Why are banking apps used but not loved?

Stefan Matheis, Senior Product Manager Digital Banking, and Andreas Pages, Head of Solutions & Consulting Digital Banking, both at G+D Netcetera, recently explored this challenge in our latest Tech Tribe podcast: CX Is Everything: What Does Great Banking Feel Like? Their conversation looks at why banks struggle to create emotional connections with users and what it might take to change that.

Stefan and Andreas use their many years of experience and industry insights to explore the gap between functional banking and emotional engagement.
 

• Why banks get stuck in functional thinking: There’s a fundamental difference between building features and creating experiences. So why do so many banks fall into the features trap and how can they escape it? Andreas explains how banks often approach digital transformation from a product perspective rather than thinking about customer journeys, and why this mindset shift is crucial for success.
   
• Lessons from unexpected places: What can banks learn from fitness trackers, music streaming services and other apps that people actually enjoy using? The conversation explores specific examples, including how the Whoop fitness band creates personalised experiences that keep users engaged on a daily basis, and what banks could learn from Spotify’s end-of-year wrapped feature.
   
• Making AI work for customers, not just cost-savings: Everyone’s talking about AI in banking, but most of the focus is on cost-saving initiatives. Stefan and Andreas discuss what moves the needle for customer satisfaction. They explore why many chatbot implementations have failed to deliver value, and share examples of AI applications that genuinely help customers - from automated budgeting suggestions to proactive fraud prevention.
   
• The European approach: Should banks try to become super-apps like WeChat, or is there a smarter path that fits European customer behaviour? The discussion covers why super-apps work in Asia but face different challenges in Europe, including regulatory complexity and customer expectations around data privacy - and how, despite the challenges, some European banking apps are already being developed in the direction of super apps.
   
• Balancing security with user experience: How do you maintain the high security standards banking requires while creating delightful user experiences? Andreas shares practical examples of where this balance goes right and wrong, including the frustrations around two-factor authentication and how banks can reduce friction without compromising safety (look out for a dedicated podcast episode on this topic soon!)