E-banking comes to town: Exploring how traditional UK high street banks are meeting the challenge of technology and virtual relationships

UK high street banks are continuing to extend the choice of channel through which customers can manage their moneycolon; an obvious example is e-banking. They have been keen to exploit technological advances and changing customer attitudes to alternative channels. Additionally, competition from leaner new market entrants has provided an added incentive to adopt new approaches. In the light of such developments, it is worth reflecting on the changing nature of the bank–customer relationship. This paper suggests that banks are finding it difficult to manage relationships effectively due, in large measure, to the sheer volume of customer data generated by new interactive, technology-based channels. Paradoxically, it seems that the more data banks have about customers the less likely they are to know them on a personal level. It is further suggested that channels such as e-banking potentially reduce the level of personal contact between bank and customer to the extent that a ‘virtual’ relationship develops. This paper concludes that, given the tendency towards ‘virtualisation’, it is inconceivable that bank–customer relationships will become any more intimate in the future. Indeed, a greater degree of personalisation in customer communication may be the very best that banks are able to offer.     

英国生产服务业发展现状分析

本文利用1968-2002年间的英国投入产出表,将英国服务业中用于中间需求的部分界定为生产服务业,并由此分析了英国生产服务业的发展趋势及现状。分析发现,英国生产服务业增加值占服务业和GDP比重不断上升,与人均GDP之间存在显著的正相关关系。生产服务业中为农业、工业服务的部门比重不断下降,而为服务业服务的部门比重不断上升。文章最后分析了英国生产服务业发展变化趋势对我国的几点启示。