Some might argue that retail banking is known more for its inconveniences than its convenience. As an example,the common term 'banker's hours' is synonymous with "being open for the shortest and most inconvenient amount of time". Despite that legacy, retail banks have made a concerted effort and real progress to extend services through various delivery channels to improve the retail banking customer experience.

Banks may have closed the customer service gap with other industries, but like other industries, must stay ahead of the consumer to deliver an experience that provides profitable value and differentiation. According to a recent report, what most customers want from their banks is greater access and more personalized experiences (in the form of advice, products, andservices).

It's not a surprising conclusion especially to the banking industry which has adapted a retail industry term -omnichannel -to describe the needed capabilities to deliver a consistent customer experience across all channels.

TheCisco Connected Customer Experience Report for Retail Banking-a global survey of consumers and bank professionals conducted in early 2013 -highlights the opportunities and the challenges that banking institutions face in meeting current and future customer expectations. Globally, consumers rankedavailability, competence, and efficiencyas top banking customer experience attributes. It's increasingly clear that these attributes are linked to customer expectations across all delivery channels, in no small part due to the population's pervasive connectivity. Failure to deliver a compelling experience in one channel could have a greater negative impact on customer perception in the future. The key takeaway for banks... agility achieved through a holistic omnichannel delivery strategy is critical for improving customer experiences.