JAMAICA NATIONAL (JN) Bank has introduced online account opening for its members whose account information is fully up-to-date, in accordance with the Know Your Customer, or KYC, policy, via its new website [2].
The secure, sleek Microsoft Metro-optimised site is easier to navigate than the previous JN Building Society website and has a clean, fresh appearance, which allows existing JN Bank account holders to open new accounts online, without visiting a branch of the JN Bank.
“It’s a bold move on our part to provide more convenient services to Jamaicans and to raise their level of confidence when doing business with the financial sector,” says Maureen Hayden-Cater, managing director of JN Bank.
“It breaks down the fear of going into a bank to complete a variety of documents, as existing members can apply online, at their own convenience,” she said, explaining that it also “improves the efficiency of branches, as we can gradually reposition our frontline employees, to focus on consultative banking activities, which drives member hospitality.”
The launch of the new website flows naturally into JN Bank’s focus on hospitality, Mrs Hayden-Cater outlined; and the objective is to raise members' confidence in the financial institution; as well as, provide an environment in which the bank can deepen relationships with its clients.
“This enhancement will build on our mission to help to create extraordinary life experiences for Jamaicans through innovations, such as our new website, which is in essence, an online branch,” she said.
“It also provides an opportunity for us to engage with a wider customer base,” she underscored.
She also noted that soon JN Bank will be expanding its site to allow members, who do not have all their records, such as phone numbers and valid identification, up-to-date with the commercial bank; and also non-JN members, to complete most of the account opening process online, but, not the entire process.
“We expect that this technology will significantly reduce the time it takes in-branch time to open an account, so that our existing or new members who choose to use it do not have to wait a long time when they enter our banking halls to complete the process,” she said.
The website also has other smart features, such as its ability to assist users to determine the right savings account to satisfy their financial outcomes. They will be directed to answer a series of five simple questions, which includes the sum they wish to save, and the tenure.
“The website then suggests the savings account that’s best suited to help you to achieve your target or intent,” Mrs Hayden-Cater outlined, underscoring that the inclusion of the feature is a meaningful way of helping persons to find the right products that will assist them to achieve their individual targets.
Users can also calculate the actual interest they will be able to earn on their deposit, using a savings calculator, which is also available on the website, to assist with their decision-making.
“We must encourage a culture of saving in Jamaica,” Mrs Hayden-Cater stressed, “And by offering the right assistance through technology, such as www.jnbank.com [3], we can empower more members to achieve their objectives by providing information and tools, which will allow them to make banking decisions in privacy; and at their own convenience.”
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