Support for its business customers resulted in Kiwibank winning the Vero Excellence in Business Support Award for Large Business $5-10m turnover.
Kiwibank was built around a promise of straightforward banking for New Zealanders; its aim to deliver a real banking alternative with Kiwi spirit. In 2005 it extended this promise to support Kiwi business in New Zealand with the focus on SME business, the driving force behind New Zealand’s economy.
A pilot of Business Banking services was run in November 2004 when 40 businesses were invited to join Kiwibank as part of the pilot and to feed back their findings. Kiwibank said it found other banks had complicated their business banking offering with bells and whistles in an attempt to lure bigger business but had ignored the basics of building a relationship with their customer.
Kiwibank launched its Business Banking on the premise that customers wanted a Kiwi bank that was straightforward and offered great value.
Business Banking Centres have since been increased from 13 in 2006 to 18 in 2009. In conjunction with the Business Centre Kiwibank distributed over 2000 business planning guides. A Kiwibank Business Banking website page was set up and page views increased from 4,445 (Sep/Oct 2008) to 12,084 (Nov/Dec 2008) and unique views 3,364 to 9,285.
Business Banking continues to survey all new customers to find out how effective they are in meeting customers’ needs.
