Each Slovak bank is struggling to enhance its products and services. Once all the new products will have been made available, when do you think will arise a need to stabilise and refine the existing products rather than coming up with new ones?

Yes, I am also convinced that the client's needs for new products have already been saturated. The banks compete only by interest rates, commercial conditions, building their credibility and image. Yet there are remarkable reserves in meeting a client's anticipation of perceiving the bank staff as his partners. Even the Postova banka (PB) has a long way to go in this respect. Auxiliary services prove to be an efficient tool under conditions of such "product saturation". For example we are offering client insurance as an added extra. This helps to expand and stabilise our clients.

Electronic banking is a hot issue, and the PB, a.s. was the country first bank that introduced active operations. How many clients are there on your Internet and GSM-Banking, what is their experience and the bank feed-back in introducing electronic products?

As a retail bank it is our ambition to address the largest possible number of small clients, taking advantage of our postal facilities. On the other hand, it is our intention to carry out most of our routine operations outside the bank premises in our self-service areas via credit cards.

Those clients wishing to use computer technology can interface with us through Internet-Banking for most banking operations, including bank account transfers, around the clock, in any branch or office.

Through our GSM-Banking also the Eurotel and Globtel mobile phone users can take the same advantage and conduct their operations seven days a week around the clock.

We have introduced these services only recently. However, we noticed an unexpected phenomenon: despite some 600 000 potential GSM mobile phone customers the Internet- Banking is five- or six-times more popular. We understand that the PC access is more comfortable and thus the GSM-Banking, although flexible and operational, appears to be a stand-by alternative. Those customers that use neither mobile phones nor PCs can utilise our KONTOFON service through a regular telephone.

One of the PB's top strategy points is also a computerised post office banking service. The present 41 automated post office bank counters should grow to some 150. How will this become evident in a bank service improvement?

It is our goal to computerise those post office bank counters serving the highest number of customers. We plan to offer our clients standard of services identical with our commercial bank facilities. In other words - the service quality will be maintained. It is based in a civilised and professional approach of the staff at the post office PB counters, and in the top technology application.

What kind of response did you record on your facilities Children's Savings Account and Account 26?

The launch of these products was outstanding. We have opened nearly 5 500 children's savings accounts, and over 3000 clients responded to the Konto 26. The latter is a product for young people aged 15-26 and it provides a savings facility, valorisation, and a basic financial management facility. The Konto 26 owners can opt for national or international credit cards, i.e. CIRRUS/MAESTRO, EUROCARD/MASTERCARD, and VISA. The bank's bonus for the customers is the ISIC student identification card, the only internationally recognised identification status document of full-time students. ISIC gives access to substantial discounts on entry fees, travel tickets, accommodation and insurance, and it is, of course, quite attractive. The card applies in 90 countries of the world, and I believe that the oncoming holiday season will attract even more young customers.

We are eager to spot and apply any relevant good ideas. It is the only way how to succeed under strong competition with other Slovak banks...

The electronic banking and the banksi drive towards the credit cards may replace a traditional bank teller. What is your conception of the likely development?

Yes, we are witnessing the replacement of the traditional bank teller, yet the personal client contact is one of the chief methods for credit building and the client/bank interface. This interface may not be underestimated, despite lower number of routine operations at the bank premises. Only a live banker can persuade the existing and potential customers on benefits and inevitability of new products. A banker is irreplaceable, and the demand on his work will be stepping up...

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