Phiphawat Phatthanavik forms the Master RM team, joining the One Team branch.

Phiphawat Phatthanavik
Deputy Managing Director
Kasikorn Bank 

Building the Master RM team
Joining One Team branches

“Customer Centricity” is one of Kasikorn Bank's strategies in 2564 amidst the changing environment. Especially from the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak that has greatly affected consumer behavior and the economic situation.

Putting customers at the center, Kasikorn Bank aims to empower every life and business of every group of customers. Through enhancing the service and sales experience (Strengthen Sales and Service Channel Experience), coordinating the provision of services across various channels. So that customers can make transactions anywhere, anytime.

Sales and service models that are appropriate to customer needs must therefore be changed to meet the needs of customers at different levels. The work of the small branch network and businesses that take care of the entrepreneurial group Retail customers And the SME business therefore has an important role. Currently, it is the responsibility of Phiphawat Phatthanavik, Deputy Managing Director. Kasikorn Bank

Phiphawat graduated with a bachelor's degree. Finance and Banking Branch Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy Chulalongkorn University and Master's Degree in Business Administration Faculty of Business Administration from Chulalongkorn University Started working at Kasikorn Bank in 2534, where the Business Development Department was the first and only place until now.

Throughout the past 30 years, Phiphawat has been assigned to take care of many businesses of Kasikorn Bank. Both the Director of Credit Consideration Director of Organizational Strategy Senior Director, Entrepreneur Customer Network and Assistant Managing Director Before being appointed as Deputy Managing Director Business channel network line in 2563

“The first work I did with Kasikorn Bank was to jointly provide syndicate loans for the first private power plant project in Thailand. Before moving to the Hong Kong branch, it was after the Tom Yum Kung crisis. Lending in Thailand is not yet available. Hong Kong is the financial center for banks to do business. Teasury helps manage bank liquidity after the Tom Yum Kung era.”

Phiphawat said that if we go back to the commercial banking business in Thailand in the post-Tom Yum Kung era, we will see quite a lot of changes. It was during the time when the risk management line was started, which was a new business model in that era. Consider a loan There is a customer care team (RM). Their duties are separated: RM goes out to meet with customers but cannot approve the loan. The matter will be sent to the loan consideration department instead. It is a clear separation of roles to balance business and risk.

He was a person who had been involved in credit consideration work with Kasikorn Bank for 6 years before moving to the corporate strategy department for another 2 years and coming to take care of SME work that grew up to the position of deputy director. manager

Restructure
Bundle branches and RM

“The word SME customer Whether it's a business or an individual, it's the same person because 70-80% of the branch's customers are SME entrepreneurs. The past will separate RM only takes care of the company and looks at loans. But actually the owner himself is also in charge of the business and the person who is really close to the customers is the branch because the customers of the business owner will be with the branch more than RM.”

Phiphawat said: The integration of the two lines of work is to make the bank's customer-centered strategy clearer because if it still uses the method of having the RM (RelationshipManager) approach customers to offer loans, the branches will offer products to the same customers again. Customers may be surprised that why one bank has to come to many people. That way, it wouldn't call for being customer-centered, but salespeople-centered. Therefore, the person who takes care of the bank's customers should be the only Master RM. The duty of the Master RM does not mean being able to do everything, but rather being the person who can find people with expertise in each area for the customers.

In this regard, the new format of branch role adjustment will be combined into one called One Team, which has started in all provinces and is complete. It takes approximately 2 years by working as a One Team. There will be no separation of work lines as in the traditional way where in one branch there will be people who take care of SMEs and small branches. But it will change to joint care of both loans and services. There is a team leader who acts as the boss in the area to help take care of it. Working in a One Team style helps reduce conflicts in the work of employees as well. It is considered a problem for good management.

“Some people are very talented, not very talented, but I believe that everyone already has potential, but sometimes there is no place to show off their weapons. One Team will allow him to create his own work in the area that he is good at. No need to worry about why you come to work each day. Because everyone is important and accepted in the way they express themselves. In the end, employees, customers and the bank all benefit together.”

As for applying the One Team project to branches in Bangkok, we need to study it because it is more difficult than in each province. because the floor cannot be clearly divided which has already begun to crystallize the concept You may see a gradual adjustment in 2564.

