HSBC's recent announcement to extend full-day services on Saturdays and half-day services on Sundays, put its rivals in a thoughtful mood as to whether or not to follow the move in future.
However, two months before the bank's service extension plan came out, Fubon Bank (Hong Kong) decided that they will not follow HSBC.
Instead, Fubon led the way in the industry by becoming the first bank to provide extended services every Thursday until 8.30pm.
"We are not a big player and we cannot become another HSBC, so the message we need to get across the market is that we are different, creative, energetic and competitive," says Lee Jin- yi, who joined the group two years ago as chief executive and managing director of Fubon.
That was exactly when Fubon Financial, Fubon Bank (Hong Kong)'s Taiwanese parent, which offers extensive financial services on the island, first stepped into Hong Kong by acquiring International Bank of Asia in 2004. IBA started operations in the city in 1986.
Since the acquisition, Fubon Bank (Hong Kong) has grown and now operates 22 branches in the city. In a recent Fubon Bank commercial, a saleswoman in a shoe shop was depicted massaging her customer's foot before putting on for the customer her new heels.
The message is simple: From Fubon, customers can enjoy services beyond their expectations.
Lee said the message is also about what employees can expect. "Extending the bank's Thursday services represents an integration between needs of both customers and employees," Lee says. "Having our staff work on a Sunday is taking too much from them, as I believe it is important for our employees to be with their families on weekends." Lee adds that extending services on weekends will not add extra value to their customer base a ...