Discovery Bank rated #1 in the 2023 Ask Afrika Orange Index® for the second time

Johannesburg - Discovery bank has announced that, for the second time in a row, it has been rated by banking customers as the bank with the best service experience in South Africa in the Ask Afrika Orange Index 2023^® released on Wednesday evening.

Discovery Bank CEO, Hylton Kallner says: "This recognition makes us proud, especially since it comes directly from the clients we serve. Their vote of confidence in what we do matters most to us at Discovery Bank. It shows we are living, and achieving, our goal of putting our clients first, by creating a convenient and enjoyable experience that encourages our clients to manage their money well. We are immensely grateful to our clients for voting us the retail bank with the best customer servicing experience in South Africa – for the second time. Our teams work exceptionally hard to provide service that is consistently excellent and this recognition from our clients over two years, is confirmation of this."

What is the Ask Afrika Orange Index?

The Ask Afrika Orange Index was founded in 2001. It is the broadest and most widely referenced service excellence benchmark in South Africa. It measures customer satisfaction, emotional satisfaction, and loyalty to recognise companies that show exceptional performance across metrics such as servicing and problem resolution. This year, a total of over 48,000 interviews were completed across 32 industries.

Discovery Bank said it maintains its lead in the banking industry driven by both an increase in the service excellence experience and emotional connection. The Bank said it was given top marks across multiple fronts, including reliability, empathy, and reputation – it also achieved the highest service rating in the private banking category, which is a remarkable accolade and recognition for the Discovery Purple banking team.

"Being number one in service among retail banks in the Orange Index Awards, considering the metrics they look at, is an immense compliment. It can be difficult for financial institutions to achieve consistent service excellence and emotional connectedness. Across the metrics of the Index, there was an improvement year on year, and it showed that our customers feel understood, found our servicing team warm, personal, and flexible in how they handle queries. As a full-service, digital bank, we still provide a human touch.

"Knowing we are exceeding expectations and building client trust, is invaluable as we continue to bring clients the future of banking, now – with exciting developments around integrated app services and the Discovery Bank Home Loan benefit, available from 2024. This will create an ecosystem of service excellence and benefits for our clients who are, or want to become, homeowners," adds Kallner.

Customer perceptions of Discovery Bank's contribution to the community showed the largest increase; followed by perceptions of products meeting customer needs, offering value for money, and the Bank's benefits performing as expected, the bank added.

Improved customer experience through exceptional service

Discovery Bank said that the improvement in product perceptions is key to its continued success as it offers a comprehensive suite of services that go beyond traditional banking, seamlessly blending technology, systems, and people. It added that its service agents are available 24/7/365 and are dedicated to ensuring a clients' banking journey is effortless and personalised.

The Bank's Live Assist feature brings expert guidance, from Personal Bankers and a team of dedicated consultants, closer to clients through secure remote screen sharing technology, it explained. This ensures clients have the support they need, wherever they are, while Smart Notifications keep them informed and engaged with timely updates delivered right to their devices, while the Bank's integrated travel desk service gives clients access to 24/7/365 support for all their travel needs.

Kallner concluded. "We are always improving our service through innovation to make it easy for clients to bank with us and use our services. We are proud to have, in a short space of time, been recognised for our digital banking platform, and our award-winning service team. We thank every person for their vote, and we are honoured to be the top bank of choice among South Africans when it comes to our service."