactions.

“This technology was born out of BPI’s aim to provide an easier and more convenient banking experience for our clients,” Alejo adds.

The platform was pilot-tested last year in selected branches. After three months, 80 percent of BPI customers were already familiar with BEA.

After acquiring positive feedback, BPI decided to bring BEA to 500 branches nationwide. It is expected to simplify the banking needs of every customer. “We want to fulfill the financial requirements of our customers and continue to delight, wow and make things easy for them,” Alejo said.

This technology is geared toward accuracy. BEA is programmed to detect errors in account numbers incorporated in its system. It also eliminates misinterpretation of handwritings on payment and deposit slips.

For retail transactions, a specialized BEA machine will be situated at every branch in order to cater to bulky transactions of customers. BEA was designed by an in-house team where it was calibrated to suit a bank’s requirements and customer behavior.