| Summary: | The fast paced evolution of technology has changed the way people interact with service providers in a significant way; the introduction of new service delivery channels has mainly been based on technological advances rather than on customer needs. During the last 20 years the banks have extended their service offerings from just having the branch offices to the multichannel service delivery systems of today, including; phones, computers and smartphone apps. Previous research has concluded that there were many barriers for mobile banking to become a widespread service delivery channel for banks, such as technical limitations, trust issues and social obstacles. In order to understand the role of the smartphone in this multichannel ecology, a qualitative interview study was undertaken focusing on the customers’ perception of the bank. The results show that the choice of channel is dependent on personal characteristics, perceived risk, context and how the task itself is perceived. The results show that the current role of the smartphone is complementary to the other channels, providing the customer with basic banking services wherever they are; it supports the customer in the activity of managing ones private economy and providing the informant with the feeling of control. The results also include insights into the life of three customers and their interaction with their bank over the course of one month in the form of customer journey maps.
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