Know your customers-products
Filling the sales gap

Phiphawat also said that Thoroughly understanding customers is the key to RM because one must take care of customers more than just a sales person. If you're just selling, just tell them to go sell and do the amount. If that's the case, it's not called looking at the customer as the primary focus, but a good RM should look at what is suitable for the customer, whether he can take care of the customer completely or not. Do you really understand your customers' businesses? Some customers have deposits. Have money from doing business Each person may have different needs in money management. Some people can take risks, some people may not take risks. Therefore, a good RM must understand what type of customer they are. When RM takes care of them with a true understanding of the customer. It is good to find various advice for customers as appropriate.

The bank is trying to create a role for everyone to be Master RM, which must start from creating a new Mind Set that RM is not sales. It must be adjusted to be seen as someone who takes care of customers and makes them work as a team. Can be exchanged across teams. Working together will allow us to develop together.

Phiphawat also said that while the branch itself is important Sales opportunities and opportunities to meet customers begin at the branch. In helping customers during the COVID-19 outbreak, branches play an important role. Nowadays, fewer people come to branches, but transactions have not decreased. The bank's branch strategy will remain the same. Branches that are too close to each other will be merged. But if it's in some provinces, if it closes, it probably won't be customer-centered, so there must still be branches. Because there are opportunities in other provinces to still use branches to find new customers.

“Although the volume of services at the branch has decreased by 40% from the past, the branch must continue to take care of people who come to the branch because the impression or lack of impression will come from the branch first. Branches must make customers trust them and be able to give advice to customers. It can lead to further development.”

RM-Branch Team Test
Helping customers get through COVID-19

Paphawat talks about the role of branches during the COVID-19 outbreak, saying that branches are quite important because during the first wave of the outbreak relief measures were issued, many customers came to request measures. But when the 6-month debt moratorium ended at the end of 2563, the bank had to be the one to contact customers to see how things were. This requires contacting more than 90,000 customers and must work proactively to prevent a large number of debt defaults in a short time (Cliff Effect).

However, having to contact all 90,000 customers is not enough for RM alone. So I had the branch help contact me and it helped a lot by going to talk to customers. Ask about happiness Some customers say that No one has come to contact and ask about happiness like this for a long time. Each side gained joy in return and helped teach the team how helping customers is different from being a salesperson.

“In a crisis, banks are better at risk management. COVID-19 is different from Tom Yum Kung because this time everyone is affected together and must help each other. Banks must approach customers. It is an opportunity to get close to customers. It is an important issue that they must contact customers. Give more.”

However, Phiphawat said amid the spread of COVID-19 Branch employees are worrisome because they are at the frontline to respond to people coming into the branch all the time. Banks must have preventive measures to fully supervise employees and send protective tools to help from the first wave.

As for the status of customers affected by the new COVID-19 outbreak, we are re-evaluating month-to-month. Because the end of 2563 is considered to be going well. Customers who take 80% of the measures can return to paying normally because they don't want to be in debt. But when there is a new outbreak, we are evaluating how severe it is for some groups. It has become a repeat problem.

“All parties are evaluating and following up together. Maybe classify which ones can come back and pay, but will they take more medicine? Or some people still can't take it and have to continue paying for medicine. It is like a patient who has not yet been released from the hospital. Or are they discharged from the hospital and are healthy or will they have to come back in? They have to follow up and see. Or if any of them have never gone through the measures, will the measures have to be used this time or not? which is followed month to month”

However, the bank's internal management of RM and branches is important. Because the bank must comply with Management criteria In terms of providing fair service to customers (Market Conduct), if RM is made to not be a sales person, it will help tell the story to customers fully. Kasikorn Bank has a working principle called "inform, distribute, explain" which means it must be able to inform customers what products are available. Distribute it to customers to read. Explain to customers For peace of mind for both buyers and sellers. It is considered a reflection that the bank cares to provide honest advice.

“The bank has developed new products and channels, such as Fin Vest, which will be an Open Architecture, able to invest in a variety of funds both domestically and abroad from 15 asset management companies. In addition, Wealth Plus, which is a ROBO Advisory, provides advice and management services. Investing in automatic mutual funds and Line BK that help meet the needs of knowing customers and provide more opportunities to give loans to groups that have never been able to give loans if they only considered financial statements.”

Follow the People column in the Finance and Banking Journal. February 2564 issue, issue 466, on leading newsstands nationwide and in digital format: https://goo.gl/U6OnIi