MediaMarkt shows that service and customer experience takes centre stage with time-consuming verification of identity, bank account and credit.
As an intermediary in concluding mobile telephony subscriptions, MediaMarkt has to meet strict requirements. They have to define that the consumers are who they say they are but in addition, in some cases, MediaMarkt has to carry out an income and expenses test.
This process takes an average of 20 minutes per subscription. It can be time consuming for customers and puts a lot of pressure on employees. Moreover, it's not a very pleasant experience for customers to verbally share their personal details with the seller. Manually filling in data, and making copies of identity documents and bank cards results in a lot of hassle for the seller. So, MediaMarkt was looking for a way to make this process easier, faster and more customer-friendly.
Together with CM.com, MediaMarkt developed a flow based on what the customers have in their pockets more often than not - a mobile phone. The device with which the modern-day consumer is more and more intertwined. The expensive hardware used by MediaMarkt's employees to make a copy of both proof of identity and bank card - front and back - is being replaced by the customer's mobile phone.
This privacy-sensitive information is verified on the customer's device and automatically retrieved from a reliable source (their banking environment). Therefore, the registration process feels much less like an invasion of privacy. The new process fits better with the expectations of the modern customer.
MediaMarkt: "Personal data has always been handled with the greatest care and in accordance with all legislation, but now we no longer need to make copies, edit files (make certain data invisible) and store them. This saves time for the shop assistant, customer, and MediaMarkt."
Once the customer has selected his phone and subscription, the verification process on the smartphone can start via SMS, or by scanning a QR code. The customer goes through three steps. First of all, a request is made to transfer €0.01 to MediaMarkt via iDEAL. Next, they are asked for their name and address, date of birth and gender. This can be done easily and confidentially via the bank, by using iDIN. For the final step, the income and expenses test, they will be asked for their salary and living expenses. The customer no longer has to mention this publicly, but can do this in the privacy of his own phone.
Earlier we wrote about the smart application of iDIN for the online sale of mobile subscriptions and smartphones by Mobiel.nl. MediaMarkt is the first organisation in the Netherlands to implement this online identification check offline in their physical shops, and is responding to consumer behaviour. The mobile phone plays an indispensable role in the life of the consumer. By using the device that every customer always have in their pocket, MediaMarkt now brings the advantages of the online world to their 49 physical stores.
As a Digital Identity Service Provider (DISP), CM.com provides various digital identification and authentication solutions for MediaMarkt, such as iDIN, One Time Password by SMS and IBAN authentication.
"The collaboration is the result of a joint process in which we have been wondering how technology can speed up the process and make it more customer-friendly," says Joris Oomen, Sector Manager Retail at CM.com.
iDIN is a new authentication and verification service provided by Dutch banks. iDIN is similar to the way consumers use their online banking. For example, he wants to make a purchase in your webshop. With iDIN the customer logs in according to his bank's login method, after which his data, like name, address, date of birth, gender and contact details, is checked.
Online identification can now be both very reliable and user-friendly. With iDIN, no financial data, such as IBAN number and balance information, is shared.
"We also take the requirements of the telecom providers and the wishes of the employees in account. In the new process, we try to combine and digitise a number of steps and give the customer's mobile phone a central role. Making copies of identity documents and bank cards is no longer necessary thanks to iDIN and IBAN verification via iDEAL. In addition, the manual entry of data by the shop assistant or customer, often time-consuming and error-prone, is no longer necessary. This is expected to reduce friction and increase conversion.
The conclusion is that customers are served faster and the shop employee can help more customers. Customers can now also easily share their privacy-sensitive information via their own mobile phone, without having to provide copies of documents. A huge optimisation for all those involved!"
This procedure is currently being used as a pilot in 7 stores and the ambition is to make it work in all 49 physical stores of MediaMarkt Nederland. The first expected results are:
Reducing the purchase/sale process from 20 min to 2 to 3 min
Making the process easier and more customer-friendly.
A higher customer satisfaction and lower pressure on staff
Compliant with AVG/GDPR
"We are always looking at how we can tailor the services of our products perfectly to the needs of our customers. Speed, convenience and reliability are always the starting points," says Sebastiaan Rigter, Director Services & Solutions at MediaMarkt Nederland. "This innovation is a good example of this. With the ease, speed and security of the banking environment, you can now easily take out a telephone subscription. This new process saves an enormous amount of time and removes all the annoying and privacy-sensitive elements. And so our customers can use their new phone and subscription within minutes."
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