Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming a key driver of innovation in the banking and credit union sectors. As these institutions face increasing competition, changing customer expectations, and tighter regulatory environments, AI offers significant potential to address their most pressing challenges—namely, increasing wallet share and improving customer retention across the bank’s channels.
Focus on Existing Clients
Many financial institutions spend an outsized amount of resources on acquiring new clients, often underestimating the growth potential within their existing client base. Acquiring new customers is generally more expensive than retaining and growing existing ones. Banks, in particular, have a built-in referral system through deposits, mortgage clients, and other financial services that their customers already engage with, such as personal loans and credit cards. By leveraging these existing relationships and focusing on increasing wallet share, banks can maximize the revenue generated from each customer. Offering additional products and services to current customers typically yields higher success rates compared to marketing to new prospects. Moreover, investing in retention efforts fosters customer loyalty, leading to long-term relationships and increased referrals, providing a significant competitive advantage that most banks have yet to fully capitalize on.
Wallet Share and Retention Challenge
Retaining customers and increasing wallet share present significant challenges. Statistics highlight the challenge faced by financial institutions: the average customer holds accounts with 2-3 different financial institutions, and customer attrition rates can reach as high as 20% annually, representing a significant loss in potential revenue. Since many customers hold accounts with multiple institutions, this dilutes the influence of any one bank. Additionally, the rise of digital-first competitors, who offer seamless and personalized experiences, are pulling customers away from traditional banks.
Another unique challenge for banks and credit unions, compared to independent advisory firms, is the issue of size and scalability. Independent advisors often have a large number of wealth managers dedicated to client engagement and growth. Banks and credit unions typically have fewer wealth managers handling a broader customer base. This disparity makes it more difficult for these institutions to offer the same level of personalized service and engagement at scale.
How AI Can Solve These Issues
AI can address these issues by automating key aspects of client interaction, allowing wealth managers to prioritize high-value activities while ensuring that all clients receive tailored services based on their specific needs.
So how can banks use AI to improve their ability to retain and grow their current client base?
Enhancing Wallet Share with Data-Driven Personalization
Banks that successfully increase wallet share by just 10% can see up to a 30% boost in profitability. AI enables banks to analyze vast amounts of customer data to deliver highly personalized financial advice and product offerings. By understanding individual customer needs, banks can present the right products at the right time, significantly improving the chances of cross-selling and up-selling.
Improving Retention with Predictive Analytics
AI’s predictive capabilities are crucial for identifying customers at risk of leaving the bank. By analyzing behavior patterns, transaction histories, and customer interactions, AI can detect early warning signs of attrition. Banks can then proactively engage these customers with personalized offers or services designed to retain them.
Leveraging AI for Relationship Deepening
AI helps deepen existing customer relationships by continuously learning from customer interactions and adapting the bank’s engagement strategies. This ongoing learning process allows banks to refine their approach over time, ensuring they remain relevant and valuable to their customers. AI-driven insights can guide relationship managers on the optimal times and methods to engage with customers, whether through personalized product recommendations or timely financial advice.
Conclusion
AI is not just a tool for improving operational efficiency or enhancing risk management; it is a critical enabler of growth within the banking sector. By focusing on increasing wallet share, improving customer retention, and addressing scalability challenges, AI provides banks and credit unions with the insights and tools necessary to address some of their most significant challenges. With the right AI strategy, these institutions can secure a larger portion of their customers’ financial activities, foster deeper relationships, and ultimately drive long-term profitability.