Interview on the Postbank problem: “We compensate our customers”

As the response to our reader’s appeal demonstrated, the problems that arose during the IT conversion have not yet been completely resolved. What are the reasons for this and when will systems run smoothly?

We are working hard to regain the trust we lost. This will not work overnight. But we want to convince customers who have had inconveniences to use “their” Postbank again through better service and new offers. Things are already going much better than they were a few months ago and will continue to improve.

We managed the backlog of critical processes for clients, which the financial regulator was also keeping an eye on, at the end of March. We now generally process new concerns within the service timeframes customers expect from us. Since the beginning of the year, wait times in our call centers have been even better than before the IT change. By the way, many of the customer complaints listed here have nothing to do with IT migration, but we take all complaints very seriously.

Will Postbank compensate customers who have suffered financial damage as a result of these problems?

Yes, we compensate our customers for legitimate complaints. That’s what we’ve always said and that promise remains. There are well-known ways to do this. Customers whose claims are related to a garnishment, bankruptcy, or garnishment protection account may also use an online form on our website to allow for faster processing. This was important to us because a quick solution can provide economic relief for these customers.

Is Postbank working to improve customer service? If so, through what specific measures?

We have introduced new digital and automated processes at Postbank that alleviate the workload of our service and administrative teams and give our on-site consultants more freedom. The Postbank app is currently receiving a new service and help area, and integration into online banking has been digitized and accelerated.

With our “Mobile First” initiative, we have already become faster and easier for our customers. Our processing times are now actually very good again. We want to maintain this momentum and introduce new improvements such as new self-service devices and an attractive overnight interest campaign.

Can customers with complex problems also contact Deutsche Bank branches?

Our customers want to do many things online, in the app or on the computer, which is why we are now digitizing our offer gradually and consistently. Meanwhile, customers of both brands can, for example, use all self-service devices at all levels – i.e. at Deutsche Bank and Postbank – and also carry out everyday banking transactions such as transfers. This also works the other way around and is an important advantage that was only possible with IT migration and benefits our customers. We do not provide for personalized service between brands.