Santander has revealed a proposal to invest US$ 800 million by 2026. This money will go towards building Campus Santander and the company’s transformation into a digital bank with Work/Café. In specifics, Santander Investment, a division of Grupo Santander, will invest US$ 350 million in the new corporate facility; in addition, Santander Chile will devote US$ 450 million to T&O projects and branch modernization.
“This is a great step, because it allows us to continue advancing in our Chile First strategy, with the sole objective of putting Chile and its people first,” stated Román Blanco, CEO and head of Santander Chile. This strategy reflects the Group’s confidence and the sustained dedication we have gained to being Chile’s top bank.
“We have focused strongly on our transformation to become a digital bank with Work/Café,” the executive added in further detail. In an environment where digital is becoming more and more important, it is imperative that we be present across all of our platforms with solutions and services. Recognising the importance of in-person interactions with executives and our potential to foster the development of creative ideas, we are making significant strides to enhance our Work/Café, which has come to redefine the traditional banking branch. We have become the bank with the best customer satisfaction in the financial sector for the fourth year running thanks to all of the highly acknowledged efforts we have taken.
In fact, the organisation has advanced significantly in this transformative process this year. Más Lucas, the first large account available, was introduced in March of last year. It has 100% digital onboarding and offers clients interest on the money they maintain in it at a variable monthly rate. This product does not have maintenance or transaction costs, and the interest gained is retained regardless of the amount of transfers made. It also takes into account a savings account and both physical and digital debit cards.
Santander has once again chosen to redefine the physical presence of a bank branch by establishing Work/Café Expresso, transaction centres with tellers or self-service options, service counters, card printing machines, and product lockers. As a result, the organisation addresses another major issue facing the sector: the branch service experience. The NPS of 83% for these offices indicates that customers are satisfied with the prompt service, with wait times of no more than 10 minutes for attention and waiting. Furthermore, these branches—whose extended business hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
have strengthened a few policies to enable consumers to transact more securely, setting the standard for ease, quickness, and security. Santander has established five offices of this kind in Valparaíso, O’Higgins, La Araucanía, and the Metropolitan Region since its inception in March of last year.
“With the support of this investment plan, we are pursuing a series of initiatives and upcoming actions that are aimed at strengthening the Bank and advancing national development,” stated Román Blanco.