HSBC: business organization global overview

Résumé du document

This document is a fully written overview on the organization of HSBC, which has a ‘brick-and-mortar' operation.

To what extent do we think the concept of service encounter developed for face-to-face encounters is applicable in an online service context such as the chosen website? We will illustrate our answer with examples of points of similarities and differences.

We will then apply the framework of servicescape to HSBC's website.

The, we'll explore the methods used by the website operator to encourage approach behaviour and subsequently exploring of the website.

What similarities and differences are there between real-life service environments and virtual service environments? Here, we compared and contraste these differences.

Extraits

[...] Next, you would spend less than a 5-minutes' time clicking on your favourite item and getting to know or to carry out the operation you want. Moreover, the homepage displays a large strip with the latest HSBC sponsorized events like the World Rugby Sevens taking place in Paris or Biarritz, offering the customers a delightful added experience to «take a chance». It gives the bank a more realistic aspect taking the opportunity to show the structure's interest for what happens into their customers' local area but also appealing the customers immediately into some interactive, playful and rewarding experience. [...]

[...] Face-to-face vs online encounters' services For centuries, the banking activity was linked to a face-to-face established, personal and upgraded relationships. Nonetheless, the noughties have signed a radical change in that view thanks to the use of technologies. As the bank activity strongly embodies the notion of dedicated and personalized Customer Service, the change has first appeared to be as clumsy as tricky. Applying this indivudal service to a unique service provider first engaged a change in mentalities opening considerations about personal service and single tool operator. [...]

[...] It reduces and simplifies the types of experiences you may have by examining every single action through the servicescape's frame and the different layouts implemented. It applies a mix of scientific and technological processes with a dose of psychological observations to have some clear overview on the customer's daily uses and actions. This way, unpleasant experiences are handled, valuated and controlled to be next completely erased. It, thus, increases the business operations' efficiency by creating a single frame or path for individual customers to follow or to be submitted to. [...]

[...] HSBC online Service and the Servicescape frame from Booms and Bitner Booms and Bitner's Servicescape frame According to Bitner's integrative framework model, the HSBC website duly explores and perfectly respects the correlated notions of environmental stimuli and behavioural response. As we've already been through, the homepage's impact is fundamental and clearly conveys, through a large use of light colours and cosy furniture, a significant intimate message which could be « you're like at home ». This way, it does not only command a strong brand image effect but a customer's closer and personally more involving experience. It works on the visitor's emotional, cognitive and psychological abilities. [...]

[...] On another hand, given that the Customer Advice service appears to be completely absent from the HSBC online experience, one potential area for improvement would stand into creating a high quality standard Chatbot, directly integrated in the homepage, to help orientate any single request. And it would be advisable to create a « plus » experience by conveying the impression to have a state-of-the-art and unique service, offering to complete for example, as an ultimate stage, an automatic integrated satisfaction survey. [...]