Investing in relationships

It may seem unexpected to hear this, especially from a top bank executive, but Natividad Alejo, senior vice president and consumer banking group head of the Bank of the Philippine Islands, says that to work for a financial institution like BPI, simply being good with numbers won’t cut it. “A customer needs someone he can talk to,” she says, “someone he can relate to.”

Of late, BPI, known in the banking industry for its prudence and conservatism, has been showing a kinder, gentler side to clients, beginning three years ago when it shelved its original catchphrase, “A tradition of leadership,” for the friendlier “We’ll take you farther.” Physical changes also appear to have the customer’s best interests at heart. Techno-savvy clients will appreciate the fact that their bank’s fresh and youthful signage now includes its URL address (www.expressonline.com). Meanwhile, bank visitors will like the brighter interiors and spacious floor plan, which is said to be patterned after their usual footpath when transacting business. And the dividers on the counter give depositors a sense of privacy and one-on-one time with the teller.

As for its services, convenience is the obvious inspiration for such innovations as extending banking hours to 4:30 pm, clearing checks in real time, and the biggest help of all—allowing clients to make a host of bank transactions not only in their original BPI branches but in any of its 600 branches nationwide.

According to Alejo, it was an evolving market that prompted the bank to adopt some changes of its own. Whereas product innovation and process efficiency were the focus of this bank about a decade ago, these days, customer satisfaction is the clear priority, and BPI has been in the thick of anticipating and addressing its customers’ needs. “Our clientele is the center of our universe,” says the SVP repeatedly during her interview. “He should tell us what we should be doing. And we should be listening.”

Interestingly, employees have been affected by the shift in image as well. In her visits to the branches, Alejo notes how the spanking new working environment, as well as management’s conscious efforts to keep its crew in the loop of ongoing internal and global developments, has made “everyone in the team feel like they are part of the team and own the business. It’s a way of enabling them to respond better to our customers,” she says. So far, quiet and informal surveys reveal that clients have indeed been pleased with the overall quality of service of their bank, but the SVP insists that “this is still a work in progress. While there are still long lines, particularly during peak days like long holidays, or payday weekend, what’s important is that we turn the situation around as quickly as possible.”

 “The legacy is there,” Alejo says proudly. “We’ve earned people’s trust through the years. Now we’d like to show people that we can be warm and approachable, too.”

A graduate of economics (summa cum laude) from the Divine Word University in Tacloban City, Leyte, Alejo didn’t exactly set her sights on working for a bank. A research analyst, she moved on to corporate planning where her work with mergers and acquisitions, “a challenging but fun and fulfilling” aspect of the job, thrust her into the world of banking. Mergers and acquisitions were also part of her jobs in financial control, corporate finance, and investment banking.

Married to a financial consultant, Alejo is mother to four kids, three of them already in college, and none, curiously, following his or her parents’ footsteps. “But my eldest son is very entrepreneurial and aware of what’s going on,” she says. “He likes discussing with me what he reads in the papers.”

Indeed, it’s a supportive family system that explains why Alejo is able to achieve that elusive sense of balance between her personal and professional lives. “My mother and sisters live near by and we are very close,” she says. “If I have to travel, they make sure to check on our house and the kids.” Such closeness has rubbed off on her four children, who are not only tight with their cousins, but surprisingly, with their mom and dad. The last time the family saw a movie together, their two oldest kids came along—even if they had already seen the film. “And that happens very often,” she says. “I guess they enjoy our company.”

Incidentally, the BPI SVP rarely brings work home, and if she does, any attempts to catch up on her backlog are just that—attempts. “Home is another place,” is all Alejo will say with a smile. And in this place, family is the center of her universe.